^21:2So Israel made a vow⁴ to the Lord and said, “If you will indeed deliver⁵ this people into our⁶ hand, then we will utterly destroy⁷ their cities.”

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Footnotes

4 The Hebrew text uses a cognate accusative with the verb: They vowed a vow. The Israelites were therefore determined with God’s help to defeat Arad.
5 The Hebrew text has the infinitive absolute and the imperfect tense of נָתַן (natan) to stress the point—if you will surely/indeed give.”
6 Heb “my.”
7 On the surface this does not sound like much of a vow. But the key is in the use of the verb for “utterly destroy”—חָרַם (kharam). Whatever was put to this “ban” or “devotion” belonged to God, either for his use, or for destruction. The oath was in fact saying that they would take nothing from this for themselves. It would simply be the removal of what was alien to the faith, or to God’s program.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And Israel vowed a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will devote their cities to destruction.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Then Israel made this vow to the Lord: “If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Then Israel made a vow to the Lord, “If you will hand this people over to us, we will completely destroy their cities.”

NLTNew Living Translation

Then the people of Israel made this vow to the Lord: “If you will hand these people over to us, we will completely destroy all their towns.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Israel made a vow to Yahweh, and they said, “If you will surely give this people into our hand, then we will destroy their cities.”

KJV 1900King James Version

And Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.

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