Yehoshua 24:9

9 Then Balak ben Tzippor Melech Moav arose and warred against Yisroel, and sent and summoned Balaam ben Beor to curse you;

Yehoshua 24:9 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 24:9

Then Balak the son of Zippor, the king of Moab, arose
Being alarmed with what Israel had done to the two kings of the Amorites, and by their near approach to the borders of his kingdom:

and warred against Israel;
he fully designed it, and purpose is put for action, as Kimchi observes; he prepared for it, proclaimed war, and commenced it, though he did not come to a battle, he made use of stratagems and wiles, and magical arts, to hurt them, and sent for Balaam to curse them, that they both together might smite the Israelites, and drive them out of the land, ( Numbers 22:6 ) ; so his fighting is interpreted by the next clause:

and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you;
by which means he hoped to prevail in battle, and get the victory over them; but not being able to bring this about, durst not engage in battle with them.

Yehoshua 24:9 In-Context

7 And when they cried unto Hashem, He put darkness between you and the Mitzrayim, and brought the yam upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Mitzrayim; and ye dwelt in the midbar yamim rabbim.

8 And I brought you into the Eretz HaEmori, the ones dwelling on the other side of the Yarden; they fought against you; I gave them into your yad, that ye might possess their land; I destroyed them from before you.

9 Then Balak ben Tzippor Melech Moav arose and warred against Yisroel, and sent and summoned Balaam ben Beor to curse you;

10 But I would not pay heed unto Balaam; therefore he made a brocha over you; so I saved you out of his yad.

11 And you went over the Yarden, and came unto Yericho; and the Ba’alei Yericho fought against you, and HaEmori, and the Perizzi, and the Kena’ani, and the Chitti, and the Girgashi, the Chivi, and the Yevusi; and I gave them into your yad.