Numbers 21:1 (GNV)

Passage

When King Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt toward the South, heard tel that Israel came by the way of the spies, then fought hee against Israel, and tooke of them prysoners.

Nearby Context

Numbers 21:1 When King Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt toward the South, heard tel that Israel came by the way of the spies, then fought hee against Israel, and tooke of them prysoners.

Numbers 21:2 So Israel vowed a vowe vnto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt deliuer and giue this people into mine hand, then I wil vtterly destroy their cities.

Numbers 21:3 And the Lord heard the voyce of Israel, and deliuered them the Canaanites: and they vtterly destroied them and their cities, and called ye name of the place Hormah.

Study Lenses

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

The next verse adds "So Israel vowed a vowe vnto the...", so "king" and "arad" 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 "king" and "arad" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.