Комментарий к Бамидбар 21:27

על כן (more lit., about this) — about this war which Sihon waged against Moab,

על כן יאמרו המושלים, the people who reveal the visions they have seen in their dreams and their interpretations of these visions, as did Bileam when his interpretation is introduced with the words וישא משלו (Numbers 23,7).

על כן יאמרו המושלים, on account of the war against Sichon and Og they had prophesied in advance,

Cheshbon under Sichon’s name. “May it be built and established” refers to Cheshbon mentioned above, not to “as the city of Sichon.” For after he had conquered and taken possession of it, what need was there to say “may it be built and established”? Rather, this is what the parable tellers were saying: Sichon and his people come to the city of Cheshbon, for you can overcome it, given that from the beginning when it was built it was established as the city of Sichon. It was built under Sichon’s name, meaning that from then it was already decreed to be the city of Sichon. Thus “May it be built and established” is in the future tense in place of the past tense.

V. 27. על כן יאמרו המושלים siehe zu V. 14. — המושלים siehe Bereschit 4, 7. Wer die Geschehnisse der Zeit nicht als Chronikenschreiber, sondern aus dem höheren Gesichtspunkte auffasst und veranschaulicht, von welchem aus das einzelne Ereignis in der Allgemeinheit der in ihm sich vollziehenden weltgeschichtlichen Gottesgesetze zum Ausspruch kommt, dessen Geschichtswort ist das wahrhaftigste באו חשבון .משל, gehet hin, ihr alle, denen die Lehre von der dynastischen Vergänglichkeit und von dem Wechsel der auf Macht und auf Götterwahn gestützten Macht not tut, sehet, wie das bis dahin moabitisch stolze Cheschbon ausgebaut und befestigt umwandelt wird zu einer Sichonsstadt, ja zu einer Sichonsburg (V. 28), von der aus er die Eroberung eines großen Teils des übrigen moabitischen Gebietes vollbringt!

'על כן יאמרו המושלים וגו, “this is why those who speak in parables used to say: “let the city of Sichon be firmly established.“ Many such people had taken up residence in Cheshbon, where they flattered its King.

על כן יאמרו המושלים, “this is why the people speaking in parables (Bileam and B’or according to Rashi)) would say, etc.” B’or was the father of Bileam whom Sichon had hired to curse Moav. (Tanchuma, Chukat, section 24)

יאמרו המשלים THEY THAT SPEAK IN PARABLES SAY — One of these was Balaam of whom it is said, (Numbers 23:7), "And he took up his parable”.

בואו חשבון, “you the inhabitants of Moav come to Cheshbon and subject yourselves to the rule of Sichon for he will defeat you and rule over you.”

מושלים, Bileam and his colleagues in their predictions. (compare our author’s comment in Baba Batra 78,2 commencing with the words מאי דכתיב where he states that the plain meaning of the words refers to the previous wars conducted by Sichon when he had been successful and conquered large parts of the land of Moav. These conquests had been prophesied by Bileam, etc.)

באו חשבון, “come to Cheshbon to dwell there!” It will be built up now that it has come under the rule of Sichon. As long as it had been under the rule of Moav, people were afraid to settle there as the King of Moav did not offer much in the way of protection to his subjects.

המשלים THEY THAT SPEAK IN PARABLES — The plural המשלים refers to Balaam and his father Beor (see Rashi on Numbers 24:3). They said —

תבנה ותכונן, “let it be rebuilt and firmly established!” More so than previously.

באו חשבון “COME TO HESHBON”, — For Sihon had been unable to capture it, and he went and hired Balaam to curse it, and this is the meaning of what Balak said, (Numbers 22:6) “For I know (by what has already happened) that whomsoever thou blessest is blessed, [and whomsoever thou cursest is cursed]” (Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 24).

עיר סיחון, “Sichon’s capital!”

תבנה ותכונן IT WILL BE BUILT UP AND ESTABLISHED, [SIHON’S CITY] — Heshbon will be rebuilt under Sihon’s name to be his city.