Israel Meets Sihon and Og

Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites. They asked to pass through his land by the king’s highway. They promised not to turn aside into fields or vineyards and not to drink water from the wells. They wanted to travel through his border and keep going.

Sihon would not let Israel pass. Instead, he gathered his people, went out into the wilderness, came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel. Israel defeated him and took his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the border of the Ammonites, where the border was fortified.

Israel took the cities of the Amorites and lived in them, including Heshbon and its villages. Heshbon had been Sihon’s city. Before this, Sihon had fought against the former king of Moab and taken land from him as far as the Arnon. The passage includes an old saying that remembers Heshbon and Moab’s loss.

After that, Moses sent men to spy out Jazer. Israel took its villages and drove out the Amorites who were there. Then they turned and went up by the way of Bashan. Og king of Bashan came out against them with all his people to fight at Edrei.

Before this battle, the Lord told Moses not to fear Og. God said he had delivered Og, his people, and his land into Israel’s hand, and that Og would be treated as Sihon had been. Israel struck Og, his sons, and his people until no survivors remained, and they took his land. These were two different battles against two different kings on Israel’s journey.