על כן יאמרו המושלים (שם שם כז). זה בלעם ואביו, ששכרן סיחון לקלל את מואב, והם אמרו תבנה ותכונן עיר סיחון (שם).
(Numb. 21:27:) THEREFORE THOSE WHO SPEAK IN PARABLES SAY: This refers to Balaam and his father, whom Sihon had hired to curse Moab. It was they who had said (ibid., cont.): <COME TO HESHBON,> LET IT BE BUILT; LET THE CITY OF SIHON BE ESTABLISHED.
2
כי אש יצאה מחשבון [וגו'] אכלה ער מואב (שם שם כח). שקיללו את מואב שימסרו בידו.
(Numb. 21:28:) FOR A FIRE HAS COME FORTH FROM HESHBON, <A FLAME FROM THE CITY OF SIHON>. IT HAS DEVOURED AR OF MOAB. Thus they cursed Moab so that they might deliver it into <Sihon's> hand.
3
אוי לך מואב וגו', ונירם אבד חשבון וגו', וישב ישראל (בכל ערי) [באר] האמורי (שם שם כט ל לא), נשתיירה יעזר.
(Numb. 21:29–31:) WOE BE TO YOU, O MOAB!…. WE HAVE SHOT AT THEM; HESHBON HAS PERISHED…. THUS ISRAEL DWELT {IN ALL THE CITIES} [IN THE LAND OF] THE AMORITES. <Only> Jazer survived.208Numb. R. 19:31.
4
וישלח משה לרגל [את] יעזר (במדבר כא לב), אותם מרגלים זריזים היו, אמרו בטוחים אנו בתפלתו של משה, והאמינו בהקב"ה, ועשו כך והרגו את האמורי אשר בה.
(Numb. 21:32:) SO MOSES SENT TO SPY OUT JAZER. These spies were zealous. They said: we have confidence in the prayer of Moses, and we believe in the Holy One. Then they did <as they were told> and slew the Amorites who were in <the city>.
5
ויפנו ויעל (שם שם לג), יש אומרים מלחמת סיחון באלול, ועשו את הרגל בתשרי, ואחר הרגל מלחמת עוג, [כמד"א] ופנית בבקר (דברים טז ז), וכתיב ויפנו ויעלו, גזירה שוה, מה להלן אחר הרגל, אף כאן ויפנו ויעלו אחר הרגל.
(Numb. 21:33): THEN THEY TURNED AND WENT UP. Some say the war of Sihon took place in Elul. Then they celebrated the festival in Tishri,209Numb. R. 19:32. then after the festival came the war with Og. [Just as you say] (in Deut. 16:7): AND IN THE MORNING YOU SHALL TURN,210In the biblical context the turning denotes Israel turning to their tents after celebrating Passover. while it is written (in Numb. 21:33): THEN THEY TURNED AND WENT UP. Gezerah shawah (a verbal analogy): Just as <the turning comes> after the festival below (in Deut. 16:7), so also here (in Numb. 21:33): THEN THEY TURNED AND WENT UP. <Because of the similar use of the word TURNED, the contexts must have been similar; therefore the turning here in Numb. 21:33 must have taken place> after the festival.
6
ויצא עוג מלך הבשן וגו' (במדבר שם). שכינסן הקב"ה למוסרם בידם.
(Numb. 21:33, cont.:) AND KING OG OF BASHAN CAME OUT <AGAINST THEM, HE AND ALL HIS PEOPLE>, for the Holy One had gathered <Og and his people> before <Israel> in order to deliver <Gog and his people> into their hand.
על כן יאמרו המושלים (שם שם כז). זה בלעם ואביו, ששכרן סיחון לקלל את מואב, והם אמרו תבנה ותכונן עיר סיחון (שם).
(Numb. 21:27:) THEREFORE THOSE WHO SPEAK IN PARABLES SAY: This refers to Balaam and his father, whom Sihon had hired to curse Moab. It was they who had said (ibid., cont.): <COME TO HESHBON,> LET IT BE BUILT; LET THE CITY OF SIHON BE ESTABLISHED.
כי אש יצאה מחשבון [וגו'] אכלה ער מואב (שם שם כח). שקיללו את מואב שימסרו בידו.
(Numb. 21:28:) FOR A FIRE HAS COME FORTH FROM HESHBON, <A FLAME FROM THE CITY OF SIHON>. IT HAS DEVOURED AR OF MOAB. Thus they cursed Moab so that they might deliver it into <Sihon's> hand.
אוי לך מואב וגו', ונירם אבד חשבון וגו', וישב ישראל (בכל ערי) [באר] האמורי (שם שם כט ל לא), נשתיירה יעזר.
(Numb. 21:29–31:) WOE BE TO YOU, O MOAB!…. WE HAVE SHOT AT THEM; HESHBON HAS PERISHED…. THUS ISRAEL DWELT {IN ALL THE CITIES} [IN THE LAND OF] THE AMORITES. <Only> Jazer survived.208Numb. R. 19:31.
וישלח משה לרגל [את] יעזר (במדבר כא לב), אותם מרגלים זריזים היו, אמרו בטוחים אנו בתפלתו של משה, והאמינו בהקב"ה, ועשו כך והרגו את האמורי אשר בה.
(Numb. 21:32:) SO MOSES SENT TO SPY OUT JAZER. These spies were zealous. They said: we have confidence in the prayer of Moses, and we believe in the Holy One. Then they did <as they were told> and slew the Amorites who were in <the city>.
ויפנו ויעל (שם שם לג), יש אומרים מלחמת סיחון באלול, ועשו את הרגל בתשרי, ואחר הרגל מלחמת עוג, [כמד"א] ופנית בבקר (דברים טז ז), וכתיב ויפנו ויעלו, גזירה שוה, מה להלן אחר הרגל, אף כאן ויפנו ויעלו אחר הרגל.
(Numb. 21:33): THEN THEY TURNED AND WENT UP. Some say the war of Sihon took place in Elul. Then they celebrated the festival in Tishri,209Numb. R. 19:32. then after the festival came the war with Og. [Just as you say] (in Deut. 16:7): AND IN THE MORNING YOU SHALL TURN,210In the biblical context the turning denotes Israel turning to their tents after celebrating Passover. while it is written (in Numb. 21:33): THEN THEY TURNED AND WENT UP. Gezerah shawah (a verbal analogy): Just as <the turning comes> after the festival below (in Deut. 16:7), so also here (in Numb. 21:33): THEN THEY TURNED AND WENT UP. <Because of the similar use of the word TURNED, the contexts must have been similar; therefore the turning here in Numb. 21:33 must have taken place> after the festival.
ויצא עוג מלך הבשן וגו' (במדבר שם). שכינסן הקב"ה למוסרם בידם.
(Numb. 21:33, cont.:) AND KING OG OF BASHAN CAME OUT <AGAINST THEM, HE AND ALL HIS PEOPLE>, for the Holy One had gathered <Og and his people> before <Israel> in order to deliver <Gog and his people> into their hand.