Question 1

Who is Sihon king of Heshbon in this passage?

Accepted Answer

Sihon is the Amorite king who rules from the city of Heshbon. His land lies north of the river Arnon. When Israel reaches this area, they first send messengers asking to pass through peacefully, offering to pay for food and water. Sihon refuses and gathers his people to fight at Jahaz. God then gives Sihon and his land into Israel’s hand. So in this story, Sihon is both a real king and also an example of someone who hardens himself against God’s people and is judged.

Question 2

What does it mean that God hardened Sihon’s spirit and made his heart obstinate?

Accepted Answer

The passage says Sihon would not let Israel pass because the Lord hardened his spirit and made his heart stubborn, so that God might deliver him into Israel’s hand. This shows that God is not just watching events from far away but is in control even of kings’ decisions. Sihon still chooses to resist and attack, but God uses his proud choice to bring about judgment on him and to give Israel their first victory in the land he promised them.

Question 3

Why did Israel first offer Sihon peaceful passage through his land?

Accepted Answer

Moses sent messengers from the wilderness with words of peace. They promised to stay on the highway, not turn aside into fields or vineyards, and to pay for food and water. Israel had done the same with the people of Esau and Moab. This shows that Israel was not looking for a fight just for gain. The offer also left Sihon without excuse. When he refused and came out to war, Israel’s later attack was not simple aggression but a response that God had already said he would use to judge Sihon and give his land to Israel.

Question 4

Why does this passage say Israel utterly destroyed men, women, and little ones?

Accepted Answer

This is one of the hard parts of the story. The Amorites were under God’s judgment, and their sin had reached its full measure. God had set them apart for destruction, and Israel was acting like an instrument of his justice, not just taking revenge. The passage stresses that this was a special situation, tied to God’s command and his purpose to clear the land he was giving to Israel. It is not given as a general rule for wars, but as a unique act of judgment in that time and place.

Question 5

What is the meaning of God putting the fear of Israel on the nations?

Accepted Answer

God promises that from this day he will begin to put dread and fear of Israel on all the nations under heaven. That means when other peoples hear what God has done for Israel, they will tremble and feel anguish. This is not about Israel making a name for themselves, but about God showing his power to protect and lead his people. Their victories over Sihon and others become reports that go ahead of them, so enemies are already shaken before any battle begins.

Question 6

Why did God forbid Israel to touch the land of the children of Ammon?

Accepted Answer

At the end of the passage, Moses reminds the people that they did not go into the land of the children of Ammon, nor into the places by the river Jabbok, nor into the cities in the mountains. God had clearly forbidden Israel to take that territory. Just as they had to leave Edom and Moab alone, they also had to respect Ammon’s borders. This shows that Israel could not just grab whatever they wanted. Their conquests were limited by God’s command and tied to land he had chosen for them.

Question 7

What was happening when God told Israel to rise up and pass over the river Arnon?

Accepted Answer

Israel had been traveling in the wilderness for many years and had just passed by the lands of Edom and Moab without fighting them. Now they were camped near the river Arnon, which marked the border between Moab and the Amorites. God tells them to cross that river because he has given Sihon and his land into their hand. This is the moment when wandering gives way to taking possession. It is the beginning of Israel’s move into settled land east of the Jordan, with God leading each step.

Question 8

What does this passage teach about God’s control over nations and battles?

Accepted Answer

The story shows that God directs both the big picture and the details. He decides which lands Israel may not touch and which they may take. He hardens Sihon’s heart so that Sihon chooses war, and then God gives him and all his cities into Israel’s hand. No city from Aroer to Gilead is too strong, because God delivers all of them. At the same time, Israel must still march, fight, and take possession. God’s rule over nations does not cancel human actions, but works through them.

Question 9

How can a believer today think about the hard parts of this war story?

Accepted Answer

This passage can feel heavy because of the total destruction described. It helps to remember that this was a special act of God’s judgment on a specific people whose sin had reached its full measure, and that Israel was under strict limits about where they could and could not fight. For someone reading today, the main lessons are God’s faithfulness to his promises, his right to judge evil, and his care to guide his people step by step. It also reminds us that God’s patience has an end, and that ignoring his ways is serious.

Question 10

Why is this passage significant in the story of Israel’s journey?

Accepted Answer

This is Israel’s first major victory over a settled king and his cities on the way to the promised land. Up to now, most of the story has been wilderness travel and waiting. Here, God turns their obedience in passing by certain lands into a reward, giving them Sihon’s territory. The cities, fields, and cattle they gain are a first taste of living in a real land after years of tents and manna. It shows that God did not forget his promise and that their long waiting and self-denial were not wasted.

Deuteronomy 2:24

¶ Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle.

The Defeat of Sihon

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Deuteronomy 2:24

¶ Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle.

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The Defeat of Sihon

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