Discovery BoxNumbers 21:21-25 
Context21:21 1 Then Israel sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites, saying, 2
21:22 “Let us 3 pass through your land; 4 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.” 21:23 But Sihon did not permit Israel to pass through his border; he 5 gathered all his forces 6 together and went out against Israel into the wilderness. When 7 he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel. 21:24 But the Israelites 8 defeated him in battle 9 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. 21:25 So Israel took all these cities; and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages. 10
1 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.
2 tc Smr and the LXX have “words of peace.”
3 tn The Hebrew text uses the singular in these verses to match the reference to “Israel.”
4 tc Smr has “by the King’s way I will go. I will not turn aside to the right or the left.”
5 tn Heb “Sihon.”
6 tn Heb “people.”
7 tn The clause begins with a preterite with vav (ו) consecutive, but may be subordinated to the next preterite as a temporal clause.
8 tn The Hebrew text has “Israel,” but the verb is plural.
9 tn Heb “with the edge of the sword.”
10 tn Heb “its daughters.”
