Come and study the Holy Scriptures with us as Father Stephen DeYoung teaches verse by verse on the podcast, The Whole Council of God.

Father Stephen holds a Ph.D. in biblical studies, and it's an Orthodox priest serving at Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Church in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Chapter 21, verse 1.

Now, the Canaanite king of Arad, who was dwelling in the desert, heard the news, for Israel

came by way of Arthurim.

Therefore, he made war against Israel, and they carried off captives from them as booty.

Okay.

So this quote-unquote king, it's really more of a chief or a chieftain, right, leader, is, it's a

nomadic group.

Right.

Of candidates that live out in the desert to the east of Moab, right?

They're having to go around.

So these are desert raiders.

And this Erad is their chief.

And so he finds out, oh, there's this group migrating through here.

Edom didn't let them in.

So they come and raid the Israelites camp. They take captives

who they would have sold as slaves. They take stuff. Right. As bandits do. Then Israel made a

vow to the Lord and said, if you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, I will anathematize him in his cities.

So the Lord listened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites, and they anathematized him in his cities.

Therefore, they called the name of that place anathema.

So anathematized means they excommunicated them.

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