Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

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 content to reject a peaceable message, he went out in an hostile manner against Israel, even out of his own dominions; so that he was the aggressor and unprovoked, which made his ruin appear the more just, and the children of Israel to have a better claim to his country conquered by them:

and he came to Jahaz; a frontier town in the land of Moab, see Isaiah 15:4 and which, according to Bunting^F16Travels of the Patriarchs, p. 83. , was sixteen miles from Abarim:

and fought against Israel; at the above place, where they had a pitched battle.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Numbers 21:23 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.

Ver. 23. And Sihon would not.] He durst not trust them: men muse as they use: God had also hardened his heart, that he might come forth to fetch his own destruction. [Deuteronomy 2:30] Judgment need not go to find wicked men out; they run to meet their bane.

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible

Numbers 21:23. 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 21:20-21.) 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 2:33-34.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Jahaz, a city, of which see Deuteronomy 2:32 Jeremiah 48:21.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

23.Jahaz — “A place trodden down.” See Joshua 13:18, note.

Fought against Israel — According to Josephus the Amorite army contained every man in the nation fit to bear arms. Being unable to fight when away from the shelter of their cities, and being galled by the slings and arrows of the Hebrews, in their intense thirst the Amorites rushed to the stream, and to the shelter of the ravine of the Arnon, and were slaughtered in vast numbers.

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Sihon Refuses and Faces Up to Israel (Numbers 21:23).

Numbers 21:23

‘And Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his border, but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz, and he fought against Israel.’

But Sihon was determined to prevent their passage. It may have been that he recognised that they were proceeding to an invasion on fellow-Amorites, or it may have been because he did not trust Israel and what they might do once they were in the midst of the land, or it may simply have been because he enjoyed fighting and saw the possibility of much booty. But whichever way it was he went out with his army to where Israel were ‘in the wilderness’, outside the fertile land, and coming to Jahaz, he fought against Israel.

Jahaz would shortly become a Reubenite city, and a levitical city (Joshua 13:18; Joshua 21:34; Joshua 21:36), but it would later be in conflict with Mesha, king of Moab, who, according to the Moabite stone, would eventually seize it. It would still be in Moabite hands in the days of Isaiah 15:4 and Jeremiah 48:21; Jeremiah 48:34.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Jasa was not far from the Arnon, between Medaba and Dibon, Isaias xv. 4. (Eusebius)

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

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.

Sihon would

Deuteronomy 2:30-32; 29:7,8

Jahaz

Judges 11:20; Isaiah 15:4; Jeremiah 48:34

Reciprocal: Exodus 14:6 - people;  Numbers 32:33 - the kingdom;  Deuteronomy 2:18 - General;  Deuteronomy 2:32 - General;  Deuteronomy 3:2 - as thou didst;  Joshua 12:2 - Sihon;  Joshua 13:12 - these did;  Joshua 13:18 - Jahaza;  Joshua 21:36 - Jahazah;  Judges 20:14 - General;  Psalm 136:19 - General;  Habakkuk 3:12 - didst march