Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared: Wherefore they that speak in proverbs, х hamoshªliym (H4911)] - parables, sententious sayings; also songs, poems, 'the members of which, by the laws of parallelism, consisted of two hemistichs similar in form and sense' (Gesenius). [The Septuagint, Dia touto erousin hoi ainigmatistai, wherefore the minstrels say (see Augustine, 'Question 45: in Num.')] This song of victory, which is probably another extract from "the book of the wars of the Lord," and popularly sung by the Hebrews-not an Amorite composition, as some think-fully corresponds to the preceding description. It is of a strongly satirical cast, breathing contempt alike for both classes of pagan inhabitants who had been thrust out of the land, and in a tone of jubilant delight, unaccompanied, however, by any expressions of devout gratitude, rejoicing at the rapid and splendid conquest.
`Go to Heshbon; Let the city of Sihon be built and established; For fire goes out from Heshbon, A flame from the fortified city of Sihon.
It devours Ar (the citadel of) Moab, The lords of the heights by Arnon.
Woe to thee, Moab! Thou has perished. O people of Chemosh! He made his sons fugitives And his daughters captives To the king of the Amorites, Sihon; But we shot at them: Heshbon is perished to Dibon; And we devastated them to Nophach, which is to Medeba.'
If, instead of the verb yaaraa, we take niyraam, in the second last line, as a noun, signifying light, lamp, with the pronominal suffix, a beautiful sense is obtained:
`And their lamp is extinguished from Heshbon to Dibon! Desolation extends from Nophach to Medeba!'
If this is correct, it expresses a most entire desolation; not a lamp burning throughout this whole extent of country; whereas formerly there would be many lamps, every house having one or more; and on festive nights how many more! (cf. Job 18:5; Psalms 18:28; Proverbs 13:9). (Calmet's 'Frag.')
Verse 29. People of Chemosh - the name of the Moabite tutelary god (1 Kings 11:7; 1 Kings 11:33; 2 Kings 23:13; Jeremiah 48:46).
He - i:e., their god, surrendered his worshippers to the victorious arms of Sihon. The concluding verses are designed to be the strains in which the Israelites expose the impotence of the usurpers in turn.