Commentaries:Adam Clarke
<< Numbers 21:17 Numbers 21:19 >>
Numbers 21:18
The princes digged the well - with their staves - This is not easily understood. Who can suppose that the princes dug this well with their staves? And is there any other idea conveyed by our translation? The word chapharu , which is translated they digged, should be rendered they searched out, which is a frequent meaning of the root; and bemishanotham , which we render with their staves, should be translated on their borders or confines, from the root shaan , to lie along. With these corrections the whole song may be read thus: -
Spring up, O well! Answer ye to it.
The well, the princes searched it out.
The nobles of the people have digged it.
By a decree, upon their own borders
This is the whole of the quotation from what is called the book of the wars of the Lord. But see Dr. Kennicott' s remarks at the end of this chapter.
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