Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say
The historical writers of those times, among the Amorites, who
were usually poets, and wrote the history of the wars between the
Moabites and Amorites in verse; as Homer among the Greeks wrote
the wars of Troy; and the compositions of those ancient bards
were short and compendious, and wrapped up in proverbial sayings,
and enigmatical and figurative expressions, that they might be
the better retained in memory, and therefore were called
proverbialists. Jarchi says, they were Balaam and Beor that took
up their parables, and said,
come into Heshbon;
which words are the beginning of the song, and in which the
Amorites are represented as inviting Sihon, and his nobles, to
enter Heshbon, which he had taken, and make it his royal seat; or
as encouraging one another to go into it and repair it, having
suffered much at the taking of it, which seems to be confirmed by
what follows:
let the city of Sihon be built and prepared;
that is, let us set about rebuilding of the city, and let us fit
it up for Sihon our king, and let it be called his city, and made
the place of his residence, his palace, and where his court may
be kept.