Numbers 21:34 - Yahweh said to Moses, “Don’t fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, with all his people, and his land. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.”

Generated Verse: Numbers 21:34

What does "Numbers 21:34" mean?


This verse from Numbers 21:34 is a divine assurance to Moses, emboldening him before a potential conflict. Here's a breakdown of what it means:

"Yahweh said to Moses, “Don’t fear him": Yahweh (God) is directly addressing Moses, acknowledging Moses's potential fear. Moses and the Israelites were facing Og, King of Bashan, a powerful and potentially intimidating figure. God is reassuring Moses, telling him not to be afraid of Og.

"for I have delivered him into your hand, with all his people, and his land": This is the key part of the message. God is declaring that He has already given Og, his entire people, and his land into Moses's control. This is a declaration of divinely ordained victory. It's not just a hope or a possibility; God is stating it as a guaranteed fact.

"You shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.": This provides a precedent and a directive. Moses had previously defeated Sihon, King of the Amorites (Numbers 21:21-31). God is telling Moses to handle Og in the same way he handled Sihon - meaning to conquer them and take their land. The reference to Sihon serves to reinforce God's power and consistency in delivering victories to the Israelites. It serves as a reminder that with God's help, they had already overcome a seemingly insurmountable obstacle.

In essence, the verse means:

God is telling Moses not to be afraid of Og because He has already given Moses the victory. He is to conquer Og, his people, and his land, just as he conquered Sihon. The verse is a promise of divine protection and a mandate for conquest. It highlights the theme of God's power to deliver His people and fulfills his promise to give them land. This verse is important in the narrative because it shows the Isrealites' march towards Canaan, and how God guarantees their victories.