When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming on the Atharim road, he fought against Israel and captured some prisoners.

“But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances—the person who does them will live by them. They also completely profaned My Sabbaths. So I considered pouring out My wrath on them in the wilderness to put an end to them.

Believed

because they did not believe God
or rely on His salvation.

“But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’”

Even though He had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in Him.

General references

But they continued to sin against Him,
rebelling in the desert against the Most High.

But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness.