Ramban on Deuteronomy 2:24:1

רְאֵה נָתַתִּי בְיָדְךָ אֶת סִיחֹן, הַדִּבּוּר הַזֶּה הוּא הָאָמוּר לְמַטָּה (דברים ב':ל"א) רְאֵה הַחִלֹּתִי תֵּת לְפָנֶיךָ, וְקֹדֶם לָכֵן שָׁלַח לוֹ מַלְאָכִים מִמִּדְבַּר קְדֵמוֹת, כִּי אַחֲרֵי שֶׁיְּצַוֶּנּוּ הַשֵּׁם הָחֵל רָשׁ וְהִתְגָּר בּוֹ מִלְחָמָה לֹא יִשְׁלַח לוֹ דִּבְרֵי שָׁלוֹם אֶעְבְּרָה בְּאַרְצֶךָ, כִּי אִם יִשְׁמַע אֵלָיו יִהְיֶה עוֹבֵר עַל דִּבְרֵי הַשֵּׁם, וְאִם יָדַע שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁמַע יִהְיֶה שְׁלִיחוּתוֹ לָרִיק. וְלֹא תַּחְשֹׁב לוֹמַר כִּי הִיא הַמִּצְוָה שֶׁנִּצְטַוֵּינוּ (דברים כ':י') כִּי תִקְרַב אֶל עִיר לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ וְקָרָאתָ אֵלֶיהָ לְשָׁלוֹם, כִּי שָׁם כָּתוּב (דברים ב':י"א) וְהָיָה כָּל הָעָם הַנִּמְצָא בָהּ יִהְיוּ לְךָ לָמַס וַעֲבָדוּךָ, וְכָאן אִם שָׁמַע לָהֶם לֹא הָיוּ נוֹגְעִים בּוֹ כְּלָל. אֲבָל פֵּרוּשׁ וָאֶשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים, כְּבָר שָׁלַחְתִּי מַלְאָכִים, אֲבָל הִקְדִּים דִּבְרֵי הַשֵּׁם לְבָאֵר כִּי הִקְשָׁה ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת רוּחוֹ (דברים ב':ל') לוֹמַר כִּי הַכֹּל סִבָּה מֵאֵת הַשֵּׁם כִּי כֵן אָמַר לִי: BEHOLD, I HAVE GIVEN INTO THY HAND SIHON. This statement is the same as the one stated below, Behold, I have begun to deliver up Sihon.²⁴⁹Further, Verse 31. Before that, Moses sent to him [Sihon] messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth,²⁵⁰Verse 26. Ramban is thus stating that Verses 26-29 [recording Moses’ proposal for a peaceful passage through Sihon’s land] actually took place before G-d’s command to him to begin the battle against Sihon as stated in Verse 24. but after G-d had commanded him, [Moses, in Verse 24 before us,] begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle he would no longer send him words of peace, saying: ‘Let me pass through thy land.’²⁵¹Verses 26-27. For if Sihon were to hearken to him, Moses would have been transgressing the words of G-d [by not waging war against Sihon as he had been commanded in Verse 24], and if Moses knew in advance that Sihon would not hearken, his message would have been pointless. [Therefore, we must say that Moses’ message to Sihon, as stated in Verses 26-29, was sent before G-d’s command here in Verse 24.] Now, do not think of saying [that Moses’ message of peace] is in accordance with the commandment wherein we have been charged, When thou drawest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it²⁵²Further, 20:10. [and, therefore, you might think that even after G-d told Moses to begin to possess Sihon’s land he was still obligated to send the message of peace, here recorded in Verses 26-29 — that is not the case]. For [in the injunction to call for peace] it is written, And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that are found therein shall become tributary unto thee, and shall serve you.²⁵³Ibid., Verse 11. Here, however, if Sihon had hearkened to them, they would not have touched him at all. But the meaning of the expression, and I sent messengers,²⁵⁰Verse 26. Ramban is thus stating that Verses 26-29 [recording Moses’ proposal for a peaceful passage through Sihon’s land] actually took place before G-d’s command to him to begin the battle against Sihon as stated in Verse 24. is that “I had already sent messengers.” Moses, however, introduced the words of G-d [to begin contending with Sihon in battle with the fact that he sent a message of peace] in order to explain for the Eternal thy G-d hardened his spirit²⁵⁴Verse 30. [a hardening of the spirit that took place following Moses’ earlier message when Sihon could have seized the opportunity to make peace], meaning to say that it was all caused by G-d, for so He told me.