Números 21:23

23 Sin embargo, el rey Sehón rehusó permitirles atravesar su territorio. En cambio, movilizó a todo su ejército y atacó a Israel en el desierto y peleó con ellos en Jahaza.

Números 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.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F16 Travels of the Patriarchs, p. 83.

Números 21:23 In-Context

21 Victoria sobre Sehón y Og
Después los israelitas enviaron embajadores a Sehón, rey de los amorreos, con el siguiente mensaje:

22 «Permítenos atravesar tu territorio. Tendremos cuidado de no pasar por tus campos y viñedos, ni siquiera beberemos agua de tus pozos. Seguiremos derecho por el camino real hasta que hayamos atravesado tu territorio».

23 Sin embargo, el rey Sehón rehusó permitirles atravesar su territorio. En cambio, movilizó a todo su ejército y atacó a Israel en el desierto y peleó con ellos en Jahaza.

24 Así que los israelitas los masacraron a filo de espada y ocuparon su tierra, desde el río Arnón hasta el río Jaboc. Avanzaron solo hasta los límites de los amonitas porque su frontera estaba fortificada.

25 De manera que Israel tomó todas las ciudades amorreas y se estableció en ellas, incluida la ciudad de Hesbón y sus aldeas vecinas.