4 min read

Sihon and the King Who Owed His Soldiers a Feast Before the Fight

Sifrei Devarim tells a parable about soldiers demanding payment before battle. Israel faced the same test: Sihon ahead, the land in sight, the promise unproven.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. The Soldiers Who Could Not Wait
  2. Why Moses Placed the Parable Here
  3. Moses Waited to Rebuke Them
  4. Sihon Who Was Already Conquered Before the Battle

The Soldiers Who Could Not Wait

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The king had made a promise: \"when we reach settled land, I will give you delicacies.\" The word the midrash uses suggests something real and specific, food worth eating, the kind of meal that signals arrival and abundance. The soldiers were still in the desert. They had heard the promise and they wanted the proof now, before the march, before the battle, before the gate of the city opened under their hands. \"Give us the feast here. Give it in the wilderness where we can hold it and know the king is good for his word.\"

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The king provided what they asked. Then they asked for hot cakes on top of it. He provided those too. The commander watching this scene finally stepped in: \"because the king is wealthy and generous, do you badger him in the desert?\" What the soldiers were doing was not simply impatience. They were using the king's generosity as a lever, pressing him to prove abundance in conditions designed to make abundance impossible. A desert is not the proof of a land's richness. The proof was coming. They needed to trust the road until they reached it.

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Why Moses Placed the Parable Here

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Sifrei Devarim positions this parable beside Deuteronomy 1:4, at the moment Moses recounts the defeat of Sihon king of the Amorites. Sihon was the wall between Israel and the land. He was a giant. Legends of the Jews says Moses was sorely afraid of him. God had chained Sihon's guardian angel in advance of the battle, which meant the outcome was decided before any soldier raised a weapon, but no one in Israel's camp could see the chained angel. What they could see was a fortified city and a king with a reputation for strength.

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The parable about the desert soldiers is not about Sihon directly. It is about what Israel needed to carry into the battle against Sihon: the ability to treat a promise as real before the evidence arrives. God had promised the land. Sihon was standing in the land. Israel had to go through Sihon while believing the promise without yet possessing it.

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Moses Waited to Rebuke Them

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Midrash Aggadah asks why Moses held his rebuke of Israel until after Sihon and Og had fallen. The answer has the structure of a pedagogical principle. A teacher who corrects a student before giving any kindness earns the response: you have done us no good and already you scold us. So Moses waited. Sihon first, then the rebuke. Og next, then the rebuke could begin. Kindness creates the standing to correct.

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The midrash extends this upward to God. God Himself showed Moses the good way: wait for the kindness to accumulate before the correction comes. God waited for Sihon and Og to fall before letting Moses speak the words of Deuteronomy. Even the opening of Deuteronomy, with its catalogue of Israel's failures in the wilderness, comes after the victories, not before. The failures are real. The account of them is necessary. But the order matters.

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Sihon Who Was Already Conquered Before the Battle

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Legends of the Jews preserves the strategic account. When Moses sent ambassadors to Sihon asking for peaceful passage, God objected. \"Rise up and fight him,\" God had commanded. Moses wanted to try peace first. His argument was that he had learned this from God's own example at Sinai: God offered Israel the Torah before imposing it, gave them the choice before giving them the commandment. Moses would offer Sihon peace before offering him war.

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Sihon refused. He had to refuse. His guardian angel was already chained. His cities would not be fought city by city; God gathered the entire military force of the Amorite kingdom into Heshbon, the most fortified place in the territory, so that when Heshbon fell, everything fell at once. The battle that looked like an ordinary conquest was already decided in the registers where guardian angels are bound and released. Moses went in afraid and came out with Sihon's kingdom intact behind him. Then he turned to Israel and began to speak.

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SihonFaithMosesConquestMidrash AggadahTrust
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From the tradition

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The texts this telling draws on, in full. Open a card to read inline, or expand it for a wider, quieter read.

Sifrei Devarim 3:1Sifrei Devarim

In (Deuteronomy 1:4), we read about Moses recounting how God helped them defeat Sichon, king of the Amorites. But what does that seemingly simple historical detail really tell us?

The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of early rabbinic legal interpretations on the book of Deuteronomy, uses an analogy to unpack this moment. Imagine a king leading his army through the desert. He promises them, "When we reach settled lands, I’ll give you amnonoth." Now, amnonoth, some say, were delicious delicacies. Essentially, the king is promising abundance.

The soldiers, impatient and maybe a little entitled, start clamoring for treats right now. "Give us amnonoth here!" they demand. And surprisingly, the king obliges. "Give us hot gluskaoth (cakes)!" they cry out next. And again, the king provides.

The commander steps in. He's not happy. "Just because the king is generous and merciful," he rebukes, "do you think you can just keep pushing him? I didn’t say anything at first because I didn’t want you to think he couldn't provide. But now I have to ask – why do you have so little faith?"

Ouch.

What's the message here? It's not just about being polite or grateful (though those are good things too!). It's about faith. It’s about trusting in the bigger picture, in the promise of future abundance, instead of constantly demanding immediate gratification.

The king's initial silence is key. He could provide, but he was testing their patience, their belief in his ultimate provision. He wanted them to understand that the journey itself required trust.

This story resonates deeply. How often do we focus on what we lack, even when we’ve already been blessed with so much? How easily do we forget the larger promise, the ultimate goal, in our pursuit of immediate comfort and pleasure?

The Sifrei Devarim, through this simple analogy, challenges us to examine our own faith. To recognize the blessings we've already received and to trust that even more abundance awaits us – if we can just be patient, grateful, and faithful along the way. It encourages us to see the bigger picture, to remember that sometimes, the greatest rewards come to those who can wait, and trust.

So, the next time you're tempted to demand more, to push for instant gratification, remember the king and his army in the desert. Remember the promise of amnonoth. And ask yourself: do I have enough faith to wait?

Full source
Midrash Aggadah, Deuteronomy 1:4Midrash Aggadah

"After he had smitten Sihon king of the Amorites" (Deuteronomy 1:4). And why did he not rebuke them before this? Only so that Israel should not say: "He has not yet done us any good, and [already] he has begun to rebuke us." And why did he wait until close to his death? For this reason that we have stated: Come and see the humility of the Holy One, blessed be He, for He showed a good way to the world, that the student says to the teacher, "I have wearied you greatly." And therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, waited until He had smitten Sihon and Og, and then He rebuked them. But the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, "You have dwelt long enough at this mountain" (Deuteronomy 1:6), that is to say: I have detained you a long time at this Mount Sinai.

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Legends of the Jews 5:93Legends of the Jews

Legends of the Jews turns to Moses Fears the Giant King Sihon of the Amorites.

He was facing Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the prospect of war. Now, Sihon wasn't just any king; he was a giant. Can you imagine the dread Moses must have felt? According to Legends of the Jews, Moses was "sorely afraid."

God, in His infinite wisdom, didn't just leave Moses to fend for himself. He intervened, but not in the way you might expect. Instead of directly smiting Sihon, God took a more…strategic approach.

He put Sihon's and Og's guardian angels in chains. Angels! These celestial beings, tasked with protecting Sihon and his people, were now powerless. It's a fascinating glimpse into the cosmic battle being waged alongside the earthly one.

And then God spoke to Moses, saying, "Behold, I have begun to deliver up Sihon and his land before thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land." The assurance is powerful. It's not just about conquest; it's about inheritance, about claiming what is rightfully theirs.

Legends of the Jews, drawing from various Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) sources, emphasizes that once the angels of Sihon and his people had fallen, Moses had nothing more to fear. His enemies were already defeated. The real battle had been won on a higher plane.

But God wasn’t done. He gave Moses another assurance, a sign for all the world to see. He promised that "He would begin to put the dread of him and the fear of him upon the peoples that are under the whole heaven," by bidding the sun to stand still during his war against Sihon. Imagine that. The sun, halting in its celestial journey, a clear and undeniable declaration that God battled for Moses.

So, what does this all mean? It's more than just a story about a war. It’s a reminder that even when we face seemingly insurmountable odds, there are forces working on our behalf, forces we can't always see. And perhaps, just perhaps, the biggest battles are fought not on the battlefield, but in the unseen realms, where angels clash and divine will unfolds. It makes you wonder, doesn't it, what unseen battles are being fought for us, right now?

Full source
Legends of the Jews 5:94Legends of the Jews

It's older than it first appears. to a story about Moses, negotiation, and a bit of divine debate.

Moses is gearing up for war against Sihon, king of the Amorites. But before launching a full-scale assault, Moses has a question. A pretty big one, actually. Could he send ambassadors to Sihon first, asking for safe passage through his land? A simple request. Well, God wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea. "How now!" God basically says, according to Legends of the Jews. "I commanded thee, 'Rise up, contend with him in battle, begin to possess his land!' and thou wantest to send him messengers of peace?" (Ginzberg).

It's a fair point. God's instruction seemed pretty clear: go to war and take the land. But Moses, ever the thoughtful leader, had a different perspective. Why jump straight to violence when there might be another way?

Moses responds with a powerful argument. He says, "I desire only to follow Thy example..." (Ginzberg). He reminds God of the Exodus, when God sent Moses to Pharaoh with a message of peace, asking him to let the Israelites go. Even though God could have easily wiped out all of Egypt with a single strike!

And it doesn't stop there. Moses also points to the giving of the Torah. As we are told, God offered the Torah to other nations before giving it to Israel. A universal invitation to righteousness, before a specific covenant.

What Moses is doing is pretty bold. He's essentially holding up God's own actions as a precedent for peace. He's reminding God of the importance of offering a chance for reconciliation, even when victory seems assured.

God, in turn, recognizes the wisdom in Moses' words. This isn't about weakness; it's about justice and offering a choice.

And here's the kicker: as a result of this exchange, God commands that in the future, no war should be declared on any city without first offering the people a chance to surrender peacefully. A pretty significant shift! A commandment born out of discussion and, dare we say, a little bit of divine persuasion.

So, what does this all mean? It suggests that even in times of conflict, there's always room for dialogue and the pursuit of peace. It reminds us that offering a chance for reconciliation is not a sign of weakness, but a reflection of a deeper commitment to justice and compassion. It's a powerful message, and one that continues to resonate through the ages. A timeless lesson rooted in a conversation between Moses and God.

Full source
Legends of the Jews 5:96Legends of the Jews

Our tale centers on Sihon, king of the Amorites, and his clash with Moses and the Israelites. Now, this wasn't just any skirmish. This was war. And it ended, as the story goes, in a stunning victory for Israel. Sihon and his son, both renowned for their strength, met their end in the fray.

In the story, God orchestrated things in a rather.efficient manner. Instead of Israel having to fight city after city in Sihon's territory, God brought all of the Amorite king's forces together into the city of Heshbon. So, when Heshbon fell, the rest of Sihon’s land lay wide open. Pretty strategic. Now, Heshbon wasn’t just any town. It was exceptionally fortified. The Legends of the Jews emphasizes just how impenetrable it was. We are told that even if the inhabitants were nothing more than gnats, it would have been impregnable to any mortal army, let alone when defended by the mighty Sihon and his warriors.

So, how did Israel pull it off? What was the divine secret? Well, the story takes a turn towards the…shall we say, miraculous. It wasn't just superior tactics or weaponry. That God inflicted the Amorites with terrible convulsions. Imagine soldiers writhing in pain, unable to even stand, much less fight. Israel, then, could cut them down while they were already incapacitated.

It doesn't stop there. Apparently, God also "drew masks" over their faces. It wasn't a literal mask, but something that obscured their vision, causing them to mistake each other for Israelites. Can you picture the chaos? The Amorites, in their disoriented state, began attacking their own people! This internal strife, this self-inflicted wound, paved the way for Israel's triumph.

It's a potent reminder that victory sometimes comes from the most unexpected sources, internal strife, divine intervention, and the humbling of even the mightiest of warriors. What does this story tell us about the nature of strength, warfare, and the role of the divine? Is it a literal account, a metaphor, or something in between? Perhaps it's a reminder that even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, something unexpected can always shift the balance.

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