Numberi 21:23

23 Doch Sihon liet Israel niet toe, door zijn landpale te trekken; maar Sihon vergaderde al zijn volk, en hij ging uit, Israel tegemoet, naar de woestijn, en hij kwam te Jahza, en streed tegen Israel;

Numberi 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.

Numberi 21:23 In-Context

21 Toen zond Israel boden tot Sihon, den koning der Amorieten, zeggende:

22 Laat mij door uw land trekken. Wij zullen niet afwijken in de akkers, noch in de wijngaarden; wij zullen het water der putten niet drinken; wij zullen op den koninklijken weg gaan, totdat wij uw landpale doorgetogen zijn.

23 Doch Sihon liet Israel niet toe, door zijn landpale te trekken; maar Sihon vergaderde al zijn volk, en hij ging uit, Israel tegemoet, naar de woestijn, en hij kwam te Jahza, en streed tegen Israel;

24 Maar Israel sloeg hem met de scherpte des zwaards, en nam zijn land in erfelijke bezitting, van de Arnon af tot de Jabbok toe, tot aan de kinderen Ammons; want de landpale der kinderen Ammons was vast.

25 Alzo nam Israel al deze steden in; en Israel woonde in al de steden der Amorieten, te Hesbon, en in al haar onderhorige plaatsen.