Numbers 21:18
New International Version
about the well that the princes dug, that the nobles of the people sank— the nobles with scepters and staffs.” Then they went from the wilderness to Mattanah,

New Living Translation
Sing of this well, which princes dug, which great leaders hollowed out with their scepters and staffs.” Then the Israelites left the wilderness and proceeded on through Mattanah,

English Standard Version
the well that the princes made, that the nobles of the people dug, with the scepter and with their staffs.” And from the wilderness they went on to Mattanah,

Berean Standard Bible
The princes dug the well; the nobles of the people hollowed it out with their scepters and with their staffs.” From the wilderness the Israelites went on to Mattanah,

King James Bible
The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah:

New King James Version
The well the leaders sank, Dug by the nation’s nobles, By the lawgiver, with their staves.” And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah,

New American Standard Bible
“The well, which the leaders dug, Which the nobles of the people hollowed out, With the scepter and with their staffs.” And from the wilderness they continued to Mattanah,

NASB 1995
“The well, which the leaders sank, Which the nobles of the people dug, With the scepter and with their staffs.” And from the wilderness they continued to Mattanah,

NASB 1977
“The well, which the leaders sank, Which the nobles of the people dug, With the scepter and with their staffs.”And from the wilderness they continued to Mattanah,

Legacy Standard Bible
The well, which the leaders dug, Which the nobles of the people carved out, With the scepter and with their staffs.” And from the wilderness they continued to Mattanah,

Amplified Bible
The well which the leaders dug, Which the nobles of the people hollowed out With the scepter and with their staffs.” And from the wilderness Israel journeyed to Mattanah,

Christian Standard Bible
The princes dug the well; the nobles of the people hollowed it out with a scepter and with their staffs. They went from the wilderness to Mattanah,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The princes dug the well; the nobles of the people hollowed it out with a scepter and with their staffs. They went from the wilderness to Mattanah,

American Standard Version
The well, which the princes digged, Which the nobles of the people delved, With the sceptre, and with their staves. And from the wilderness they journeyed to Mattanah;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
The well that the Princes dug and the Rulers of the people dug up and they searched it with their scepters, and from the wilderness she inhabited Matne.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
the princes digged it, the kings of the nations in their kingdom, in their lordship sank it in the rock: and they went from the well to Manthanain,

Contemporary English Version
With their royal scepters, our leaders pointed out where to dig the well. The Israelites left the desert and camped near the town of Mattanah,

Douay-Rheims Bible
The well, which the princes dug, and the chiefs of the people prepared by the direction of the lawgiver, and with their staves. And they marched from the wilderness to Mathana.

English Revised Version
The well, which the princes digged, Which the nobles of the people delved, With the sceptre, and with their staves. And from the wilderness they journeyed to Mattanah:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
the well dug by princes, dug out by the nobles of the people with their scepters and staffs." From the desert they went to Mattanah,

Good News Translation
The well dug by princes And by leaders of the people, Dug with a royal scepter And with their walking sticks." They moved from the wilderness to Mattanah,

International Standard Version
It's the well that the leaders dug, the one carved out by the nobles of the people with their scepters and staffs. Then they moved on in the wilderness from there to Mattanah,

JPS Tanakh 1917
The well, which the princes digged, Which the nobles of the people delved, With the sceptre, and with their staves. And from the wilderness to Mattanah;

Literal Standard Version
A well—princes have dug it, | Nobles of the people have prepared it, | With the lawgiver, with their staffs.” And from the wilderness [they journeyed] to Mattanah,

Majority Standard Bible
The princes dug the well; the nobles of the people hollowed it out with their scepters and with their staffs.” From the wilderness the Israelites went on to Mattanah,

New American Bible
The well that the princes sank, that the nobles of the people dug, With their scepters and their staffs— from the wilderness, a gift.

NET Bible
The well which the princes dug, which the leaders of the people opened with their scepters and their staffs." And from the wilderness they traveled to Mattanah;

New Revised Standard Version
the well that the leaders sank, that the nobles of the people dug, with the scepter, with the staff.” From the wilderness to Mattanah,

New Heart English Bible
the well, which the princes dug, which the nobles of the people dug, with the scepter, and with their staffs." From the wilderness they traveled to Mattanah;

Webster's Bible Translation
The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staffs. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah:

World English Bible
the well, which the princes dug, which the nobles of the people dug, with the scepter, and with their poles.” From the wilderness they traveled to Mattanah;

Young's Literal Translation
A well -- digged it have princes, Prepared it have nobles of the people, With the lawgiver, with their staves.' And from the wilderness they journeyed to Mattanah,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Journey to Moab
17Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well, all of you sing to it! 18The princes dug the well; the nobles of the people hollowed it out with their scepters and with their staffs.” From the wilderness the Israelites went on to Mattanah, 19and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,…

Cross References
Numbers 21:17
Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well, all of you sing to it!

Numbers 21:19
and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,


Treasury of Scripture

The princes dig the well, the nobles of the people dig it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah:

princes

2 Chronicles 17:7-9
Also in the third year of his reign he sent to his princes, even to Benhail, and to Obadiah, and to Zechariah, and to Nethaneel, and to Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah…

Nehemiah 3:1,5
Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel…

1 Timothy 6:17,18
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; …

the lawgiver

Deuteronomy 5:31
But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.

Deuteronomy 33:4
Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.

Isaiah 33:22
For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.

and from

Numbers 33:45-47
And they departed from Iim, and pitched in Dibongad…

Jump to Previous
Chiefs Continued Deep Desert Digged Direction Dug Hollowed Journeyed Lawgiver Nobles Ones Poles Prepared Princes Rod Sank Scepter Scepters Sceptre Staffs Staves Sticks Traveled Waste Wilderness
Jump to Next
Chiefs Continued Deep Desert Digged Direction Dug Hollowed Journeyed Lawgiver Nobles Ones Poles Prepared Princes Rod Sank Scepter Scepters Sceptre Staffs Staves Sticks Traveled Waste Wilderness
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














(18) By the direction of the lawgiver.--Better, with the ruler's staff. The same word occurs in Genesis 49:10, where it stands in parallelism to "the sceptre." (See Note in loc.)

And from the wilderness they went to Mat-tanah.--The Targums interpret this and Numbers 21:19-20 of the well, And from the wilderness it was given to them for a gift, and from thence it was given to them in Mattanah, &c. The Targum of Onkelos is as follows: "And from the time that it was given to them, it descended with them to the rivers, &c." The Targum of Palestine is--"And from the wilderness, &c." (as above).

Verse 18. - By the direction of the lawgiver, בִּמְחֹקֵק. Literally, "by the lawgiver," or, as some prefer, "with the scepter." The meaning of michokek is disputed (see on Genesis 49:10), but in either ease the meaning must be practically as in the A.V. It speaks of the alacrity with which the leaders of Israel, Moses himself amongst them, began the work even with the insignia of their office. And from the wilderness... to Mattanah. Beer was still in the desert country eastward of the cultivated belt: from thence they crossed, still on the north of Arnon, and probably leaving it somewhat to the south, into a more settled country.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The princes
שָׂרִ֗ים (śā·rîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8269: Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince

dug
חֲפָר֣וּהָ (ḥă·p̄ā·rū·hā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural | third person feminine singular
Strong's 2658: To pry into, to delve, to explore

the well;
בְּאֵ֞ר (bə·’êr)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 875: A pit, a well

the nobles
נְדִיבֵ֣י (nə·ḏî·ḇê)
Adjective - masculine plural construct
Strong's 5081: Voluntary, generous, magnanimous, a grandee

of the people
הָעָ֔ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

hollowed it out
כָּר֙וּהָ֙ (kā·rū·hā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3738: To dig, to plot, to bore, open

with their scepters
בִּמְחֹקֵ֖ק (bim·ḥō·qêq)
Preposition-b | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2710: To hack, engrave, to enact, prescribe

and with their staffs.”
בְּמִשְׁעֲנֹתָ֑ם (bə·miš·‘ă·nō·ṯām)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4938: Support, sustenance, a walking-stick

From the wilderness [the Israelites went on]
וּמִמִּדְבָּ֖ר (ū·mim·miḏ·bār)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech

to Mattanah,
מַתָּנָֽה׃ (mat·tā·nāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4980: Mattanah -- a place East of the Jordan


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OT Law: Numbers 21:18 The well which the princes dug which (Nu Num.)
Numbers 21:17
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