And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners.
When King Arad the Canaanite, who lived in the southern region, heard that Israel was coming along the same route that the spies had taken, he attacked Israel and captured some of their people as prisoners.
This verse describes how a Canaanite king attacked the Israelites and took some of them captive when he learned they were approaching his territory.
📚 Historical Context
This event occurred during Israel's 40-year wilderness journey as they were finally approaching the Promised Land from the south. The 'way of the spies' likely refers to the route the twelve spies had taken 38 years earlier when they first scouted the land (Numbers 13-14). King Arad ruled over a Canaanite city-state in the Negev desert region of southern Canaan.
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