Nombres 21:23

23 Sihon n'accorda point à Israël le passage sur son territoire; il rassembla tout son peuple, et sortit à la rencontre d'Israël, dans le désert; il vint à Jahats, et combattit Israël.

Nombres 21:23 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 21:23

And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border,
&c.] Because he could not trust them, and confide in the promises they made, and thought it not safe to let such a body of people into any part of his dominions, ( Judges 11:20 ) and chiefly because his heart was hardened by the Lord, that he might be delivered into the hands of Israel, as was determined, ( Deuteronomy 2:30 ) :

but Sihon gathered all his people together;
all that were able to bear arms out of his cities, and which made no doubt a very numerous and powerful army; but then these being defeated, as they were, it became more easy to the Israelites to take their cities, where there were none left but women and children:

and went out against Israel into the wilderness;
the wilderness of Kedemoth; not content to reject a peaceable message, he went out in an hostile manner against Israel, even out of his own dominions; so that he was the aggressor and unprovoked, which made his ruin appear the more just, and the children of Israel to have a better claim to his country conquered by them:

and he came to Jahaz;
a frontier town in the land of Moab, see ( Isaiah 15:4 ) ( Jeremiah 48:34 ) and which, according to Bunting ^F16, was sixteen miles from Abarim:

and fought against Israel;
at the above place, where they had a pitched battle.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 Travels of the Patriarchs, p. 83.

Nombres 21:23 In-Context

21 Israël envoya des messagers à Sihon, roi des Amoréens, pour lui dire:

22 Laisse-moi passer par ton pays; nous n'entrerons ni dans les champs, ni dans les vignes, et nous ne boirons pas l'eau des puits; nous suivrons la route royale, jusqu'à ce que nous ayons franchi ton territoire.

23 Sihon n'accorda point à Israël le passage sur son territoire; il rassembla tout son peuple, et sortit à la rencontre d'Israël, dans le désert; il vint à Jahats, et combattit Israël.

24 Israël le frappa du tranchant de l'épée et s'empara de son pays depuis l'Arnon jusqu'au Jabbok, jusqu'à la frontière des enfants d'Ammon; car la frontière des enfants d'Ammon était fortifiée.

25 Israël prit toutes les villes, et s'établit dans toutes les villes des Amoréens, à Hesbon et dans toutes les villes de son ressort.