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Moses Sent Peace to Sihon While the Giant's Angel Sat in Chains

Sihon was a giant. Moses sent messengers anyway. The angel that kept the Amorite king had already been chained, and nobody in the camp could see it.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. The Angel Was Already Bound
  2. He Sent Peace When God Had Said Fight
  3. Every City Packed Into Heshbon
  4. The Camp Wanted the Feast Before the Gate
  5. The Rebuke Waited Until Og Fell

Moses looked at Sihon and was afraid. The king of the Amorites was a giant.

Moses Sent Peace to Sihon While the Giant's Angel Sat in Chains Click for full size

The land sat behind that king. Israel had walked years for it. The wall in front of them had a name, a height, and a reputation. Moses was sorely afraid, and he did not hide it.

The Angel Was Already Bound

God did not leave him to stare. He put Sihon's guardian angel in chains, and Og's with him. The keepers of those kingdoms stood bound before any spear was lifted. Victory had come before the battle, in a register no one in the camp could see.

What the camp could see was a fortified city and a giant. God spoke to Moses anyway. "Behold, I have begun to deliver up Sihon and his land before thee. Begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land." The sentence was past tense in heaven. On the ground it still looked like a war.

Moses heard the chains and still felt the size of the man.

He Sent Peace When God Had Said Fight

God had been plain. Rise up. Contend with him in battle. Begin to possess his land. Moses asked if he might send ambassadors first, and request safe passage, the way a traveler knocks before he draws a sword.

"How now!" God said. "I commanded thee, Rise up, contend with him in battle, begin to possess his land, and thou wantest to send him messengers of peace?"

Moses held his ground. "I desire to do as Thou didst at Sinai. Thou didst offer Israel the Torah before Thou gavest it. Thou didst give them a choice before the commandment. I will offer Sihon peace before I offer him war."

The messengers went. Sihon refused. He had to refuse. His angel was already chained. A king whose keeper is bound cannot open a road. He thought victory still belonged to walls and height. He sent the ambassadors home and kept his gate shut.

Every City Packed Into Heshbon

God did not send Israel city by city across the Amorite map. He gathered the whole military force of Sihon's kingdom into Heshbon, the most fortified place in the territory. When Heshbon fell, everything fell.

Heshbon was built so hard that if the people inside had been gnats, no mortal army would have taken it. Sihon and his son, both famous for strength, stood in that one city with every soldier they owned. Moses went in afraid. He came out with the giant's land behind him. Sihon and the son died in the same crush. The rest of the kingdom lay open because heaven had folded it into a single gate.

The battle that looked like an ordinary conquest had been decided where guardian angels are bound and released. Israel walked through a door that had already been taken off its hinges.

The Camp Wanted the Feast Before the Gate

Before that door opened, the camp had sounded like soldiers in a desert who would not wait. A king had promised his army delicacies when they reached settled land, food that means arrival, hot cakes on a real table. The men were still in sand. "Give us the feast here," they said. "Give it in the wilderness, where we can hold it and know the king is good for his word."

The king gave them what they asked. Then they asked for hot cakes on top of it. He gave those too. A commander finally stepped in. "Because the king is wealthy and generous, do you badger him in the desert?" A wilderness is not the proof of a land's richness. The proof was coming. They needed to trust the road until they reached it.

Israel had the same hunger. God had promised the land. Sihon stood in the land. They wanted the taste before the giant fell. Moses had to take them through a king while the promise was still a promise, and the feast was still on the other side of a wall.

The Rebuke Waited Until Og Fell

Moses did not open his mouth to scold them until Sihon was down, and then Og. A teacher who corrects a student before he has given any kindness earns the answer: you have done us no good, and already you scold us. So he waited. Kindness first. Correction after.

God had shown him that order. Even the opening of Deuteronomy, with its list of the wilderness failures, comes after the victories, not before (Deuteronomy 1:4). The failures were real. The account of them was necessary. The hour for the account was after the giant and the second giant were in the dust.

Then Moses turned to Israel and began to speak. The land was in sight. The feast the soldiers had wanted in the sand was no longer a rumor. He had sent peace to a king whose angel was already in chains. He had taken Heshbon. Only then did he lift the old complaints and name them.

SihonFaithMosesConquestMidrash AggadahTrust
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From the tradition

Sources

5 sources

The texts behind this telling. Some cards carry a translation of the source; others are our own retelling of it, and each card says which. Every card links out to the original.

Sifrei Devarim 3:1Sifrei Devarim

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.Sifrei by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein · CC-BY

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?

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Midrash Aggadah, Deuteronomy 1:4Midrash Aggadah

Translation of the source text.Midrash Aggadah (Buber), Public Domain, on Sefaria · CC-BY-SA

"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

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg (1909) · Public Domain

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.

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Legends of the Jews 5:94Legends of the Jews

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg (1909) · Public Domain

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's a powerful message, and one that continues to resonate through the ages. A timeless lesson rooted in a conversation between Moses and God.

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Legends of the Jews 5:96Legends of the Jews

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg (1909) · Public Domain

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. 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. 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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