CONTEND NOT WITH THEM. The word titgaru (contend) is similar to the word yigareh (strife) in stirreth up strife (Prov. 28:25). It means to disturb and err.¹

footnotes: ¹ Strife is caused by disturbance and distance from that which is normal.

YE SHALL PURCHASE FOOD OF THEM. If they want to sell.² Some say that our clause is to be read as a question. It means that Israel had no need for food and drink in these past years. For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee (v. 7) is proof.

footnotes: ² We will not demand that they sell food to us.

I HAVE GIVEN AR. Of Moab.³ It is possible that Sihon took Ar⁴ and that it returned to Maob at the end.⁵

footnotes: ³ Ar is a Moabite city (Num. 21:28). ⁴ As is related in Num. 21:28. ⁵ At the end of the war between Sihon and Moab. I.E. comments thus because our verse speaks of Ar as belonging to the children of Lot, i.e., the Moabites.

THE EMIM. I have previously explained the meaning of Emim.⁶ Scripture tells us that Moab took Ar from the Emim.

footnotes: ⁶ See I.E. on Gen. 14:5 (Vol. 1, p. 105).

REPHAIM. I have previously explained its meaning.⁷

footnotes: ⁷ Ibid.

THE HORITES. They are the sons of Seir the Horite (Gen. 36:20).

TO DISCOMFIT THEM. Le-hummam (to discomfit them) is a kal. It comes from a double root.⁸.

footnotes: ⁸ Its root is heh, mem, mem

SO IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN ALL THE MEN OF WAR WERE CONSUMED. Our verse is connected to that the Lord spoke unto me saying (v. 17).⁹, they are in two sections. It is similar to And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing (Deut. 31:24)¹⁰ and And it came to pass on the day when the Lord spoke (Ex. 6:28).¹¹, they do not form one section. See I.E. on Ex. 6:28 (Vol. 2, p. 141). There are many other such cases. It means,¹² And it came to pass when they¹³ were consumed, God said that we are about to pass over the border of Ar.

footnotes: ⁹ Even though, according to the massorah ¹⁰ This verse is connected to the verse which follows even though the next verse appears to belong in a new paragraph (Weiser). ¹¹ This verse is connected to the verse which follows even though, according to the massorah ¹² The meaning of verses 16 and 17. ¹³ All the men of war, those of the age of going to war among the generation that left Egypt.

AND WHEN THOU COMEST NIGH OVER AGAINST THE CHILDREN OF AMMON. The meaning of ve-karavta is, when you come close to them.¹⁴ here has the meaning of when, not that of and.

footnotes: ¹⁴ In other words, the vav

HARASS THEM NOT. Tetzurem (harass) comes from a double root.¹⁵.

footnotes: ¹⁵ Tzadi, resh, resh

NOR CONTEND WITH THEM. Titgar (contend) is in the hitpa’el. Its root ends in a heh.¹⁶.

footnotes: ¹⁶ Its root is gimel, resh, heh

ZAMZUMMIM. A foreign term which was Hebraized.¹⁷) is Hebrew. However, the basic word is not Hebrew. Compare, ha-achashdarpenim (the satraps) (Esth. 8:9).¹⁸

footnotes: ¹⁷ The ending (im ¹⁸ Which is Persian in origin.

BUT THE LORD DESTROYED THEM. Scripture relates that God destroyed a people on behalf of the Moabites¹⁹ means on behalf of the Moabites. The previous verse mentions the Amonites. Hence I.E. points out that them in our verse refers to the Moabites. and gave them the land as an inheritance, as he did with Mount Seir on behalf of Esau.

footnotes: ¹⁹ In other words, before them

[AS FAR AS GAZA.] Scripture reads as far as Gaza because Gaza belonged to the Philistines and there already was a covenant between Abraham and Abimelech, namely, that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son (Gen. 21:23).²⁰ Scripture relates that the Avvim took Gaza.²¹

footnotes: ²⁰ Hence Israel would not be permitted to take Gaza. ²¹ From the original inhabitants. It was with the Avvim (a Philistine tribe) that Abraham made the treaty recorded in Gen. 21:23. However, the Kaftorim (a different Philistine tribe) displaced the Avvim. The treaty which Abraham made did not apply to this tribe. See Rashi. Israel was henceforth permitted to take Gaza.

BEGIN TO POSSESS IT. The word rash (possess) comes from the word yerushah (possession).²². There is no yod in rash. Hence I.E.’s comment.

footnotes: ²² Its root is yod, resh, shin

OUT OF THE WILDERNESS OF KEDEMOTH. I believe that the wilderness of Kedemoth is the same as the place called the wilderness to Mattanah (Num. 21:18).

THE HIGHWAY. The well-known highway.²³ beneath the bet of ba-derekh (at the highway) indicates the definite article.

footnotes: ²³ The pattach

THOU SHALT SELL ME FOOD FOR MONEY, THAT I MAY EAT. If I need to.²⁴

footnotes: ²⁴ Israel was fed by the manna. Therefore it did not commit itself to buy food from Sihon.

AS THE CHILDREN OF ESAU…AND THE MOABITES THAT DWELL IN AR DID UNTO ME. Some say that did unto me refers to thou shalt sell me food for money.²⁵ If this is so, then what will they do with the inhabitants of Ar who were Moabites,²⁶ about whom Scripture writes, because they met you not with bread and with water in the way (Deut. 23:5)?²⁷ They were compelled to offer this interpretation²⁸ refers to thou shalt sell me food for money. because the king of the Edomites said, Thou shalt not pass through me (Ex. 20:18). I believe that Israel’s request refers to, I will go along by the highway (v. 27)²⁹ as the children of Esau did, for Israel went around Mount Seir by the highway. Indeed, Scripture reads, Ye are to pass through the border of your brethren the children of Esau, that dwell in Seir (v. 4). However, the king, that is, the king of Edom, did not allow them to pass through his country, which was near Canaan. Israel therefore passed by Ar, as Scripture records (v. 18). Others say that they³⁰ did not meet the Israelites³¹ but the Israelites bought³² from them.

footnotes: ²⁵ For the children of Esau did not permit the Israelites to pass through their lands. ²⁶ Verse 18. ²⁷ The meaning of which is, they did not sell you bread or water. ²⁸ That did unto me ²⁹ Israel asked Sihon to permit them to go on the highway. ³⁰ The Ammonites and Moabites. ³¹ With bread and water. ³² Bread and water.

I HAVE BEGUN. The heh of hachilloti (I have begun), which is the heh of the form,³³ form. is vocalized with a pattach³⁴. because of the guttural.³⁵. Compare, ha’irotihu (roused him)³⁶ rather than with a chataf pattach because of the guttural, the ayin. in I have roused him up in victory (Is. 45:13).

footnotes: ³³ The hifil ³⁴ Rather than with a chataf pattach ³⁵ The chet ³⁶ Which is vocalized with a pattach

AND WE SMOTE. The root nun is missing in the word va-nakh (and we smote).³⁷. The nun in va-nakkeh is a prefix.

footnotes: ³⁷ From the root nun, caf, heh

THE MEN. Metim (men) means people.

TOO HIGH. Sagevah (too high) is related to the word venisgav (shall be exalted) in And the Lord alone shall be exalted (Is. 2:11).

TO THE LAND OF THE CHILDREN OF AMMON. Which, as I have noted,³⁸ is today in their hands.

footnotes: ³⁸ See I.E. on Num. 21:24 (Vol. 4, pp. 173,174).

ALL THE SIDE. The word yad (side) means place.³⁹ is hand. Hence I.E.’s comment. Compare, yad (side) in by the side of the Jordan (Num. 13:29).

footnotes: ³⁹ The literal meaning of yad