Numbers 21:18 (KJV)

Passage

The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah:

Nearby Context

Numbers 21:16 And from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.

Numbers 21:17 Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:

Numbers 21:18 The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went 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 country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "princes", "digged", "well", "nobles", "people", "direction", and "lawgiver". 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 Spring up..." 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.