Numbers 21:1 (ASV)

Passage

And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atharim; and he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.

Nearby Context

Numbers 21:1 And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atharim; and he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.

Numbers 21:2 And Israel vowed a vow unto Jehovah, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.

Numbers 21:3 And Jehovah hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and the name of the place was called Hormah.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "canaanite", "king", "arad", "dwelt", "south", "heard", "tell", and "israel". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "canaanite" and "king", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The next verse adds "And Israel vowed a vow unto Jehovah...", so "canaanite" and "king" should be read forward into that movement. In Numbers context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "canaanite" and "king" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.