Numbers 21:29Woe to you, Moab! You are undone, people of Chemosh! He has given his sons as fugitives, and his daughters into captivity, to Sihon king of the Amorites.
The setting
Eastern Jordan, ~1400 BC. The victory song reaches its tragic crescendo, describing Moab's devastation and families torn apart, scattered across the region that is now central Jordan.
The emotion here: Moses recording this lament with heavy awareness of war's human cost
The original word
Kemosh (כְּמוֹשׁ) — the national god of Moab, unable to protect his people
Why it matters
Chemosh required child sacrifice, with archaeological evidence found at Moabite sites
Read with care
What most readers miss in Numbers 21:29
The irony — Chemosh, who demanded children as sacrifices, couldn't save his people's children
Common misconceptionPeople think this is Israel being cruel to Moab, but it's actually showing the tragedy of trusting false gods who can't protect their people when real crisis comes.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Numbers 21:29
Bible Genome reading
Numbers 21:29 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Numbers 21:29 comes from the book of Numbers, written during the exodus period. These words are attributed to proverb_speakers. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include defeat, captivity, divine judgment. Notable phrases: Woe to you, Moab; people of Chemosh. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Numbers 21:29 mean to you, today?
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