7 When you came to this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us to battle, and we struck them:
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
And when ye came unto this place. This, a third instance (of God's goodness), because He had smitten the first enemies, who encountered them to impede their passage, and thus had already begun to bring them into a place of rest. For inasmuch as the two tribes and a half had here chosen their home, they might behold as in a mirror that the possession of the promised land awaited them. Hence, then, Moses concludes that they were under obligation to keep the law, and exhorts them to shew their gratitude by faithful and sincere obedience. The object, therefore, of the recital is, to procure reverent attention to his doctrine; since the word skl, [1] shakal, in Hiphil, means to act successfully as well as prudently. I have set down both readings, since they are alike suitable to the sense. For we have seen in chapter 4, that this was the people's only wisdom to obey God's statutes; nor was their prosperity to be expected from any other source except God's blessing, which is everywhere promised to the Israelites, if they keep the law.
And when ye came unto this place,.... The borders of Moab, the wilderness before it, to which joined the plains they were now in; see Numbers 21:13,
Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, came out against us unto battle; not together, but one after the other, and that very quickly; as soon almost as they had fought with the one, and conquered him, the other came out against them:
and we smote them; killed them and their armies, and the inhabitants of their countries; the history of which see in Numbers 21:23.
*More commentary available at chapter level.