Albert Barnes Commentary Deuteronomy 1:44

"And the Amorites, that dwelt in that hill-country, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and beat you down in Seir, even unto Hormah." — Deuteronomy 1:44 (ASV)

The Amorites - In (Numbers 14:45), it is the Amalekites and the Canaanites who are said to have defeated them. The Amorites, as the most powerful nation of Canaan, lend their name here, as in other passages (for example, Deuteronomy 1:7), to the Canaanite tribes generally.