Comentario citado sobre Deuteronómio 3:17

The simple meaning of [the expression] in the book of the wars of the Eternal²⁵⁹Ibid.: Therefore it is said in the book of the wars of the Eternal. is that there were wise men in those generations who used to write down the history of great wars, for such was [the custom] in all generations. These authors were called moshlim (they that speak in parables),²⁶⁰Further, Verse 27. because they wrote in them [their books] by means of proverbs and figures of speech, and when there were victories which they considered wonderful, they ascribed those wars to G-d, to Whom they are in truth [to be attributed]. Now the victory of Sihon over Moab was marvellous in their eyes,²⁶¹See Psalms 118:23. therefore they wrote it down in a book, speaking of it in figurative language, Eth Vahev b’suphah etc.,²⁶²Verse 14. and writing about it in a proverb — Come ye to Heshbon etc.²⁶³Further, Verse 27. Now the name of one city of those that belonged to Moab was Vahev. And the pouring forth of the brooks²⁶⁴Verse 15. — [this refers to] the slope of the brook, because the streams [of water] flow down continuously from the slopes of Pisgah.²⁶⁵Deuteronomy 4:49. Similarly, in the hill-country, and in the lowland, and in the Arabah, and in ‘the slopes.’²⁶⁶Joshua 10:40. B’suphah,²⁶²Verse 14. [this word is] of [the root] ‘b’suphah’ (in the whirlwind) and in the storm.²⁶⁷Nahum 1:3. Thus when Sihon captured the cities of Moab, those who wrote in parables recorded in the book which they called “the Wars of the Eternal”: Eth Vahev b’suphah [meaning: “The city of Vahev He destroyed in a whirlwind”], or they wrote: “G-d warred against Vahev in a whirlwind.” And the slope of the brooks²⁶⁴Verse 15. which belonged to Arnon, and the downpour of the brooks that inclineth toward the seat of Ar,²⁶⁴Verse 15. and the slope that leaneth upon the border of Moab²⁶⁴Verse 15. — all these the Eternal destroyed in the whirlwind and in the storm,²⁶⁷Nahum 1:3. for Sihon came upon them [the Moabites] suddenly, his horses’ hoofs were counted like flint, and his wheels like a whirlwind.²⁶⁸Isaiah 5:28. Similarly those [who spoke in parables] said: For a fire is gone out from Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon etc.²⁶⁹Further, Verse 28. Thus Scripture is bringing a proof from the book of “the Wars [of the Eternal”] that Arnon is on the border of Moab, and was forbidden to Israel [to capture],²⁷⁰Deuteronomy 2:9. whereas the brooks and all the slopes as far as Arnon they were allowed [to take], for Sihon had captured from the king of Moab all his land until Arnon, but not Arnon itself. Thus Arnon remained part of Moab, and constituted its border, as it is written, And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the valley of Arnon, the middle of the valley for a border.²⁷¹Ibid., 3:16. And so also did Jephthah say, and they [the Israelites] pitched on the other side of the Arnon, but they came not within the border of Moab, for Arnon was the border of Moab.²⁷²Judges 11:18.

raise its palaces Heb. פסגו, raise its palaces, as (Deut. 3:17): “beneath the rapids of the elevation,” which is translated רָמָתָא, the high place.

brook, and boundary i.e., and its boundary. Compare, the Jordan, and [its] bank.

ומבמות הגיא אשר בשדי מואב AND FROM THE HEIGHTS (it descended finally) INTO THE VALLEY THAT IS IN THE FIELD OF MOAB, for there Moses died, and there the well finally ceased to flow. Another explanation is: כרוה נדיבי עם THE NOBLES OF THE PEOPLE HOLLOWED IT — each prince of the tribes when they encamped took his staff and drew a line on the ground from the well to his banner and encampment, and the waters of the well ran by way of that mark and came before the camping place of each tribe (Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 21).

במחקק THROUGH THE LAWGIVER — by command of Moses who is called the מחוקק, the Lawgiver, as it is said, (Deuteronomy 33:21) “for there is the portion of the lawgiver (Moses’ grave) concealed”. But why is Moses not expressly mentioned by name in this song? Because he was punished through the well! And since Moses’ name is not mentioned, the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is also not mentioned. A parable! It may be compared to the case of a king whom his subjects invited to a feast. He said: If my friend will be there, I, too, will be there, but if not, I will not go (Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 21).

ראש הפסגה — Understand this as the Targum has it: to the top of the height.

פסגה denotes “high”, just as (Psalms 48:14) פסגו ארמנותיה, which means “make high its palaces”.

ונשקפה AND IT LOOKS — this height looks towards the place whose name is ישימון, which word describes the wilderness because that is waste (שמם with which the word ישימון may be linguistically associated). Another explanation is: ונשקפה AND IT LOOKS — the well looks על פני ישימון towards the front of ישימון, the wilderness, for it was hid (emptied) itself in the sea of Tiberias, and anyone who stood by the wilderness may look and see a kind of sieve in the sea, and that was the well!. Thus did R. Tanchuma (Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 21) expound this passage.

The river valleys. The place where the water of the hills rush down.