For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even to the Arnon.
Therefore those who speak in proverbs say, “Come to Heshbon. Let the city of Sihon be built and established;
for a fire has gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon. It has devoured Ar of Moab, The lords of the high places of the Arnon.
Woe to you, Moab! You are undone, people of Chemosh! He has given his sons as fugitives, and his daughters into captivity, to Sihon king of the Amorites.
We have shot at them. Heshbon has perished even to Dibon. We have laid waste even to Nophah, Which reaches to Medeba.”
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv26, 28, 29, 30 For if it had been the Moabites, the Israelites…
For if it had been the Moabites, the Israelites might not have possessed it, Deut. 2:9.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv27, 30 Num 21:27 Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say,…
Num 21:27 Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared:
Ver. 27. Wherefore they that speak in proverbs.] Or, Bywords; by way of derision, as Deu 28:17 Hab 2:5. Ballad makers, petty poets, that penned popular songs, such as this was.
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.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv26–30 The city of Sihon: this is added as a…
The city of Sihon: this is added as a reason why Israel took possession of this land, notwithstanding God’s prohibition of meddling with them or their land, Deu 2:9, because it was not now the land of the Moabites, but had been some time since taken from them, and in the possession of the Amorites.
The former king of Moab, i.e. the predecessor of Balak, who was the present king.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv26–30 Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone,.... The whole…
Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone,.... The whole country ruined, or likely to be so:
O people of Chemosh; which was the name of their idol, who is called the abomination of the Moabites, Kg1 11:7,
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he hath given his sons that escaped; that is, the idol Chemosh had given his sons, the men of the country that worshipped him, who escaped the sword of the Amorites, these:
and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites; who took captive what he slew not, or would do so, Chemosh their god not being able to preserve them, but obliged to deliver them up: thus the composers of this song insult the god of the Moabites, as it was usual for conquerors so to do; see Isa 10:10, though some think these are the words of the Israelites, making their observations upon the above song, which ends at verse twenty eight, and scoffing at the idol of the Moabites.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv26–30 Was the city of Sihon - This is added…
Was the city of Sihon - This is added as a reason why Israel took possession of this land, because it was not now the land of the Moabites, but in the possession of the Amorites. The former king -The predecessor of Balak, who was the present king. See the wisdom of providence, which prepares long before, for the accomplishing God's purposes in their season! This country being designed for Israel, is before-hand put into the hand of the Amorites, who little think they have it but as trustees, till Israel comes of age. We understand not the vast reaches of providence: but known unto God are all his works!
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv26–27 Verse 26. For Heshbon was the city of Sihon,…
Verse 26. For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, &c.] It appears therefore that the territory now taken from Sihon by the Israelites was taken from a former king of Moab, in commemoration of which an epikedion or war song was made, several verses of which, in their ancient poetic form, are here quoted by Moses.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv26–30 Num 21:26. Heshbon was the city of Sihon —…
Num 21:26. Heshbon was the city of Sihon — This is added as a reason why Israel took possession of this land, because it was not now the land of the Moabites, but in the possession of the Amorites. The former king — The predecessor of Balak, who was the present king. See the wisdom of God’s providence, which prepares long before for the accomplishment of his purposes in their season! This country, being designed for Israel, is beforehand put into the hand of the Amorites, who little think they have it but as trustees, till Israel comes of age. We understand not the vast schemes of Providence: but known unto God are all his works!
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv27, 29 They that speak in proverbs - The original word…
They that speak in proverbs - The original word is almost equivalent to “the poets.” The word supplies the title of the Book of Proverbs itself; and is used of the parable proper in Eze 17:2; of the prophecies of Balsam in Num 23:7-10; Num 24:3-9; etc.; and of a song of triumph over Babylon in Isa 14:4.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv26–30 Arnon. Hence this territory, which formerly belonged to Moab,…
Arnon. Hence this territory, which formerly belonged to Moab, being taken in a just war, the Moabites could not lawfully retain it, as they attempted to do under Jephte, Judges xi. 13. (Grotius, Jur. iii. 6.) --- Hesebon, or Esbus, was the capital, and lay over-against Jericho, twenty miles from the Jordan.
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).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv26, 27, 29 Heshbon-- (Sol 7:4) --situated sixteen English miles north of…
Heshbon-- (Sol 7:4) --situated sixteen English miles north of the Arnon, and from its ruins it appears to have been a large city.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv27–30 27. They that speak in proverbs — The ballad-singers.…
27. They that speak in proverbs — The ballad-singers. Here we have a scrap of Amorite poetry in three strophes: —
“Come ye to Heshbon,
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Let the city of Sihon be built and established!
For fire went forth from Heshbon,
A flame out of the stronghold of Sihon,
Which devoured Ar of Moab,
The lords of the high places of Arnon.
“Woe to thee, Moab!
Thou art undone, O people of Chemosh!
He hath given up his sons as fugitives,
And his daughters into captivity,
To Sihon, king of the Amorites.
“Then we cast them down; Heshbon perished even unto Dibon,
And we laid (it) waste unto Nophah, with fire unto Medeba.”
If this song be of Hebrew origin, then the former part of it is a biting taunt: “Come, ye Amorites, into your city of Heshbon and build it up again. Ye boasted that ye had burnt it and driven out the Moabites; but now we are come in our turn, and have burnt Heshbon and driven you out.”
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv26–30 26–30. The writer explains that Heshbon used to belong…
26–30. The writer explains that Heshbon used to belong to the Moabites, but that Sihon had taken it from them. He quotes an ancient poem with which he was acquainted, having heard it from the lips of ‘those that speak in proverbs’ (see on Num_21:27).
The interpretation of the song is somewhat doubtful, and Num_21:30 is corrupt and almost untranslateable. The word ‘wherefore’ (Num_21:27) suggests that the poem is quoted in order to explain Num_21:26; the writer, as in Num_21:14, illustrates by an ancient song a statement which he has just made. This statement is that Moab had been previously conquered by the Amorites; and the song is a taunt to the Amorites whose capital Israel has destroyed. The taunt is, in effect, ‘Why do you not come and rebuild your fallen capital, for you shewed prowess enough in the past when you conquered Moab!’ All the verbs in Num_21:28 f. must therefore be rendered as aorists—‘a fire went out,’ ‘it devoured,’ ‘thou wast undone,’ ‘he gave.’ Another interpretation of the song will be mentioned after the notes on Num_21:30; but the above is much the more probable.
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.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv26–27 (26) And taken all his land . . .…
(26) And taken all his land . . . —i.e., the land between the Arnon and the Jabbok, as it is explained in the last clause of the verse.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv26–30 All his land. This is qualified by what follows:…
All his land. This is qualified by what follows: "even unto Arnon". (cf. Jud 11:13-19)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv27, 29 Heshbon ... city of Sihon
Heshbon ... city of Sihon
These are two names that refer to the same city. (See: Parallelism)
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Let the city of Sihon be rebuilt and established again
This can be stated in active form. AT: "Let someone rebuild and establish again the city of Sihon" (See: Active or Passive)
rebuilt and established
These two terms are very similar and emphasize that the city will be fully rebuilt. AT: "completely rebuilt" (See: Doublet)
A fire blazed from Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon
These two phrases mean basically the same thing and emphasize that destruction will begin at Heshbon. The fire refers to a destroying army. AT: "King Sihon led a strong army from the city of Heshbon" (See: Parallelism and Metaphor)
devoured Ar of Moab
The army of Sihon is spoken of as if it was an animal that ate up the city of Ar. AT: "destroyed the town of Ar in the land of Moab" (See: Metaphor)
translationWords
proverb
fire
devour
high place
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv26–30 21:26 King Sihon of the Amorites had taken the…
21:26 King Sihon of the Amorites had taken the area north of the Arnon from the Moabites, who earlier controlled it. After Israel occupied this region for several hundred years, it was reclaimed by King Mesha of Moab (see 2 Kgs 3:4-27) through a campaign described in detail around 830 BC on the Mesha Inscription (also known as the Moabite Stone). • Heshbon is usually identified with Tell Hesban, which has not yielded evidence of Late Bronze Age occupation; see study note on Num 21:1.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.