Numbers 21:23

Num 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. {Deu 2:30} Judgment need not go to find wicked men out; they run to meet their bane.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

23. the wilderness] See on Num_21:13.

Jahaz] Deu_2:32, Isa_15:4, Jer_48:34. The form Jahzah is used in Jos_13:18; Jos_21:36, Jdg_11:20 (Heb.), Jer_48:21, 1Ch_6:78. The site is unknown, but it evidently lay on the eastern boundary of Sihon’s territory, since he came thither to prevent Israel from crossing it. In agreement with this it is twice mentioned with Kedemoth (Jos_13:18; Jos_21:36 f.), which is the name of ‘the wilderness’ in Deu_2:26, and twice seems to be named as a limit of Moab, at some distance from Heshbon (Isa_15:4, Jer_48:34).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites,.... His royal city, where he kept his palace, where he had resided for some time, and perhaps some of his predecessors; and therefore being now in his possession when taken by the Israelites, they had a good right and title to keep it, and dwell in it: and indeed this is here given as a reason of it:

who had fought against the former king of Moab; either the king that reigned before Balak, or some king of Moab, that reigned formerly, against whom one of the name of Sihon, which might be a common name to the kings of the Amorites, as Pharaoh to the Egyptians, had engaged in war:

and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon; and had been in the hands of the Amorites some years; and therefore the Moabites had no reason to object to the Israelites dwelling in it, and possessing it, which they had not taken from them, but from the Amorites in a lawful war. And for proof of this, reference is had to the bards and poets of those times, who were the persons that transmitted in verse the history of famous actions to posterity.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Jahaz, a city, of which see Deu 2:32; Jer 48:21.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. Jahaz — “A place trodden down.” See Jos_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.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he came to Jahaz, or Jahzah, a place of which we know nothing.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

לא נתן סיחון וגו׳ AND SIHON WOULD NOT SUFFER [ISRAEL TO PASS THROUGH HIS BOUNDARY] — For all the Canaanite kings paid him tribute, because he protected them that no hostile forces should pass through his land against them. As soon as Israel said to him, “Let me pass through they land”, he answered them: “The whole purpose of my dwelling here is to protect them against you, and yet you speak thus!” (Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 23).

ויצא לקראת ישראל AND HE WENT OUT AGAINST ISRAEL — Even if Heshbon had been full of people as puny as gnats, no human being could have captured it, and if Sihon had been (resided) in a weak village no human being could have overcome him. How much the more was he invincible whilst he dwelt in Heshbon. Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Why should I trouble My children to all this extent, to besiege each city? He therefore put it into the hearts of all the men of war to go forth from the cities, and they assembled all of them in one spot, and there they fell in battle; from there Israel proceeded to the cities and there were none to resist them, for there were only women and children there (Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 23).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.