Numbers 21:28

_WHEREFORE THEY THAT SPEAK IN PROVERBS SAY, COME INTO HESHBON, LET THE CITY OF SIHON BE BUILT AND PREPARED:_ WHEREFORE THEY THAT SPEAK IN PROVERBS, х_ HAMOSHªLIYM_ (H4911)] - parables, sententious sayings; also songs, poems, 'the members of which, by the laws of parallelism, consisted of two hemistichs similar in form and sense' (Gesenius). [The Septuagint, Dia touto erousin hoi ainigmatistai, wherefore the minstrels say (see Augustine, 'Question 45: in Num.')] This song of victory, which is probably another extract from "the book of the wars of the Lord," and popularly sung by the Hebrews-not an Amorite composition, as some think-fully corresponds to the preceding description. It is of a strongly satirical cast, breathing contempt alike for both classes of pagan inhabitants who had been thrust out of the land, and in a tone of jubilant delight, unaccompanied, however, by any expressions...

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

FOR THERE IS A FIRE GONE OUT OF HESHBON,.... Not before, but after Sihon had subdued it, as Jarchi observes; and is to be understood of his soldiers going out from thence, and making desolations in the adjacent parts, like a strong fire, and the fierce flames of it there is no resisting; and so the Jerusalem Targum, "for a people mighty, and burning like fire, are gone out of Heshbon:'' see Amos 1:4: a flame from the city of Sihon: which is the same thing in other words, the city of Sihon being Heshbon, and a flame the same with fire; warriors, as both the Targums of Oakelos and Jerusalem interpret it; this seems to be what those composers undertook in their poetical way to foretell would be the case in future times; concluding, from the conquests already made, that they would be extended much further, and that no opposition could hinder: it hath consumed Ar o

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)....

THE LORDS. Hebrew. _Baalim._ HIGH PLACES. Compare Numbers 22:41 and Jeremiah 48:35....

_The victories over Sihon and Og_. See the parallel account in Deuteronomy 2:24 to Deuteronomy 3:13. The previous verses have described the Israelites" march through the territory occupied by the Amorites on the north of the Arnon, and their arrival at one of the glens which cleave the western edge of the plateau, close to the spot where it ran into the Jordan valley. The narrative now returns to the earlier point, described in Numbers 21:13, when they were still on the eastern border of the Amorites. Since the town of Heshbon commanded the glens, it would have been impossible to penetrate into them unless the town had first been captured; but the writer has arranged his material in the present order for

FOR THERE IS A FIRE GONE OUT OF HESHBON— The poet here rises into raptures, and prophesies the conquest of the whole country by the desolating army of Sihon marching out of Heshbon: for by _fire_ is meant _desolating war,_ to which it is most fitly compared: so in Judges 9:20. Isaiah 29:6. Amos 1:4. & seq.; and the same comparison is used by other authors. _——Quis Trojae nesciat urbem, Et tanti incendia belli.—_ VIRGIL. The poet goes on, _It hath consumed Ar of Moab,_ speaking of it, in a poetical enthusiasm, as present to his view, and already accomplished, though it never came to pass; for Ar remained in possession of Moab in Moses's time,...

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