NUMBERS—NOTE ON Numbers 21:27 This old poem celebrates the previous capture of Moabite territory by Sihon. It is probably included to show that the Israelites were justified in displacing the Amorites from their land, since they had acquired it from the Moabites by force. The poem also helps to explain why the king of Moab later hired Balaam to curse Israel (chs. Numbers 22:1): Moab had been defeated by Sihon, and Sihon had been defeated by Israel, so what hope did Moab have against Israel?

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