Numbers 21:14 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

The book of the wars of the Lord This seems to have been some poem or narration of the wars and victories of the Lord, either by, or relating to the Israelites: which may be asserted without any prejudice to the integrity of the holy Scripture, because this book doth not appear to have been written by a prophet, or designed for a part of the canon, but which Moses might quote, as St. Paul doth some of the heathen poets. And, as St. Luke assures us that many did write a history of the things done and said by Christ, (Luke 1:1,) whose writings were never received as canonical, the like may be conceived concerning this and some few other books mentioned in the Old Testament. The brooks The brook, the plural number for the singular, as the plural number, rivers, is used concerning Jordan, (Psalms 74:15,) and concerning Tigris, (Nahum 2:6,) and concerning Euphrates, (Psalms 137:1,) all which may be so called because of the several little streams into which they were divided.