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Friday, August 1st, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

English Revised Version

Numbers 21:27

Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come ye to Heshbon, Let the city of Sihon be built and established:

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Amorites;   Ar;   Heshbon;   Israel;   Sihon;   Song;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Amorites, the;   Desert, Journey of Israel through the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ammonites;   Amorites;   Poetry of the Hebrews;   Serpents;   Sihon;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Canaan;   Reuben;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Gods and Goddesses, Pagan;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Moabite;   Sihon;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Amorite (the);   Ar;   Jasher;   Jephthah;   Medeba;   Moab;   Numbers, the Book of;   Poetry;   Sihon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Amorites;   Ballad Singers;   Book(s);   Conquest of Canaan;   Dibon;   Heshbon;   Moab and the Moabite Stone;   Pentateuch;   Poetry;   Reba;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Israel;   Jephthah;   Medeba;   Moab, Moabites;   Moses;   Numbers, Book of;   Wars of the Lord, Book of the;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Arnon ;   Heshbon ;   Moab, Moabites ;   Sihon ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Mount hor;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Ar;   Sihon;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Mo'ses;   Si'hon;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ammon;   Amorites;   Dark Sayings;   Moab;   Moses;   Numbers, Book of;   Proverb;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Allegorical Interpretation;   Baba Batra;   Chemosh;   Dibon;   Elohist;   Invocation;   Moab;   Poetry;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Therefore those who speak in proverbs say, Come you to Heshbon; Let the city of Sichon be built and established:
King James Version
Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared:
Lexham English Bible
Thus the ones who quote proverbs say, "Come to Heshbon! Let it be built! And let the city of Sihon be established.
English Standard Version
Therefore the ballad singers say, "Come to Heshbon, let it be built; let the city of Sihon be established.
New Century Version
That is why the poets say: "Come to Heshbon and rebuild it; rebuild Sihon's city.
New English Translation
That is why those who speak in proverbs say, "Come to Heshbon, let it be built. Let the city of Sihon be established!
Amplified Bible
That is why those who use proverbs say, "Come to Heshbon, Let the city of Sihon be built and established.
New American Standard Bible
For that reason those who use proverbs say, "Come to Heshbon! Let it be built! So let the city of Sihon be established.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Wherefore they that speake in prouerbes, say, Come to Heshbon, let the citie of Sihon bee built and repaired:
Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore those who use proverbs say,"Come to Heshbon! Let it be built!So let the city of Sihon be established.
Contemporary English Version
That's why the Amorites had written this poem about Heshbon: Come and rebuild Heshbon, King Sihon's capital city!
Complete Jewish Bible
This is why the storytellers say, "Come to Heshbon! Let it be rebuilt! Let Sichon's city be restored!
Darby Translation
Therefore the poets say, Come to Heshbon; let the city of Sihon be built and established.
Easy-to-Read Version
That is why the singers sing this song: "Go in and rebuild Heshbon! Make Sihon's city strong.
George Lamsa Translation
Wherefore they say in the proverbs. Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared:
Good News Translation
That is why the poets sing, "Come to Heshbon, to King Sihon's city! We want to see it rebuilt and restored.
Christian Standard Bible®
Therefore the poets say:
Literal Translation
On account of this the parable speakers say, Come to Heshbon! Let the city of Sihon be built and established!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wherfore it is sayde in the prouerbe: Come vnto He?bon, let vs buylde and prepare ye cite of Sihon.
American Standard Version
Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come ye to Heshbon; Let the city of Sihon be built and established:
Bible in Basic English
So the makers of wise sayings say, Come to Heshbon, building up the town of Sihon and making it strong:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wherfore they that speake in prouerbes, say: Come to Hesbon, and let the citie of Sehon be built and repayred.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Wherefore they that speak in parables say: Come ye to Heshbon! let the city of Sihon be built and established!
King James Version (1611)
Wherefore they that speake in prouerbes, say, Come into Heshbon: let the citie of Sihon bee built and prepared.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Therefore say they who deal in dark speeches, Come to Esebon, that the city of Seon may be built and prepared.
Berean Standard Bible
That is why the poets say: "Come to Heshbon, let it be rebuilt; let the city of Sihon be restored.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor it is seid in prouerbe, Come ye in to Esebon, be it bildid, and maad the citee of Seon;
Young's Literal Translation
therefore those using similes say -- `Enter ye Heshbon, Let the city of Sihon be built and ready,
Update Bible Version
Therefore those that speak in proverbs say, You come to Heshbon; Let the city of Sihon be built and established:
Webster's Bible Translation
Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared.
World English Bible
Therefore those who speak in proverbs say, Come you to Heshbon; Let the city of Sihon be built and established:
New King James Version
Therefore those who speak in proverbs say: "Come to Heshbon, let it be built; Let the city of Sihon be repaired.
New Living Translation
Therefore, the ancient poets wrote this about him: "Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt! Let the city of Sihon be restored.
New Life Bible
So those who use wise sayings say, "Come to Heshbon! Let it be built! Let the city of Sihon be built.
New Revised Standard
Therefore the ballad singers say, "Come to Heshbon, let it be built; let the city of Sihon be established.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For this cause, say the poets - Enter ye Heshbon, - Built and prepared be the city of Sihon;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore it is said in the proverb: Come into Hesebon, let the city of Sehon be built and set up:
Revised Standard Version
Therefore the ballad singers say, "Come to Heshbon, let it be built, let the city of Sihon be established.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Therefore those who use proverbs say, "Come to Heshbon! Let it be built! So let the city of Sihon be established.

Contextual Overview

21 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22 Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn aside into field, or into vineyard; we will not drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's high way, until we have passed thy border. 23 And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz: and he fought against Israel. 24 And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong. 25 And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the towns thereof. 26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon. 27 Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come ye to Heshbon, Let the city of Sihon be built and established: 28 For a fire is gone out of Heshbon, A flame from the city of Sihon: It hath devoured Ar of Moab, The lords of the high places of Arnon. 29 Woe to thee, Moab! Thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: He hath given his sons as fugitives, And his daughters into captivity, Unto Sihon king of the Amorites. 30 We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, And we have laid waste even unto Nophah, Which reacheth unto Medeba.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Numbers 21:14, Isaiah 14:4, Habakkuk 2:6

Reciprocal: Numbers 32:37 - Heshbon Judges 11:15 - Israel took Psalms 44:1 - in the times Jeremiah 48:4 - Moab

Cross-References

Genesis 21:22
And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:
Genesis 21:23
now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.
Genesis 21:28
And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
Genesis 21:31
Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them.
Genesis 31:44
And now come, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
1 Samuel 18:3
Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
Proverbs 17:8
A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.
Proverbs 18:16
A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
Proverbs 18:24
He that maketh many friends doeth it to his own destruction: but there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Proverbs 21:14
A gift in secret pacifieth anger, and a present in the bosom strong wrath.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say,.... The historical writers of those times, among the Amorites, who were usually poets, and wrote the history of the wars between the Moabites and Amorites in verse; as Homer among the Greeks wrote the wars of Troy; and the compositions of those ancient bards were short and compendious, and wrapped up in proverbial sayings, and enigmatical and figurative expressions, that they might be the better retained in memory, and therefore were called proverbialists. Jarchi says, they were Balaam and Beor that took up their parables, and said,

come into Heshbon; which words are the beginning of the song, and in which the Amorites are represented as inviting Sihon, and his nobles, to enter Heshbon, which he had taken, and make it his royal seat; or as encouraging one another to go into it and repair it, having suffered much at the taking of it, which seems to be confirmed by what follows:

let the city of Sihon be built and prepared; that is, let us set about rebuilding of the city, and let us fit it up for Sihon our king, and let it be called his city, and made the place of his residence, his palace, and where his court may be kept.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They that speak in proverbs - The original word is almost equivalent to “the poets.” The word supplies the title of the Book of Proverbs itself; and is used of the parable proper in Ezekiel 17:2; of the prophecies of Balsam in Numbers 23:7-10; Numbers 24:3-9; etc.; and of a song of triumph over Babylon in Isaiah 14:4.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 21:27. They that speak in proverbs — המשלים hammoshelim, from משל mashal, to rule, to exercise authority; hence a weighty proverbial saying, because admitted as an axiom for the government of life. The moshelim of the ancient Asiatics were the same, in all probability, as the Poetae among the Greeks and Latins, the [Arabic] shaara among the Arabs, who were esteemed as Divine persons, and who had their name from [Arabic] shaara, he knew, understood; whose poems celebrated past transactions, and especially those which concerned the military history of their nation. These poets were also termed [Arabic] sahebi deewan, companions or lords of the council of state, because their weighty sayings and universal knowledge were held in the highest repute. Similar to these were the bards among the ancient Druids, and the Sennachies among the ancient Celtic inhabitants of these nations.

The ode from the Numbers 21:27-30; Numbers 21:27-30Numbers 21:27-30; Numbers 21:27-30 verse is composed of three parts. The first takes in verses Numbers 21:27 and Numbers 21:27; the second verse Numbers 21:29; and the third verse Numbers 21:30.

The first records with bitter irony the late insults of Sihon and his subjects over the conquered Moabites.

The second expresses the compassion of the Israelites over the desolations of Moab, with a bitter sarcasm against their god Chemosh, who had abandoned his votaries in their distress, or was not able to rescue them out of the hands of their enemies.

The third sets forth the revenge taken by Israel upon the whole country of Sihon, from Heshbon to Dibon, and from Nophah even to Medeba. See Isaiah 15:1-2.

The whole poem, divided into its proper hemistichs, as it stands in Kennicott's Hebrew Bible, is as follows: -


VERSE Numbers 21:27. PART I

Come ye to Heshbon, let it be rebuilt;

The city of Sihon, let it be established.

VERSE Numbers 21:28

For from Heshbon the fire went out,

And a flame from the city of Sihon:

It hath consumed the city of Moab,

With the lords of the heights of Arnon.

VERSE Numbers 21:29. PART II


Alas for thee, O Moab!

Thou hast perished, O people of Chemosh!

He hath given up his fugitive sons

And his daughters into captivity,

To the king of the Amorites, Sihon.

VERSE Numbers 21:30. PART III

But on them have WE lifted destruction,

From Heshbon even to Dibon;

We have destroyed even to Nophah,

The fire did reach to Medebah.


See Kennicott's Remarks.


 
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