Num 21:21-35 | NET2full | STEP | Then Israel sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites , saying ,

‏ Numbers 21:21-35

The Victory over Sihon and Og

21 ^{▼▼sn For this section, see further J. R. Bartlett, “Sihon and Og of the Amorites,” VT 20 (1970): 257-77, and “The Moabites and the Edomites,” Peoples of Old Testament Times, 229-58; S. H. Horn, “The Excavations at Tell Hesban, 1973,” ADAJ 18 (1973): 87-88.} Then Israel sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites, saying, ^{▼▼tc Smr and the LXX have “words of peace.”}

22 “Let us ^{▼▼tn The Hebrew text uses the singular in these verses to match the reference to “Israel.”} pass through your land; ^{▼▼tc Smr has “by the King’s way I will go. I will not turn aside to the right or the left.”} we will not turn aside into the fields or into the vineyards, nor will we drink water from any well, but we will go along the King’s Highway until we pass your borders.” 23 But Sihon did not permit Israel to pass through his border; he ^{▼▼tn Heb “Sihon.”} gathered all his forces ^{▼▼tn Heb “people.”} together and went out against Israel into the wilderness. When ^{▼▼tn The clause begins with a preterite with vav (ו) consecutive, but may be subordinated to the next preterite as a temporal clause.} he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel. 24 But the Israelites ^{▼▼tn The Hebrew text has “Israel,” but the verb is plural.} defeated him in battle ^{▼▼tn Heb “with the edge of the sword.”} and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strongly defended. 25 So Israel took all these cities; and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages. ^{▼▼tn Heb “its daughters.”} 26 For Heshbon was the city of King Sihon of the Amorites. Now he had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken all his land from his control, ^{▼▼sn There is a justice, always, in the divine plan for the conquest of the land. Modern students of the Bible often think that the conquest passages are crude and unjust. But an understanding of the ancient Near East is critical here. This Sihon was not a part of the original population of the land. He himself invaded the territory and destroyed the population of Moab that was indigenous there and established his own kingdom. The ancient history is filled with such events; it is the way of life they chose—conquer or be conquered. For Israel to defeat them was in part a turning of their own devices back on their heads—“those that live by the sword will die by the sword.” Sihon knew this, and he did not wait, but took the war to Israel. Israel wanted to pass through, not fight. But now they would either fight or be pushed into the gorge. So God used Israel to defeat Sihon, who had no claim to the land, as part of divine judgment.} as far as the Arnon. 27 That is why those who speak in proverbs ^{▼▼sn Proverbs of antiquity could include pithy sayings or longer songs, riddles, or poems composed to catch the significance or the irony of an event. This is a brief poem to remember the event, like an Egyptian victory song. It may have originated as an Amorite war taunt song; it was sung to commemorate this victory. It was cited later by Jeremiah (48:45-46). The composer invites his victorious people to rebuild the conquered city as a new capital for Sihon. He then turns to address the other cities which his God(s) has/have given to him. See P. D. Hanson, “The Song of Heshbon and David’s Nir,” HTR 61 (1968): 301.} say,
“Come to Heshbon, let it be built.
Let the city of Sihon be established! ^{▼▼tn Meaning, “rebuilt and restored.”}
28 For fire went out from Heshbon,
a flame from the city of Sihon.
It has consumed Ar of Moab
and the lords ^{▼▼tc Some scholars emend to בָּלְעָה (balʿah), reading “and devoured,” instead of בַּעֲלֵי (baʿale, “its lords”); cf. NAB, NRSV, TEV. This emendation is closer to the Greek and makes a better parallelism, but the MT makes good sense as it stands.} of the high places of Arnon.
29 Woe to you, Moab.
You are ruined, O people of Chemosh! ^{▼▼sn The note of holy war emerges here as the victory is a victory over the local gods as well as over the people.}
He has made his sons fugitives,
and his daughters the prisoners of King Sihon of the Amorites.
30 We have overpowered them; ^{▼▼tc The first verb is difficult. MT has “we shot at them.” The Greek has “their posterity perished” (see GKC 218 §76.f).}
Heshbon has perished as far as Dibon.
We have shattered them as far as Nophah,
which ^{▼▼tc The relative pronoun “which” (אֲשֶׁר, ʾasher) posed a problem for the ancient scribes here, as indicated by the so-called extraordinary point (punta extraordinaria) over the letter ר (resh) of אֲשֶׁר. Smr and the LXX have “fire” (אֵשׁ, ʾesh) here (cf. NAB, NJB, RSV, NRSV). Some modern scholars emend the word to שֹׁאָה (shoʾah, “devastation”).} reaches to Medeba.”

31 So the Israelites ^{▼▼tn Heb “Israel.”} lived in the land of the Amorites. 32 Moses sent spies to reconnoiter ^{▼▼tn Heb “Moses sent to spy out.”} Jazer, and they captured its villages ^{▼▼tn Heb “daughters.”} and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.

33 Then they turned and went up by the road to Bashan. And King Og of Bashan and all his forces ^{▼▼tn Heb “people.”} marched out against them to do battle at Edrei. 34 And the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand. You will do to him what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.” 35 So they defeated Og, ^{▼▼tn Heb “him”; the referent (Og) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} his sons, and all his people, until there were no survivors, ^{▼▼tn Heb “no remnant.”} and they possessed his land.