Numbers 21:13 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

On the other side of Arnon, or rather, on this side of Arnon, for so it now was to the Israelites, who had not yet passed over it, as appears from Deuteronomy 2:24. But the same words, Judges 11:18, are to be rendered on the other side of Arnon, for so it was to Jephthah; and the same preposition signifieth on this side, or beyond, according to the circumstances of the place. Between Moab and the Amorite, i.e. though formerly it and the land beyond it belonged to Moab, yet afterwards it had been taken from them by Sihon, Numbers 21:26,28. This is added to reconcile two seemingly contrary commands of God, the one that of not meddling with the land of the. Moabites, Deuteronomy 2:9, the other that of going over Arnon and taking possession of the land beyond it, Deuteronomy 2:24, because, saith he, it is not now the land of the Moabites, but of the Amorites.

Numbers 21:13

13 From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.