The Meaning of Numbers 21:30 Explained

Numbers 21:30

KJV: We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.

YLT: And we shoot them, Perished hath Heshbon unto Dibon, And we make desolate unto Nophah, Which is unto Medeba.'

Darby: And we have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon; and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.

ASV: We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, And we have laid waste even unto Nophah, Which reacheth unto Medeba.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

We have shot  at them; Heshbon  is perished  even unto Dibon,  and we have laid them waste  even unto Nophah,  which [reacheth] unto Medeba. 

What does Numbers 21:30 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 21:21-35 - Victory Over The Amorites
Two great victories opened the eastern lands to the possession and settlement of two tribes and a half. It is not enough to know our heritage in Christ; we must possess our possessions.
Sihon, the king of the Amorites, made an unprovoked attack on Israel; and his action was the less excusable, because he had himself been an invader. As a proof of this, a passage is quoted from one of their national songs, in which the poet describes his invasion of the land, the burning of Heshbon and Ar, and the erection of new cities in their stead, Numbers 21:27-30. See also Judges 11:13-27. Sihon and Og suffered the same fate at the hands of Israel. General Gordon, when crossing the Sudan to attack the slave-trader, often heard these words in his heart: "Fear him not, for I have delivered him into thy hand." See Psalms 135:11; Psalms 136:19-20. Behind all history is divine and everlasting love! [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 21

1  Israel destroys the Canaanites at Hormah
4  The people murmuring are plagued with fiery serpents
7  They repenting are healed by a bronze serpent
10  Various journeys of the Israelites
21  Sihon is overcome
33  And Og

What do the individual words in Numbers 21:30 mean?

But we have shot at them has perished Heshbon as far as Dibon and we laid waste Nophah which [reaches] to Medeba
וַנִּירָ֛ם אָבַ֥ד חֶשְׁבּ֖וֹן עַד־ דִּיב֑וֹן וַנַּשִּׁ֣ים נֹ֔פַח אֲשֶׁ֖רׄ‪‬ עַד־ מֵֽידְבָֽא

וַנִּירָ֛ם  But  we  have  shot  at  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common plural, third person masculine plural
Root: יׄורֶה 
Sense: to throw, shoot, cast, pour.
אָבַ֥ד  has  perished 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
חֶשְׁבּ֖וֹן  Heshbon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶשְׁבֹּון  
Sense: the capital city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, located on the western border of the high plain and on the border line between the tribes of Reuben and Gad.
עַד־  as  far  as 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
דִּיב֑וֹן  Dibon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: דִּיבֹון 
Sense: a town in Moab on the east side of the Jordan which was taken over by the Israelites and rebuilt by the children of Gad.
וַנַּשִּׁ֣ים  and  we  laid  waste 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, first person common plural
Root: שָׁמֵם  
Sense: to be desolate, be appalled, stun, stupefy.
נֹ֔פַח  Nophah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: נׄפַח  
Sense: a place in Moab.
אֲשֶׁ֖רׄ‪‬  which  [reaches] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
מֵֽידְבָֽא  Medeba 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֵידְבָא  
Sense: a town in Moab assigned to Reuben and located 4 miles (6 km) southwest of Heshbon; still extant.