Chapter 21

In the last chapter, Edom refused passage to Israel, so they take a different path.  The way they chose takes them near the kingdom of Arad, in the Negeb.  He brings his army out, fights against Israel, and takes some captive.  Israel prays, as a nation it seems, for God to let them defeat this Canaanite.  They promise to destroy all the cities in Arad's kingdom, if God will help them.  Israel defeats Arad, destroy all his cities, and they name the place Hormah.  This word means "destruction". 

They begin to move, to go around Moab.   The people again grumble against Moses and ask why he brought them out of Egypt to starve.  They say they don't like the food.  They don't like manna from heaven.  God sends serpents.  When they repent, Moses puts up the bronze serpent, and if they look at it, they live.  It cures the snakebite.  It neutralizes the poison.  As the bronze serpent was lifted up...

Vss 10-20 are a detailed description of the roundabout way Israel had to go in their travels because of Edom.  It is a long journey this way.  There is no map of the route in MSB.  They end up on the region of Moab.  Moab lies between Edom on the south and Ammon to the north.  Moab is east of the dead sea.

They request permission from Sihon King of the Amorites, to pass through his land.  The request is phrased much like the request to Edom.  Sihon, refuses passage and comes to fight them.  They defeat him, and occupy his land and his cities. 

25 And Israel took all these cities, and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages. [Num 21:25 ESV]

Doesn't say how long they lived in these cities, but it does say settled.  We know from previous reading that 37 years of wandering or more have passed by this time, and entry into the promised land by this new generation is getting close.  So for a time, they rest from the wandering, and stay settled in Ammon. 

Then this:

31 Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. [Num 21:31 ESV]

So they must have been there more than a week or two...

Og,  King of Bashan comes to fight Israel.  Israel defeats him too, and takes all his land.