Numbers 21:23

_AND ISRAEL SENT MESSENGERS UNTO SIHON KING OF THE AMORITES, SAYING,_ Israel sent messengers unto Sihon ... - (see the notes at Numbers 20:17.) The place from which the messengers were sent was Kedemoth - i:e., eastward (see the note at Deuteronomy 11:26). The rejection of their respectful and pacific message was resented; Sihon was discomfited in battle; and Israel obtained by right of conquest the whole of the Amorite dominions. The decisive battle which was followed by this splendid result was fought at Jahaz [Yaahaats, with the Hebrew letter he (h), the particle of motion added to it in this passage; Septuagint, Iassa, a place considerably south of Heshbon, on the edge of the eastern desert in the extreme southern part of Sihon's dominions, and consequently on the northerns

21-35 Sihon went with his forces against Israel, out of his own borders, without provocation, and so ran upon his own ruin. The enemies of God's church often perish by the counsels they think most wisely taken. Og, king of Bashan, instead of being warned by the fate of his neighbours, to make peace with Israel, makes war with them, which proves in like manner his destruction. Wicked men do their utmost to secure themselves and their possessions against the judgments of God; but all in vain, when the day comes on which they must fall. God gave Israel success, while Moses was with them, that he might see the beginning of the glorious work, though he must not live to see it finished. This was, in comparison, but as the day of small things, yet it was an earnest of great things. We must prepare for fresh conflicts and enemies. We must make no peace or truce with the powers of darkness, nor...

EXPOSITION THE END OF JOURNEYS, THE BEGINNING OF VICTORIES (Numbers 21:10 Numbers 22:1). NUMBERS 21:10 THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SET FORWARD, and pitched in Oboth. In the list of Numbers 33:1, there occur two other stations, Zahnonah and Phunon, between Mount Hor and Oboth. Phunon may be the Pinou of Genesis 36:41, but it is a mere conjecture. All we

AND SIHON WOULD NOT SUFFER ISRAEL TO PASS THROUGH HIS BORDER,.... 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

CHAPTER 21 Murmuring and Conquest _ 1. Opposition of King Arad (Numbers 21:1)_ 2. Murmuring and the fiery serpents (Numbers 21:4) 3. The serpent of brass (Numbers 21:8) 4. Journeying and singing again (Numbers 21:10) 5. Sihon and Og (Numbers 21:21) The first victory is here recorded. The Lord delivered Canaanites into the hands of Israel, and according to their vow they utterly destroyed them and their cities. But in spite of this victory the people became again discouraged because of the w

THE CONQUEST OF THE AMORITES. This narrative presupposes the position reached in Numbers 21:13 (not in Numbers 21:20), for the embassy to Sihon would naturally be despatched before the Amorite border was crossed. Numbers 21:23. Jahaz: the Jahzah of Jeremiah 48:21, probably not far from Dibon. Numbers 21:24. Jabbck: the modern Nahr ez-Zerka. WAS STRONG: read (LXX) was Jazer (Numbers 21:32)....

Sihon, refusing passage through his territory, was conquered, and his towns were occupied....

HE CAME TO JAHAZ, AND FOUGHT AGAINST ISRAEL— Jahaz was a city either in the country of Moab, or near it, as appears from Isaiah 15:4.Jeremiah 48:21. There the Amorites fell upon the Israelites when they had given them no provocation, and consequently were the first aggressors: so that the just ground of the war was, not their denying the Israelites a passage through the country, as Grotius thinks, (see on ch. Numbers 21:20.) but because they fell upon the Israelites unjustly, and were of the seven nations condemned by God to that destruction which now overwhelmed them, Deuteronomy 2:33....

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

THE BRAZEN SERPENT. CONQUEST OF BASHAN 1-3. The southern Canaanites repulse the Israelites, but are eventually destroyed....