305 passages · Kingdom
A coalition of four kings led by Chedorlaomer campaigns against five rebel kings, including Sodom and Gomorrah's. They win, take goods, and carry off Lot.
Told of Lot's capture, Abram leads 318 trained men in pursuit, splits his forces by night, defeats the raiders, and recovers Lot and the goods.
In song, Israel praises the LORD as strength, salvation, and warrior. They celebrate how he threw Pharaoh's horse and rider into the sea and how the enemy's boast ended.
The Amalekites attack, and Joshua leads the fight while Moses, Aaron, and Hur are on the hill. Israel wins while Moses' hands are raised, and Aaron and Hur hold them up when he tires.
The LORD tells Moses to write the event on a scroll and tell Joshua that Amalek will be wiped out. Moses builds an altar called The LORD Is My Banner.
At Sinai, in the second year after leaving Egypt, the LORD tells Moses to count every man twenty or older who can serve in the army, with a tribal head helping.
Each tribe's number of men twenty or older able to serve is recorded in turn, from Reuben's 46,500 to Naphtali's 53,400.
The count is summed up as carried out by Moses, Aaron and the twelve leaders, with a total of 603,550 men.
Reuben, Simeon and Gad camp on the south side, numbering 151,450, and march second.
Dan, Asher and Naphtali camp on the north and march last. The chapter closes with the total of 603,550 and Israel's obedience.
Israel journeys three days with the ark ahead and the cloud above. When the ark set out, Moses called on the LORD to rise and scatter enemies, and when it rested, to return to Israel.
The people mourn, then try to invade against Moses' warning. The Amalekites and Canaanites defeat them at Hormah.
A Canaanite king attacks Israel and takes prisoners. Israel vows to the LORD to devote the enemy's cities to destruction, and God grants victory; the place is named Hormah.
Israel asks Sihon for passage along the King's Highway. Sihon refuses and attacks, but Israel defeats him and settles in his cities, including Heshbon.
The poets' song is quoted, telling how Sihon's fire consumed Moab's Ar and how Heshbon was taken. It celebrates the reversal, as Israel has now overthrown Sihon.
Israel takes villages near Jazer and moves up to Bashan, where King Og meets them at Edrei. God tells Moses not to fear, and Israel destroys Og's army and takes his land.
Balaam speaks of a distant future in which a star and scepter rise from Israel, defeating Moab and Edom. A ruler from Jacob will overcome their enemies.
God grants Phinehas a covenant of peace and lasting priesthood for his zeal. The slain pair are named Zimri and Cozbi, and God commands Moses to attack the Midianites for seducing Israel.
After the plague, God tells Moses and Eleazar to count all men twenty and older able to serve in the army, by their families. They issue the order on the plains of Moab.
God tells Moses to take vengeance on Midian, after which he will die. Twelve thousand men, a thousand per tribe, go with Phinehas, killing every male including five kings and Balaam, and bring back captives and plunder.
Moses is angry that the army spared the women who had led Israel astray at Peor. He orders that certain captives be killed and girls who have not known a man spared, and that soldiers and goods be purified.
God instructs that the plunder be counted and split between the soldiers and the rest of the congregation, with a tribute to the priests and Levites. The chapter lists the animals and people in each share.
The tribes promise to build folds and cities for their families but to arm themselves and go ahead of Israel until everyone has their land. Moses agrees on condition they keep this promise.
Moses recalls that the people then said they had sinned and would fight anyway, ignoring God's warning. The Amorites routed them, and Israel remained at Kadesh a long time.
With the fighting men dead, God tells Israel to respect Ammon's land, then to cross the Arnon and begin taking the land of Sihon, the Amorite king, promising that the nations will fear Israel.
Moses offered Sihon peaceful passage, but Sihon refused. God gave him and his army to Israel at Jahaz, and Israel captured all his cities while keeping away from Ammon's land.
Israel defeated Og, king of Bashan, and captured his sixty fortified cities after God told Moses not to fear him. A note mentions Og's huge iron bed as evidence he was among the last of the Rephaim.
When Israel goes to war against a larger army, they are not to fear, because God goes with them. The priest encourages the army, and the officers release men with new houses, vineyards, or engagements, and the fearful.
Israel is to offer peace to distant cities before attacking. If they refuse, males are to be killed and the rest taken as plunder; the nations in Canaan itself are to be completely destroyed so they cannot lead Israel into idolatry.
When besieging a city for a long time, Israel must not cut down its fruit trees, since the trees are not enemies. Only non-fruit trees may be used for siege works.