Números 21:23

23 Mas Sehón no dejó pasar á Israel por su término: antes juntó Sehón todo su pueblo, y salió contra Israel en el desierto: y vino á Jahaz, y peleó contra Israel.

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 Y envió Israel embajadores á Sehón, rey de los Amorrheos, diciendo:

22 Pasaré por tu tierra: no nos apartaremos por los labrados, ni por las viñas; no beberemos las aguas de los pozos: por el camino real iremos, hasta que pasemos tu término.

23 Mas Sehón no dejó pasar á Israel por su término: antes juntó Sehón todo su pueblo, y salió contra Israel en el desierto: y vino á Jahaz, y peleó contra Israel.

24 E hirióle Israel á filo de espada, y tomó su tierra desde Arnón hasta Jaboc, hasta los hijos de Ammón: porque el término de los hijos de Ammón era fuerte.

25 Y tomó Israel todas estas ciudades: y habitó Israel en todas las ciudades del Amorrheo, en Hesbón y en todas sus aldeas.