Numbers 21:21-35

H. VICTORY OVER SIHON AND OG vv. 21-35
TEXT

Numbers 21:21. And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22. Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well: but we will go along by the king's high way, until we be past thy borders. 23. And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 24. And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon to Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong. 25. And Israel took all these cities; and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon. 27. Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared: 28. For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon. 29. Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites. 30. We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.

31. Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. 32. And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.
33. And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he, and all his people, to the battle at Edrei. 34. And the Lord said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon. 35. So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left alive; and they possessed his land.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 21:21. And Israel sent messengers to Sihon, King of the Amorites, saying, 22. Let me pass through your land; we will not turn aside into the fields or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well; we will go along by the King's Highway, until we have passed your borders. 23. But Sihon would not permit Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his men together and went out against Israel in the wilderness, and he came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. 24. And Israel slew him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from Arnon to Jabbok, as far as the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong. 25. And Israel took all these cities, and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and in all its villages. 26. Now Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. 27, Therefore those who speak in similes say,

Come to Heshbon; let it be built;
Let the city of Sihon be established.
28. For a fire went out of Heshbon,
A flame from the city of Sihon:
It consumed Ar of Moab,
And the lords of the high places of Arnon.
29. Woe unto you, Moab!
You are undone, O people of Chemosh!
He made his sons fugitives,
And his daughters captives
To Sihon, king of the Amorites.
30. So their posterity vanished from Heshbon,
As far as Dibon, and we laid waste
Until the fire spread to Medeba.

31. In this manner Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. 32. And Moses sent to spy out Jazer; and they took its villages and drove out the Amorites who were there.
33. Then they turned and went by the way of Bashan. And Og, the king of Bashan, went out against them, he and all his people, to the-' battle at Edrei. 34. And the Lord said to Moses, Do not be afraid of him; I have delivered him into your hand, and all his people, and his land. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon. 35. So they slew him, his sons, and all his people until there was not a single survivor; and they took possession of his land.

COMMENTARY

Having passed through the territory controlled by the Edomites and the Moabites, the people of Israel now turn their attention to the next northern neighbors, the Amorites. Unlike the other two nations, the Amorites were not Hebrews, but Canaanites (see Genesis 10:16). The same request made before to Edom and Moab, is addressed to Sihon, and with the same results. It is rejected. To emphasize his refusal, Sihon organized his people into an army and attacked Israel. The encounter occurred at Jahaz, a site as yet unidentified, but probably was found well to the east of Israel's camp.

With the conquest of Sihon, the Israelites gained control over a large land, reaching northward to the Jabbok. This river is found about twenty-five miles north of the Dead Sea, and forty-five miles north of the Arnon. North of the Jabbok lived the Ammonites; they may well have prevented the expansion of the Amorites-' territory. The primary city of the Amorites, Heshbon, had been the capital since Sihon had earlier defeated Moab. It is located about midway between the Arnon and the Jabbok, and eighteen miles east of point where the Jordan flows into the Dead Sea. The immediate area is a plateau of about 3000 feet elevation. Heshbon and her daughters, the small surrounding villages, are listed in Joshua 13:17.

Victory at Heshbon gave rise to the quoted proverbs. These would have been sung by their composers, who may have been professional balladeers. With a succession of favorable events to celebrate, their works are joyous to the Israelites and taunting to their enemies.

The first portion is sometimes thought to have been a work of satirical nature, composed by an Israelite who now challenges the Amorites to recapture their recently-lost capital of Heshbon as they had previously taken it from Moab. The second portion, Numbers 21:29, attacks the worshipers of Chemosh, who was Moab's chief god. Certain coins found at Areopolis show Chemosh a god of war armed and flanked by fiery torches. Singing of his defeat in this manner comprised an especially ironic thought. Not only was Chemosh a war god, his direct worship involved human sacrifice via the flame. In the song, Chemosh is powerless to resist Sihon who, in turn, has been soundly defeated by Israel. The third section of the poem details the consequences of Sihon's defeat. The text is obscure in the KJV; the RSV seems justified in following the LXX. Heshbon has been utterly destroyed, together with some of the chief cities nearby, Dibon and Medeba.

Jazer was taken next, along with its surrounding villages, which ended the resistance of the Amorites. All of the residents of the city were expelled, and it became an important city in the land of Gad under Joab.

The land of Bashan, lying well to the north of Jazer, is a broad, fertile territory lying to the east of the Sea of Galilee, and extending from Mt. Hermon to a point south and east of the Yarmuk. Edrei, the capital, lay in this corner of the land. The people were Amorites (see Joshua 2:10), but had a separate existence from those governed by Sihon. They lived in heavily fortified cities which had been considered invincible by direct assault. Apparently Og's forces left the capital for some reason and were beaten in the field. Perhaps, as PC offers, they were victims of their own overconfidence. Speaking as He often did, God told Moses I have delivered him into thy hand.; He speaks of the fait accompli before the battle is engaged. Israel will take army, people and land, and they shall know the same end as did Sihon. And so it happened.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

399.

Trace the origin of the Amorites.

400.

Why should Sihon, ruler of a rather small nation, attack such a large group as the Israelites?

401.

Describe the country in which the Amorites lived.

402.

Show the irony in the first simile-ballad, as it relates to the Amorites, and to Moab.

403.

How does the second ballad reflect upon the god Chemosh?

404.

What was the ultimate fate of Jazer?

405.

Show what territory was included in the land of Bashan at this time.

406.

What possible explanation might there be for Og's abandoning his fortified cities in order to attack Israel in the field?