Numbers 21:20 (WEB)

Passage

and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looks down on the desert.

Nearby Context

Numbers 21:18 the well, which the princes dug, which the nobles of the people dug, with the scepter, and with their poles.” From the wilderness they traveled to Mattanah;

Numbers 21:19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth;

Numbers 21:20 and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looks down on the desert.

Numbers 21:21 Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

Numbers 21:22 “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn away into field or vineyard. We will not drink of the water of the wells. We will go by the king’s highway, until we have passed your border.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "bamoth", "valley", "field", "moab", "pisgah", "looks", "down", and "desert". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "bamoth" and "valley", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "and from Mattanah to Nahaliel and from..." into verse 21's "Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of...", so "bamoth" and "valley" 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 "bamoth" and "valley" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.