Numbers 21:13 (WEB)

Passage

From there they traveled, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness, that comes out of the border of the Amorites: for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

Nearby Context

Numbers 21:11 They traveled from Oboth, and encamped at Iyeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrise.

Numbers 21:12 From there they traveled, and encamped in the valley of Zered.

Numbers 21:13 From there they traveled, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness, that comes out of the border of the Amorites: for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

Numbers 21:14 Therefore it is said in the book of the Wars of Yahweh, “Vaheb in Suphah, the valleys of the Arnon,

Numbers 21:15 the slope of the valleys that incline toward the dwelling of Ar, leans on the border of Moab.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "traveled", "encamped", "other", "side", "arnon", "wilderness", "comes", and "border". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "traveled" and "encamped", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "From there they traveled and encamped in..." into verse 14's "Therefore it is said in the book...", so "traveled" and "encamped" 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 "traveled" and "encamped" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.