Numbers 21:23 (DBY)

Passage

But Sihon would not suffer Israel to go through his border; and Sihon gathered all his people, and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

Nearby Context

Numbers 21:21 And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

Numbers 21:22 Let us pass through thy land; we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we will not drink water out of the wells; on the king's road will we go until we have passed thy border.

Numbers 21:23 But Sihon would not suffer Israel to go through his border; and Sihon gathered all his people, and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

Numbers 21:24 And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon; for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.

Numbers 21:25 And Israel took all these cities, and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, at Heshbon, and in all its dependent villages.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sihon", "suffer", "israel", "through", "border", "gathered", and "people". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sihon" and "suffer", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "Let us pass through thy land we..." into verse 24's "And Israel smote him with the edge...", so "sihon" and "suffer" belong inside that flow. In Numbers context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sihon" and "suffer" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.