Numbers 21:21
New International Version
Israel sent messengers to say to Sihon king of the Amorites:

New Living Translation
The Israelites sent ambassadors to King Sihon of the Amorites with this message:

English Standard Version
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

Berean Standard Bible
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

King James Bible
And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

New King James Version
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

New American Standard Bible
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying,

NASB 1995
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying,

NASB 1977
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying,

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying,

Amplified Bible
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying,

Christian Standard Bible
Israel sent messengers to say to King Sihon of the Amorites,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Israel sent messengers to say to Sihon king of the Amorites: “

American Standard Version
And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

Contemporary English Version
The Israelites sent this message to King Sihon of the Amorites:

English Revised Version
And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Israel sent messengers to say to King Sihon of the Amorites,

Good News Translation
Then the people of Israel sent messengers to the Amorite king Sihon to say:

International Standard Version
Later, Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who conveyed this request:

Majority Standard Bible
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

NET Bible
Then Israel sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites, saying,

New Heart English Bible
Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

Webster's Bible Translation
And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

World English Bible
Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Israel sends messengers to Sihon king of the Amorite, saying,

Young's Literal Translation
And Israel sendeth messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorite, saying,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Israel will send messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying,
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Israel sent messengers to Sehon king of the Amorrhites, saying:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, saying:

New American Bible
Now Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, with the message,

New Revised Standard Version
Then Israel sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites, saying,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Israel sent Messengers to Sihon the King of the Amorites and said to him:
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying:

Brenton Septuagint Translation
We will pass through thy land, we will go by the road; we will not turn aside to the field or to the vineyard.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Defeat of Sihon
21Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22“Let us pass through your land. We will not cut through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will stay on the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.”…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 2:26-37
So from the Wilderness of Kedemoth I sent messengers with an offer of peace to Sihon king of Heshbon, saying, / “Let us pass through your land; we will stay on the main road. We will not turn to the right or to the left. / You can sell us food to eat and water to drink in exchange for silver. Only let us pass through on foot, ...

Judges 11:19-20
And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land into our own place.’ / But Sihon would not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So he gathered all his people, encamped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.

Deuteronomy 20:10-12
When you approach a city to fight against it, you are to make an offer of peace. / If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates, all the people there will become forced laborers to serve you. / But if they refuse to make peace with you and wage war against you, lay siege to that city.

Joshua 13:10-12
and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the Ammonites; / also Gilead and the territory of the Geshurites and Maacathites, all of Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salecah— / the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei and had remained as a remnant of the Rephaim. Moses had struck them down and dispossessed them,

Psalm 135:10-12
He struck down many nations and slaughtered mighty kings: / Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan. / He gave their land as an inheritance, as a heritage to His people Israel.

Psalm 136:17-22
He struck down great kings His loving devotion endures forever. / and slaughtered mighty kings—His loving devotion endures forever. / Sihon king of the Amorites His loving devotion endures forever. ...

Amos 2:9-10
Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, though his height was like that of the cedars, and he was as strong as the oaks. Yet I destroyed his fruit above and his roots below. / And I brought you up from the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness, that you might take possession of the land of the Amorite.

Nehemiah 9:22
You gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner of the land. So they took the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and of Og king of Bashan.

Isaiah 15:1-9
This is the burden against Moab: Ar in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! Kir in Moab is devastated, destroyed in a night! / Dibon goes up to its temple to weep at its high places. Moab wails over Nebo, as well as over Medeba. Every head is shaved, every beard is cut off. / In its streets they wear sackcloth; on the rooftops and in the public squares they all wail, falling down weeping. ...

Jeremiah 48:1-47
Concerning Moab, this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Woe to Nebo, for it will be devastated. Kiriathaim will be captured and disgraced; the fortress will be shattered and dismantled. / There is no longer praise for Moab; in Heshbon they devise evil against her: ‘Come, let us cut her off from nationhood.’ You too, O people of Madmen, will be silenced; the sword will pursue you. / A voice cries out from Horonaim: ‘Devastation and great destruction!’ ...

Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.

1 Corinthians 10:11
Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.

Hebrews 3:7-19
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice, / do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness, / where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw My works. ...

Acts 7:45
And our fathers who received it brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them. It remained until the time of David,

Acts 13:19
And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance.


Treasury of Scripture

And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

Numbers 20:14-19
And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us: …

Deuteronomy 2:26-28
And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying, …

Judges 11:19-21
And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place…

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Amorite Amorites Messengers Sihon
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Amorite Amorites Messengers Sihon
Numbers 21
1. Israel destroys the Canaanites at Hormah
4. The people murmuring are plagued with fiery serpents
7. They repenting are healed by a bronze serpent
10. Various journeys of the Israelites
21. Sihon is overcome
33. And Og














Then Israel
The term "Israel" here refers to the nation of the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel after wrestling with God (Genesis 32:28). This highlights the collective identity of the people as God's chosen nation, set apart for His purposes. Historically, Israel's journey from Egypt to the Promised Land is a testament to God's faithfulness and the fulfillment of His covenant promises. The use of "Israel" emphasizes the unity and shared destiny of the tribes as they navigate the challenges of their wilderness journey.

sent messengers
The act of sending messengers is a diplomatic gesture, indicating a desire for peaceful communication and negotiation. In the ancient Near Eastern context, sending messengers was a common practice for establishing treaties or requesting passage through foreign lands. This reflects Israel's initial intention to avoid conflict and seek a peaceful resolution. The Hebrew root for "sent" (שָׁלַח, shalach) conveys the idea of dispatching or commissioning, underscoring the purposeful and deliberate nature of this action.

to Sihon
Sihon was the king of the Amorites, a significant Canaanite group inhabiting the region east of the Jordan River. The mention of Sihon introduces a key figure in Israel's journey, as his refusal to grant passage leads to a pivotal confrontation. Historically, the Amorites were known for their fortified cities and military prowess, making Sihon a formidable opponent. The encounter with Sihon marks a turning point in Israel's conquest of the land, demonstrating God's power and provision in overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

king of the Amorites
The title "king" denotes Sihon's authority and leadership over the Amorites, a people known for their strength and influence in the region. The Amorites are frequently mentioned in the Old Testament as inhabitants of Canaan, often in opposition to Israel. This phrase sets the stage for the impending conflict, highlighting the political and military dynamics at play. The Amorites' resistance to Israel's passage underscores the broader theme of spiritual warfare and the struggle between God's people and the forces opposed to His purposes.

saying
The word "saying" introduces the content of the message that Israel's messengers are about to deliver. It signifies the beginning of a formal communication, reflecting the importance of words and dialogue in resolving disputes. In the biblical narrative, speech acts often carry significant weight, as they reveal intentions, establish covenants, and convey divine commands. The use of "saying" here prepares the reader for the unfolding dialogue and the subsequent actions that will shape Israel's journey.

Verse 21. - And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon. The narrative here returns to the point of time when the Israelites first reached the Upper Arnon, the boundary stream of the kingdom of Sihon (see on verse 13, and cf. Deuteronomy 2:24-37). The list of stations in the preceding verses may probably have been copied out of some official record; it may be considered as marking the movements of the tabernacle with Eleazar and the Levites and the mass of the non-combatant population. In the mean time the armies of Israel were engaged in victorious enterprises which took them far afield. King of the Amorites. The Amorites were not akin to the Hebrews, as the Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites were, who all claimed descent from Terah. They were of the Canaanitish stock (Genesis 10:16), and indeed the name Amorite often appears as synonymous with Canaanite in its larger sense (Deuteronomy 1:7, 19, 27, etc.). If at one time they are mentioned side by side with five or six other tribes of the same stock (Exodus 34:11), yet at another they seem to be so much the representative race that "the Ammorite" stands for the inhabitants of Canaan in general whom Israel was commissioned to oust on account of his iniquity (Genesis 15:16). It is not, therefore, possible to draw any certain distinction between the Amorites of Sihon's kingdom and the mass of the Canaanites on the other side Jordan. Both Sihon and his people appear as intruders in this region, having come down perhaps from the northern parts of Palestine, and having but recently (it would seem) wrested from the king of Moab all his territory north of Arnon. It was the fact of the Amorites being found here which led to the conquest and settlement of the trans-Jordanic territory. That territory was not apparently included in the original gift (compare Numbers 34:2-12 with Genesis 10:19 and Genesis 15:19-21), but since the Amorite had possessed himself of it, it must pass with all the rest of his habitation to the chosen people.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

sent
וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח (way·yiš·laḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

messengers
מַלְאָכִ֔ים (mal·’ā·ḵîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4397: A messenger, of God, an angel

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Sihon
סִיחֹ֥ן (sî·ḥōn)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 5511: Sihon -- a king of the Amorites

king
מֶֽלֶךְ־ (me·leḵ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of the Amorites,
הָאֱמֹרִ֖י (hā·’ĕ·mō·rî)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 567: Amorites -- perhaps 'mountain dwellers', a Canaanite tribe

saying,
לֵאמֹֽר׃ (lê·mōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 559: To utter, say


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OT Law: Numbers 21:21 Israel sent messengers to Sihon king (Nu Num.)
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