Comentário sobre Números 21:23

לא נתן סיחון וגו׳ AND SIHON WOULD NOT SUFFER [ISRAEL TO PASS THROUGH HIS BOUNDARY] — For all the Canaanite kings paid him tribute, because he protected them that no hostile forces should pass through his land against them. As soon as Israel said to him, “Let me pass through they land”, he answered them: “The whole purpose of my dwelling here is to protect them against you, and yet you speak thus!” (Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 23).

Delivered tribute to him. For if not so, surely they only requested to pass through their land. [Thus it is understandable that] Sichon did not allow them to pass, but why did he go out to fight against them? (Nachalas Yaakov, Gur Aryeh and Kitzur Mizrochi) Rashi needed this answer to explain [a difficulty:] It was understandable that the king of Edom would dispute the inheritance of the Land of Israel, being certain [of his strength] due to the assurance of his ancestor, and also because they sent an appeasing message, “Let us please pass” in terms of a request. However regarding Sichon there is the difficulty as to why he was so confident? Surely it would have been better for him not to wage war with Yisroel. Therefore Rashi answers that “all the Canaanite kings delivered tribute to him.”

לקראת ישראל המדברה “in the direction of the Israelites, toward the desert.” We had been told that they had encamped in the desert at that time in verse 13 of our chapter.