Woe to you, O Moab! You are undone, O people of Chemosh! He has made his sons fugitives, and his daughters captives, to an Amorite king, Sihon.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This isn't just a lament; it's a taunt. The Israelites are highlighting the utter powerlessness of Moab's god, Chemosh, to protect his own people, ironically stating that "he" (Chemosh) gave them into captivity. This reveals a profound spiritual and political vacuum, where their ultimate hope couldn't even prevent defeat by a human king.
Woe to you, O Moab! You are undone, O people of Chemosh! He has made his sons fugitives, and his daughters captives, to an Amorite king, Sihon.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse appears to be the Israelite response to a boastful song sung by the Amorites after their victory over Moab. The preceding verses describe how the Amorite king Sihon had conquered Moab, taking their land, and the song celebrated this conquest and the glory of Sihon's city, Heshbon. Now, the Israelites echo the sentiment, expressing mock pity for Moab and their powerless god, Chemosh, who couldn't save his people from Sihon's might.
When disaster strikes, where do we turn? This verse paints a stark picture of a people utterly forsaken by their god.
The Moabites had a national god named Chemosh. This verse brutally points out his failure. The people who worshipped him, his 'people,' found themselves helpless. Their sons and daughters, those who had escaped the sword, were taken captive. It's a powerful indictment: their god could not protect them. This wasn't just a military defeat; it was a spiritual bankruptcy. Their ultimate trust was placed in an idol that offered no salvation.
This highlights a core truth about true faith: our God is not a distant, powerless idol. He is an active, sovereign Lord who intervenes and preserves.
Imagine watching your enemy fall. What's your reaction? This verse reveals the Israelites' biting commentary on Moab's defeat.
This declaration of 'Woe to you, Moab!' isn't a moment of sympathetic mourning. It's a sharp, scornful observation by the Israelites. They witnessed the Moabites, who had previously been adversaries (and who would later oppose Israel), being utterly crushed by King Sihon of the Amorites.
Their words mock the Moabites' false god, Chemosh, for being unable to deliver his own people. It's a display of triumph, not just over Sihon, but over the gods that couldn't save Sihon's victims. For the Israelites, this was a powerful testament to the living God who was leading them and granting them victory.
Understand the original words
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Kemosh · Hebrew Proper Noun
The chief god of the Moabites, to whom human sacrifices were occasionally offered; represented as a false idol competing with the worship of Yahweh.
'owy · Hebrew Interjection
An interjection of grief, doom, or divine judgment pronounced against individuals or nations for their sins or impending destruction.
'abad · Hebrew Verb
To be destroyed, ruined, or brought to an end; it implies a state of total loss or irreversible collapse of a person, nation, or structure.
paliyt · Hebrew Noun
A person fleeing danger or persecution, often without a home or protection; frequently used to describe those suffering the consequences of defeat or judgment.
This taunt song, embedded within Israel's narrative, reveals the strategic and political landscape of the time, highlighting the Amorites' recent conquest of Moab and Israel's subsequent victory, which then became a source of ironic commentary on Moab's gods.
c. 14th-13th century BC
Amorites settle east of Jordan
The Amorites, a people originating from Mesopotamia, established kingdoms east of the Jordan River, including the kingdom of Sihon with its capital at Heshbon.
c. 13th century BC
Sihon conquers Moabite territory
King Sihon of the Amorites conquered significant territory from the Moabites, pushing their border south to the Arnon River and capturing cities like Heshbon.
c. 13th century BC
Israel seeks passage through Amorite land
As the Israelites journeyed toward the Promised Land, they requested peaceful passage through the territory ruled by King Sihon.
c. 13th century BC
Sihon refuses passage and attacks Israel
King Sihon refused Israel's request and instead gathered his forces to attack them in the wilderness near Jahaz.
c. 13th century BC— this verse
Israel defeats Sihon and takes Amorite land
Israel decisively defeated Sihon and the Amorites in battle, taking possession of their entire land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River.
c. 13th century BC
Israelites mock Moab's god
Following their victory, the Israelites composed and recited a song lamenting Moab's defeat, mocking their god Chemosh for failing to protect his people from Sihon's conquest.
This passage directly echoes the lament over Moab and their god Chemosh, showing how this ancient prophecy and its taunt against the idol's power continued to resonate centuries later.
1 Kings 11:7This verse identifies Chemosh as the detestable idol of Moab, highlighting the spiritual bankruptcy and false hope that the Moabites placed in their god, as scorned in the Numbers passage.
Judges 11:24This passage reveals a similar historical context where the Israelites are facing the Moabites and their god Chemosh, with the king Jephthah questioning why their god allows them to be conquered.
Isaiah 46:1-2This prophecy powerfully contrasts the impotence of the Babylonian idols, Bel and Nebo, with the power of the Lord, mirroring the ridicule of Moab's god Chemosh who could not save his people.
gillNumbers 21:29: "Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites."
Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone,.... The whole country ruined, or likely to be so: O people of Chemosh; which was the name of their idol, who is called the abomination of the Moabites, 1 Kings 11:7, he hath given his sons that escaped; that is, the idol Chemosh had given his sons, the men of the country that worshipp…
calvinNumbers 21:21-32: "And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,"
Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well; but we will go along by the king's high-way, until we be past thy borders.
Transeam per terram tuam: non declinabimus per agros, neque per vineam: non bibemus aquas puteorum, via regia pergemus, donec transierimus terminum tuum.
And Sihon would not suffer Israel to…
This isn't just a lament; it's a taunt. The Israelites are highlighting the utter powerlessness of Moab's god, Chemosh, to protect his own people, ironically stating that "he" (Chemosh) gave them into captivity. This reveals a profound spiritual and political vacuum, where their ultimate hope couldn't even prevent defeat by a human king.
This verse appears to be the Israelite response to a boastful song sung by the Amorites after their victory over Moab. The preceding verses describe how the Amorite king Sihon had conquered Moab, taking their land, and the song celebrated this conquest and the glory of Sihon's city, Heshbon. Now, the Israelites echo the sentiment, expressing mock pity for Moab and their powerless god, Chemosh, who couldn't save his people from Sihon's might.
This verse appears to be the Israelite response to a boastful song sung by the Amorites after their victory over Moab. The preceding verses describe how the Amorite king Sihon had conquered Moab, taking their land, and the song celebrated this conquest and the glory of Sihon's city, Heshbon. Now, the Israelites echo the sentiment, expressing mock pity for Moab and their powerless god, Chemosh, who couldn't save his people from Sihon's might.
"Woe to you, O Moab! You are undone, O people of Chemosh! He has made his sons fugitives, and his daughters captives, to an Amorite king, Sihon." — This isn't just a lament; it's a taunt. The Israelites are highlighting the utter powerlessness of Moab's god, Chemosh, to protect his own people, ironically stating that "he" (Chemosh) gave them int…
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Last reviewed October 2026