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Saturday, August 16th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Read the Bible

New King James Version

Numbers 21:17

Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well! All of you sing to it--

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Beer;   Thankfulness;   Scofield Reference Index - Joy;   Thompson Chain Reference - Music;   Singing;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Wells;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Beer;   Serpents;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Reuben;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Beer;   Songs;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Beer;   Jasher;   Jephthah;   Numbers, the Book of;   Poetry;   Prayer;   Well;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Book(s);   Music, Instruments, Dancing;   Pentateuch;   Poetry;   Well;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Beer;   Israel;   Jephthah;   Moses;   Numbers, Book of;   Poetry;   Rock;   Wars of the Lord, Book of the;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Living (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Arnon ;   Beer ;   Moab, Moabites ;   Type;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Beer-elim;   Wells;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Be'er;   Mo'ses;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Answer;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Samuel the Prophet;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Moses;   Numbers, Book of;   Poetry, Hebrew;   Song;   Wanderings of Israel;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Arnon;   Beer;   Poetry;   Well, Song of the;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Then sang Yisra'el this song: Spring up, well; sing you to it:
King James Version
Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:
Lexham English Bible
Then Israel sang this song, "Arise, well water! Sing to it!
English Standard Version
Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well!—Sing to it!—
New Century Version
Then the Israelites sang this song: "Pour out water, well! Sing about it.
New English Translation
Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well, sing to it!
Amplified Bible
Then Israel sang this song, "Spring up, O well! Sing to it,
New American Standard Bible
Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well! Sing to it!
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Israel sang this song, Rise vp wel, sing ye vnto it.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Israel sang this song:"Spring up, O well! Sing to it!
Contemporary English Version
That's also the same well the Israelites sang about in this song: Let's celebrate! The well has given us water.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then Isra'el sang this song: "Spring up, oh well! Sing to the well
Darby Translation
Then Israel sang this song, Rise up, well! sing unto it:
Easy-to-Read Version
Then the Israelites sang this song: "Well, flow with water! Sing about it!
George Lamsa Translation
Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye to it:
Good News Translation
At that time the people of Israel sang this song: "Wells, produce your water; And we will greet it with a song—
Christian Standard Bible®
Then Israel sang this song:
Literal Translation
Then Israel sang this song: Spring up, O well, sing to it;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sange Israel this songe, and they sange one after another ouer the well:
American Standard Version
Then sang Israel this song: Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:
Bible in Basic English
Then Israel gave voice to this song: Come up, O water-spring, let us make a song to it:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then Israel sang this song: Spryng vp well, syng ye vnto it:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then sang Israel this song: Spring up, O well--sing ye unto it--
King James Version (1611)
Then Israel sang this song, Spring vp O well, Sing ye vnto it:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Then Israel sang this song at the well, Begin to sing of the well;
English Revised Version
Then sang Israel this song: Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:
Berean Standard Bible
Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well, all of you sing to it!
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thanne Israel soong this song, The pit stie;
Young's Literal Translation
Then singeth Israel this song, concerning the well -- they have answered to it:
Update Bible Version
Then sang Israel this song: Spring up, O well; you sing to it:
Webster's Bible Translation
Then Israel sung this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye to it:
World English Bible
Then sang Israel this song: Spring up, well; sing you to it:
New Living Translation
There the Israelites sang this song: "Spring up, O well! Yes, sing its praises!
New Life Bible
Then Israel sang this song: "Come up, O well! Sing to it!
New Revised Standard
Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well!—Sing to it!—
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then, sang Israel this song, - Spring thou up, O well! Respond ye thereunto;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then Israel sung this song: Let the well spring up. They sung thereto:
Revised Standard Version
Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well! --Sing to it! --
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well! Sing to it!

Contextual Overview

10 Now the children of Israel moved on and camped in Oboth. 11 And they journeyed from Oboth and camped at Ije Abarim, in the wilderness which is east of Moab, toward the sunrise. 12 From there they moved and camped in the Valley of Zered. 13 From there they moved and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites; for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14 Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord: "Waheb in Suphah, [fn] The brooks of the Arnon, 15 And the slope of the brooks That reaches to the dwelling of Ar, And lies on the border of Moab." 16 From there they went to Beer, which is the well where the LORD said to Moses, "Gather the people together, and I will give them water." 17 Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well! All of you sing to it-- 18 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, 19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

sang: Exodus 15:1, Exodus 15:2, Judges 5:1, Psalms 105:2, Psalms 106:12, Isaiah 12:1, Isaiah 12:2, Isaiah 12:5, James 5:13

Spring up: Heb. ascend

sing ye: or answer

Reciprocal: Isaiah 26:1 - this song Isaiah 27:2 - sing Hosea 2:15 - she shall sing

Cross-References

Genesis 15:1
Hebrews 11:8-10">[xr] After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."
Genesis 16:9
The Angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand."
Genesis 16:11
And the Angel of the LORD said to her: "Behold, you are with child, And you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, Because the LORD has heard your affliction.
Genesis 21:1
Hebrews 11:11">[xr] And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken.
Genesis 21:2
For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
Genesis 21:4
Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
Genesis 21:6
And Sarah said, "God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me."
Genesis 21:13
Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed."
Genesis 21:14
So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.
Genesis 46:3
So He said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then Israel sang this song,.... Being affected with the free favour and good will of God towards them:

spring up, O well; for the springing up of which they prayed in faith, believing in the promise of God, that it would spring up; and so encouraged one another not only to believe it, but even to sing on account of it before it actually did:

sing ye unto it; or on account of it praise the Lord for it; or "answer to it" m, it being their manner to sing their songs by responses, or alternately.

m ענו לה "respondete ei", Montanus; "alternis canite ei", Tigurine version, Piscator.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This song, recognized by all authorities as dating from the earliest times, and suggested apparently by the fact that God in this place gave the people water not from the rock, but by commanding Moses to cause a well to be dug, bespeaks the glad zeal, the joyful faith, and the hearty cooperation among all ranks, which possessed the people. In after time it may well have been the water-drawing song of the maidens of Israel.

Numbers 21:18

By the direction of the lawgiver - Some render, with the lawgiver’s scepter; i. e. under the direction and with the authority of Moses; compare Genesis 49:10, and note.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 21:17. Spring up, O well, &c. — This is one of the most ancient war songs in the world, but is not easily understood, which is commonly the case with all very ancient compositions, especially the poetic. Exodus 15:1; Exodus 15:1, &c.


 
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