Numbers 21:18 (GNV)

Passage

The princes digged this well, the captaines of the people digged it, euen the lawe giuer, with their staues. And from the wildernesse they came to Mattanah,

Nearby Context

Numbers 21:16 And from thence they turned to Beer: the same is the well where the Lord said vnto Moses, Assemble the people, and I wil giue them water.

Numbers 21:17 Then Israel sang this song, Rise vp well, sing ye vnto it.

Numbers 21:18 The princes digged this well, the captaines of the people digged it, euen the lawe giuer, with their staues. And from the wildernesse they came to Mattanah,

Numbers 21:19 And from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

Numbers 21:20 And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the plaine of Moab, to the top of Pisgah that looketh toward Ieshimon.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "princes", "digged", "well", "captaines", "people", "euen", and "lawe". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "princes" and "digged", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "Then Israel sang this song Rise vp..." into verse 19's "And from Mattanah to Nahaliel and from...", so "princes" and "digged" belong inside that flow. In Numbers context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

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