John Gill Commentary Numbers 21:23

"And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz; and he fought against Israel." — Numbers 21:23 (ASV)

And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border ,
&c.] Because he could not trust them, and confide in the promises they made, and thought it not safe to let such a body of people into any part of his dominions, (Judges 11:20) and chiefly because his heart was hardened by the Lord, that he might be delivered into the hands of Israel, as was determined, (Deuteronomy 2:30) :

but Sihon gathered all his people together ;
all that were able to bear arms out of his cities, and which made no doubt a very numerous and powerful army; but then these being defeated, as they were, it became more easy to the Israelites to take their cities, where there were none left but women and children:

and went out against Israel into the wilderness ;
the wilderness of Kedemoth; not content to reject a peaceable message, he went out in an hostile manner against Israel, even out of his own dominions; so that he was the aggressor and unprovoked, which made his ruin appear the more just, and the children of Israel to have a better claim to his country conquered by them:

and he came to Jahaz ;
a frontier town in the land of Moab, see (Isaiah 15:4) (Jeremiah 48:34) and which, according to Bunting ^F16 , was sixteen miles from Abarim:

and fought against Israel ;
at the above place, where they had a pitched battle.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F16: Travels of the Patriarchs, p. 83.