Numbers 21:17
New International Version
Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well! Sing about it,

New Living Translation
There the Israelites sang this song: “Spring up, O well! Yes, sing its praises!

English Standard Version
Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well!—Sing to it!—

Berean Standard Bible
Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well, all of you sing to it!

King James Bible
Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:

New King James Version
Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well! All of you sing to it—

New American Standard Bible
Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well! Sing to it!

NASB 1995
Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well! Sing to it!

NASB 1977
Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well! Sing to it!

Legacy Standard Bible
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,

Christian Standard Bible
Then Israel sang this song: Spring up, well—sing to it!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Israel sang this song: Spring up, well—sing to it!

American Standard Version
Then sang Israel this song: Spring up, O well; sing ye unto 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.

English Revised Version
Then sang Israel this song: Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Israel sang this song about the well: "Make your water spring up! Sing to the well,

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--

International Standard Version
That's also where Israel sang this song: Rise up, well! Sing to it!

Majority Standard Bible
Then Israel sang this song: ?Spring up, O well, all of you sing to it!

NET Bible
Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well, sing to it!

New Heart English Bible
Then sang Israel this song: "Spring up, well; sing to it:

Webster's Bible Translation
Then Israel sung this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye to it:

World English Bible
Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, well! Sing to it,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Then Israel sings this song: “Spring up, O well, "" Let all answer to it!

Young's Literal Translation
Then singeth Israel this song, concerning the well -- they have answered to it:

Smith's Literal Translation
The Israel will sing this song: Ascend thou well! answer ye to it.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then Israel sung this song: Let the well spring up. They sung thereto:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then Israel sang this verse: “Let the well rise up.” They sang:

New American Bible
Then Israel sang this song: Spring up, O well!—so sing to it—

New Revised Standard Version
Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well!—Sing to it!—
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye to it:

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Then Israel sang this song: ’Spring up, oh well; answer it.’
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Then sang Israel this song: Spring up, O well--sing ye unto it--

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Then Israel sang this song at the well, Begin to sing of the well;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Journey to Moab
16From there they went on to Beer, the well where the LORD said to Moses, “Gather the people so that I may give them water.” 17Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well, all of you sing to it! 18The princes dug the well; the nobles of the people hollowed it out with their scepters and with their staffs.” From the wilderness the Israelites went on to Mattanah,…

Cross References
Exodus 15:1-2
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted. The horse and rider He has thrown into the sea. / The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

Psalm 105:2
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wonders.

Isaiah 12:2-3
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He also has become my salvation.” / With joy you will draw water from the springs of salvation,

John 4:10-14
Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” / “Sir,” the woman replied, “You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then will You get this living water? / Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock?” ...

Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and currents on the dry ground. I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.

Psalm 114:8
who turned the rock into a pool, the flint into a fountain of water!

1 Corinthians 10:4
and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

Isaiah 55:1
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!

Revelation 22:17
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.

Psalm 78:15-16
He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the seas. / He brought streams from the stone and made water flow down like rivers.

John 7:37-39
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. / Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’” / He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Isaiah 35:6-7
Then the lame will leap like a deer and the mute tongue will shout for joy. For waters will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. / The parched ground will become a pool, the thirsty land springs of water. In the haunt where jackals once lay, there will be grass and reeds and papyrus.

Psalm 107:35
He turns a desert into pools of water and a dry land into flowing springs.

Jeremiah 2:13
“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Zechariah 14:8
And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the Eastern Sea and the other half toward the Western Sea, in summer and winter alike.


Treasury of Scripture

Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing you to it:

sang

Exodus 15:1,2
Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea…

Judges 5:1
Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,

Psalm 105:2
Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.

spring up.

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Numbers 21
1. Israel destroys the Canaanites at Hormah
4. The people murmuring are plagued with fiery serpents
7. They repenting are healed by a bronze serpent
10. Various journeys of the Israelites
21. Sihon is overcome
33. And Og














Then Israel sang this song:
This marks a moment of celebration and gratitude among the Israelites. Singing was a common expression of joy and worship in ancient Israel, often used to commemorate significant events (Exodus 15:1-21). This particular song is a response to God's provision of water, a critical resource in the desert. The act of singing also reflects the oral tradition of passing down stories and teachings through music.

Spring up, O well:
The phrase "Spring up, O well" is a call for the well to produce water, symbolizing God's provision and sustenance. Wells were vital in the arid regions of the Near East, and finding water was often seen as a divine blessing. This well is believed to be located in the region of Beer, mentioned in Numbers 21:16, where God instructed Moses to gather the people so He could provide water. The well can be seen as a type of Christ, who offers living water (John 4:10-14).

All of you sing to it!
The call for everyone to sing emphasizes communal participation in worship and thanksgiving. It reflects the unity and collective faith of the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness. This communal aspect of worship is echoed in the New Testament, where believers are encouraged to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs together (Ephesians 5:19). The act of singing to the well signifies acknowledgment of God's miraculous provision and serves as a reminder of His faithfulness.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Israel
The collective name for the descendants of Jacob, also known as the Israelites. At this point in their journey, they are wandering in the wilderness after being freed from slavery in Egypt.

2. The Well
A miraculous provision of water for the Israelites in the desert. This well symbolizes God's provision and faithfulness to His people during their journey.

3. The Song
A spontaneous expression of gratitude and praise from the Israelites, acknowledging God's provision and celebrating His faithfulness.
Teaching Points
God's Provision
God provides for our needs, often in unexpected ways. Just as He provided water in the desert, He meets our needs today.

The Power of Praise
Praise is a powerful response to God's provision. It shifts our focus from our needs to God's faithfulness and goodness.

Community Worship
The Israelites sang together, highlighting the importance of communal worship and shared expressions of faith.

Faith in Action
The Israelites' song was an act of faith, trusting in God's continued provision. We are called to act in faith, even when the outcome is not yet visible.

Remembrance and Gratitude
Remembering past provisions strengthens our faith and encourages gratitude. Reflect on how God has provided in your life.Verse 17. - Then Israel sang this song. This song of the well may be taken from the same collection of odes, but more probably is quoted from memory. It is remarkable for the spirit of joyousness which breathes in it, so different from the complaining, desponding tone of the past.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then
אָ֚ז (’āz)
Adverb
Strong's 227: At that time, place, therefore

Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

sang
יָשִׁ֣יר (yā·šîr)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7891: To sing

this
הַזֹּ֑את (haz·zōṯ)
Article | Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

song:
הַשִּׁירָ֖ה (haš·šî·rāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7892: A song, singing

“Spring up,
עֲלִ֥י (‘ă·lî)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

O well,
בְאֵ֖ר (ḇə·’êr)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 875: A pit, a well

all of you sing
עֱנוּ־ (‘ĕ·nū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 6030: To answer, respond

to it!
לָֽהּ׃ (lāh)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew


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OT Law: Numbers 21:17 Then sang Israel this song: Spring up (Nu Num.)
Numbers 21:16
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