Israel's defeat of Sihon 21:21-32

This account fits chronologically after 21:13. It records two great victories that God gave His people over two of the mighty Amorite kings.

"The term Amorite has various meanings in the OT: Canaanites generally (e.g., Gen. 15:16), inhabitants of the land west of the Jordan (e.g., Josh. 5:1), inhabitants of the regions of Judah (e.g., Josh. 10:5-6), inhabitants of the Negeb and the region to the southeast of the Dead Sea (e.g., Gen. 14:7), and very often, as here, the inhabitants east of the Jordan under the rule of Sihon and Og . . ."¹⁹³

Moses made his peaceful request for permission to pass through Sihon's territory and into the Promised Land (v. 22) realizing that Sihon would not allow this (cf. Deut. 2:24-26).¹⁹⁴

". . . this was done simply to leave the decision of his fate in his own hand . . ."¹⁹⁵

Sihon then attacked Israel (v. 23), but Israel defeated his army (v. 24).¹⁹⁶This victory gave the Israelites possession of all of Sihon's territory. It extended south to the Arnon and north to the Jabbok that flows into the Jordan River from the east about halfway between the Sea of Chinnereth (Galilee) and the Dead Sea. It included Jazer, a town that the Israelites defeated (v. 32).

This victory over one of the most powerful of the Canaanite city-states, Heshbon, inspired poets in Israel who wrote proverbs (v. 27) to compose songs commemorating God's deliverance (vv. 27-30).

"The summons to come to Heshbon and build this ruined city again [v. 27], was not addressed to the Israelites, but to the conquered Amorites, and is to be interpreted as ironical . . ."¹⁹⁷

Chemosh (v. 29) was the chief Moabite and Ammonite deity and was similar to the Canaanite god Baal.¹⁹⁸