Numbers 20:4

20:4 Why ¹  have you brought up the Lord’s community into this wilderness? So that ²  we and our cattle should die here?

Numbers 21:14

21:14 This is why it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord,

“Waheb in Suphah ³  and the wadis,

the Arnon

Numbers 21:27

21:27 That is why those who speak in proverbs ⁴  say,

“Come to Heshbon, let it be built.

Let the city of Sihon be established! ⁵ 

Numbers 27:4

27:4 Why should the name of our father be lost from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession ⁶  among the relatives ⁷  of our father.”

Numbers 32:7

32:7 Why do you frustrate the intent ⁸  of the Israelites to cross over into the land which the Lord has given them?

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¹ tn Heb “and why….” The conjunction seems to be recording another thing that the people said in their complaint against Moses.

² tn The clause uses the infinitive construct with the lamed (ל) preposition. The clause would be a result clause in this sentence: “Why have you brought us here…with the result that we will all die?”

³ tc The ancient versions show a wide variation here: Smr has “Waheb on the Sea of Reeds,” the Greek version has “he has set Zoob on fire and the torrents of Arnon.” Several modern versions treat the first line literally, taking the two main words as place names: Waheb and Suphah. This seems most likely, but then there would then be no subject or verb. One would need something like “the Israelites marched through.” The KJV, following the Vulgate, made the first word a verb and read the second as “Red Sea” – “what he did in the Red Sea.” But subject of the passage is the terrain. D. L. Christensen proposed emending the first part from אֶת וָהֵב (’et vahev) to אַתָּה יְהוָה (’attah yehvah, “the Lord came”). But this is subjective. See his article “Num 21:14-15 and the Book of the Wars of Yahweh,” CBQ 36 (1974): 359-60.

⁴ sn Proverbs of antiquity could include pithy sayings or longer songs, riddles, or poems composed to catch the significance or the irony of an event. This is a brief poem to remember the event, like an Egyptian victory song. It may have originated as an Amorite war taunt song; it was sung to commemorate this victory. It was cited later by Jeremiah (48:45-46). The composer invites his victorious people to rebuild the conquered city as a new capital for Sihon. He then turns to address the other cities which his God(s) has/have given to him. See P. D. Hanson, “The Song of Heshbon and David’s Nir,” HTR 61 (1968): 301.

⁵ tn Meaning, “rebuilt and restored.”

⁶ tn That is, the possession of land, or property, among the other families of their tribe.

⁷ tn The word is “brothers,” but this can be interpreted more loosely to relatives. So also in v. 7.

⁸ tn Heb “heart.” So also in v. 9.