Numbers 21:21

Amorite Kings Defeated

21 Israel sent messengers to say to Sihon^[a] king of the Amorites:

Numbers 21:21 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 21:21

And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites,
&c.] Who were one of the nations of the Canaanites, and a principal and powerful one, and who were devoted to destruction, and their land designed for the people of Israel; see ( Genesis 15:16 ) , at this time Sihon was their king, to whom Moses, in the name of Israel, sent a very peaceable message from the wilderness of Kedemoth, which lay near his country, ( Deuteronomy 2:26 ) :

saying;
as follows.

Numbers 21:21 In-Context

19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

20 from Bamoth to the valley in the territory of Moab near the Pisgah highlands that overlook the wasteland.

21 Israel sent messengers to say to Sihon king of the Amorites:

22 "Let us travel through your land. We won't go into the fields or vineyards. We won't drink [any] well water. We will travel the King's Highway until we have traveled through your territory."

23 But Sihon would not let Israel travel through his territory. Instead, he gathered his whole army and went out to confront Israel in the wilderness. When he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel.

Footnotes

• [a] Nm 32:33; Dt 1:4; 2:24-4:46