Judges 11:23

23 "The Lord, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out to make room for his people. So what right do you have to take it over?

Judges 11:23 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 11:23

So now the Lord God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites
from before his people Israel
It is his doing, and not the work of the Israelites; it is he that dispossessed the Amorites, and put the Israelites into the possession of their land, and therefore they enjoy it by a good tenure:

and shouldest thou possess it?
what through the blessing of God on their arms they have obtained by conquest, and he has settled them in; did they conquer, that thou should possess what they conquered? did their God put it into their hands to deliver it into thine? did they fight to recover for thee what thou hadst lost, and to put thee into the possession of it? did not they fight in their own defence, and their enemies and their land fell into their hands, and by the laws and right of nations became theirs? and canst thou expect to possess it? what reason is there for it?

Judges 11:23 In-Context

21 "Then the Lord, the God of Israel, handed Sihon and all of his men over to Israel. Israel won the battle over them. Amorites were living in the country at that time. And Israel took over all of their land.

22 They captured all of the land that was between the Arnon River and the Jabbok River. It reached from the desert all the way to the Jordan River.

23 "The Lord, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out to make room for his people. So what right do you have to take it over?

24 You will take what your god Chemosh gives you, won't you? In the same way, we will take over what the LORD our God has given us.

25 Are you better than Balak, the son of Zippor? Balak was the king of Moab. Did he ever argue with Israel? Did he ever fight against them?