Numbers 21:24 (YLT)

Passage

And Israel smiteth him by the mouth of the sword, and possesseth his land from Arnon unto Jabbok--unto the sons of Ammon; for the border of the sons of Ammon <FI>is<Fi> strong.

Nearby Context

Numbers 21:22 `Let me pass through thy land, we do not turn aside into a field, or into a vineyard, we do not drink waters of a well; in the king's way we go, till that we pass over thy border.'

Numbers 21:23 And Sihon hath not suffered Israel to pass through his border, and Sihon gathereth all his people, and cometh out to meet Israel into the wilderness, and cometh in to Jahaz, and fighteth against Israel.

Numbers 21:24 And Israel smiteth him by the mouth of the sword, and possesseth his land from Arnon unto Jabbok--unto the sons of Ammon; for the border of the sons of Ammon <FI>is<Fi> strong.

Numbers 21:25 And Israel taketh all these cities, and Israel dwelleth in all the cities of the Amorite, in Heshbon, and in all its villages;

Numbers 21:26 for Heshbon is a city of Sihon king of the Amorite, and he hath fought against the former king of Moab, and taketh all his land out of his hand, unto Arnon;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "israel", "smiteth", "mouth", "sword", "possesseth", "land", "arnon", and "jabbok--unto". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "israel" and "smiteth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 23's "And Sihon hath not suffered Israel to..." into verse 25's "And Israel taketh all these cities and...", so "israel" and "smiteth" 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 "israel" and "smiteth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.