Numbers 21:31 — Word Study
WLCוַיֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּאֶ֖רֶץ הָאֱמֹרִֽי׃
BSASo IsraelYisrâʼêl [the descendants of Jacob, God's chosen people] livedyâshab▸ [dwelt, remained, or abided] in the landʼerets [country, territory, or region] of the AmoritesʼĔmôrîy [a Canaanite tribe, descendants of Canaan]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ | and it dwelt | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | Israel | Noun proper |
| בְּאֶ֖רֶץ | in [the] land of | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct |
| הָאֱמֹרִֽי׃ | the Amorite[s] | Particle, noun gentilic masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | So Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. |
| KJV | ¶ Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. |
| ASV | Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. |
| YLT | And Israel dwelleth in the land of the Amorite, |
| WEB | Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. |
| BBE | So Israel put up their tents in the land of the Amorites. |
Where they part company is in the rendering of the context, with some versions emphasizing the permanence of the settlement more than others.
The sentence is straightforward, with a main clause followed by prepositional and noun phrases that provide context.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
subjectיִשְׂרָאֵל
verbיָשַׁב
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Numbers 21:31
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Israel's Settlement in the Amorite Territorygenerated
Numbers 21:31 describes how Israel, after defeating the Amorites, settled in their land. This event is part of Israel's journey toward the Promised Land, where they faced various tribes and established their presence. The context includes Israel's victories and the strategic importance of the land they occupied, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numbers 32:33–42 | So Moses gave to the Gadites, to the Reubenites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the land including its cities and the territory surrounding them. |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 3:16–17 | and to the Reubenites and Gadites I gave the territory from Gilead to the Arnon Valley (the middle of the valley was the border) and up to the Jabbok River, the border of the Ammonites. |
| 3 | Joshua 12:1–6 | Now these are the kings of the land whom the Israelites struck down and whose lands they took beyond the Jordan to the east, from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon, including all the Arabah eastward: |
| 4 | Joshua 13:8–12 | The other half of Manasseh, along with the Reubenites and Gadites, had received the inheritance Moses had given them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had assigned to them: |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יָשַׁב, vai.Ye.shevgenerated
The verb יָשַׁב (yashab) means to dwell or sit, indicating a sense of permanence. It is used here to show that Israel did not just pass through but established themselves in the land of the Amorites.
This Qal form is a sequential imperfect, indicating ongoing action. The use of this verb emphasizes Israel's transition from wandering to settling, marking a significant step in their journey.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations generally agree on the meaning of יָשַׁב as 'lived' or 'dwelt'.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb יָשַׁב governs the sentence, indicating the action of Israel. The structure is straightforward, with a subject followed by a prepositional phrase that specifies where they lived.
The sentence is built around the action of dwelling, highlighting the significance of Israel's settlement in the land of the Amorites.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יָשַׁב as κατῴκησεν (katoikēsen), which means 'he settled'. This choice emphasizes the idea of establishing a home rather than merely living temporarily.
This reflects a similar understanding of Israel's new status in the land, indicating a settled community rather than a transient group.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 21:31 tells us that Israel settled in the land of the Amorites after defeating them. This marks a significant moment in their journey as they established themselves in new territories.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that Israel established a permanent presence in the territory previously occupied by the Amorites, marking a step in their journey toward the Promised Land.
The land of the Amorites was part of Canaan, which God promised to the Israelites. Their settlement there indicates their progress in claiming the land.
This verse highlights a turning point where Israel transitions from wandering to settling, demonstrating God's faithfulness in guiding them to their promised inheritance.
We can learn about the importance of establishing roots and claiming the promises God has for us, just as Israel did in their journey.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does it mean for me to settle in the promises God has for my life?
- How can I establish a sense of belonging in my community, similar to Israel's settlement?
- In what ways can I reflect on the journey that has brought me to where I am today?
- What challenges might I face in claiming the 'land' God has for me, and how can I prepare for them?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 21:31 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. Not the land of the Moabites; and by those means before mentioned; by conquering Sihon their king, they came into the possession of it, and took up
Read John Gill on Numbers 21 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 21 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(31) Thus Israel dwelt . . .-Better, And Israel sojourned, &c. (See Note on Numbers 21:25.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Numbers 21 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges21–35. The victories over Sihon and Og. See the parallel account in Deuteronomy 2:24 to Deuteronomy 3:13. The previous verses have described the Israelites’ march through the territory occupied by the Amorites on the north of the Arnon, and their arrival at one of the glens which cleave the western edge of the plateau, close to the spot where it ran into the Jordan valley. The narrative now returns to the earlier point, described in Numbers 21:13, when they were still on the eastern border of the Amorites. Since the town of Heshbon commanded the glens, it would have been impossible to penetrate into them unless the town had first been captured; but the writer has arranged his material in…
Read Cambridge on Numbers 21 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
So Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.
Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.
So Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.
So the Israelites lived in the land of the Amorites.
Tyndale line
¶ Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
Thus Israel dwelt in the lande of the Amorites.
Strictly literal
And Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
And Israel dwelleth in the land of the Amorite,
And Israel dwells in the land of the Amorite,
Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Emorites.
So Israel began to live in the Amorites' land.
From the Latin
So Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorrhite.
Simplified
The Israelites occupied the country of the Amorites.
So Israel put up their tents in the land of the Amorites.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely in this verse, with the Septuagint using a different word order but matching the content. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs slightly by using the word for 'towns' instead of 'land', suggesting a focus on specific settlements.
וַיֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּאֶ֖רֶץ הָאֱמֹרִֽי׃
4 of the 4 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
וישׁב ישׂראל בערי האמרי
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: ערי (town)
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Numbers 21:31
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
יָשַׁב (yashab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to sit, remain, or dwell. It encompasses a range of actions from simply sitting down to more complex ideas like establishing a home or causing a place to be inhabited. The entries indicate various forms, including Qal (to sit), Niphal (to be inhabited), and Hiphil (to cause to dwell). There is an Aramaic equivalent, יְתִב (ye.tiv), meaning 'to dwell'.
יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell
Qal
sit
sit, sit down
sit down
sit = be set (as a jewel)
remain, stay, tarry
with special emphasis of qualifying phr.
dwell, have one’s abode
of a land or city, sit, abide, seated in its place, fig. for be inhabited
Niph. be inhabited, of land
Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee
Hiph.
cause to sit
cause to abide
cause to dwell
cause cities to be inhabited
marry (prop. give a dwelling to)
Hoph. and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land
base
H3427 יָשַׁב sit, remain, dwell
3427 yashab yaw-shab'
a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as
judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to
remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to)
abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease
self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to)
inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing),
(bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle),
(down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate),
take, tarry.
יָשַׁב (ya.shav) — to dwell.
1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to sit, sit down
1a2) to be set
1a3) to remain, stay
1a4) to dwell, have one's abode
1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited
1c) (Piel) to set, place
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to sit
1d2) to cause to abide, set
1d3) to cause to dwell
1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited
1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to)
1e) (Hophal)
1e1) to be inhabited
1e2) to make to dwell
Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) refers to both the second name of Jacob, meaning 'God prevails,' and the name of the Hebrew nation descended from him. It is derived from roots meaning 'to rule' and 'God.' The term encompasses Jacob's descendants and is used historically for the northern kingdom of Israel and the nation as a whole after the Babylonian exile.
יִשְׂרָאֵל 2507 n.pr.m. et gent. Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth)
n.pr.m. second name of Jacob
n.pr.gent. name of Hebrew nation
base
H3478 יִשְׂרָאֵל Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth) . n. pr. m. second name of Jacob
. n. pr. gent. name of Hebrew nation
3478 Yisra'el yis-raw-ale'
from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical
name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity:
--Israel.
see HEBREW for 08280
see HEBREW for 0410
יִשְׂרָאֵל (yis.ra.el) — Israel.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26;
son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259);
brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A);
father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently
§ Israel = "God prevails"
1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel
2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob
2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
iz'-ra-el.
See JACOB.
Israel
The name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel (Gen. 32:28), because “as a prince he had power with God and prevailed.” (See JACOB.) This is the common name given to Jacob’s descendants. The whole people of the twelve tribes are called “Israelites,” the “children of Israel” (Josh. 3:17; 7:25; Judg. 8:27; Jer. 3:21), and the “house of Israel” (Ex. 16:31; 40:38).
This name Israel is sometimes used emphatically for the true Israel (Ps. 73:1: Isa. 45:17; 49:3;
(the prince that prevails with God). The name given, (Genesis 32:28) to Jacob after his wrestling with the angel, (Hosea 12:4) at Peniel. Gesenius interprets Israel "soldier of God." It became the national name of the twelve tribes collectively. They are so called in (Exodus 3:16) and afterward. It is used in a narrower sense, excluding Judah, in (1 Samuel 11:8; 2 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16) Thenceforth it was assumed and accepted as the name of the northern kingdom. After the Babylonian captivity, the returned exiles resumed the name Israel as the designation of…
Who prevails with God, a name given to Jacob, after having wrestled with the Angel-Jehovah at Penuel. Ge 32:1,2,28,30 Ho 12:3. See JACOB. By the name Israel is sometimes understood all the posterity of Israel, the seed of Jacob, 1Co 10:18; sometimes all true believers, his spiritual seed, Ro 9:6; and sometimes the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes, as distinct from the kingdom of Judah.
אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.
אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land
earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
earth, opp. to heaven, sky
earth = inhabitants of earth
land =
country, territory
district, region
trial territory
piece of ground
specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
= inhabitants of land
used even of Shᵉʼôl
ground, surface of ground
soil, as productive
אֶרֶץ in phrases
people of the land
in measurements of distance
the country of the plain, level or plain country
land of the living
end(s) of the earth
pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
base
H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
. earth, opp. to heaven, sky
. earth = inhabitants of earth
. land = . country, territory
. district, region
. trial territory
. piece of ground
. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
. = inhabitants of land
. used even of Shᵉʼôl
. . ground, surface of ground
. soil, as productive
. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land
. in measurements of distance
. the country of the plain, level or plain country
. land of the living
. end(s) of the earth
. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
776 'erets eh'-rets
from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth
(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,
field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.
אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.
: country/field
1) land, earth
1a) earth
1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
1a3) earth (inhabitants)
1b) land
1b1) country, territory
1b2) district, region
1b3) tribal territory
1b4) piece of ground
1b5) land of Canaan, Israel
1b6) inhabitants of land
1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world
1b8) city (-state)
1c) ground, surface of the earth
1c1) ground
1c2) soil
1d) (in phrases)
1d1) people of the land
1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)
1d3) level or plain country
1d4) land of the living
1d5) end(s) of the earth
1e) (almost wholly late in usage)
1e1) lands, countries
1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan
אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.
: soil
1) land, earth
1a) earth
1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
1a3) earth (inhabitants)
1b) land
1b1) country, territory
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular constructHR/Ncfsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
אֱמֹרִי (Emoriy) refers to the Amorites, a group of people descended from Canaan, possibly meaning 'mountain-dwellers.' They are noted as a prominent tribe dispossessed by the Israelites during their conquest of Canaan. The term may derive from a root meaning 'to say,' suggesting a connection to prominence or publicity.
אֱמֹרִי n.pr.m.coll. Amorites (perh. = mountain-dwellers)
called son of Canaan
a chief people dispossessed by Hebrews
adj.gent.
base
H567 אֱמֹרִי Amorites (perh. = mountain-dwellers)
567 'Emoriy em-o-ree'
probably a patronymic from an unused name derived from 559 in
the sense of publicity, i.e. prominence; thus, a mountaineer;
an Emorite, one of the Canaanitish tribes:--Amorite.
see HEBREW for 0559
אֱמֹרִי (e.mo.ri) — Amorite.
Someone descended from Amor(?), first mentioned at Gen.10.16; descended from Canaan (H3667); along with Sidon (H6721), Heth (H2845), Jebusite (H2983), Girgashite (H1622), Hivite (H2340), Arkite (H6208), Sinite (H5513), Arvadite (H0721), Zemarite (H6786) and Hamathite (H2577)
§ Amorite = "a sayer"
one of the peoples of east Canaan and beyond the Jordan, dispossessed by the Israelite incursion from Egypt
Art | Ngmsa — Particle · noun gentilic masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ngmsa