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21:26

21:27

21:26	Cheshbon was the capital of Sichon king of the Amorites. He had fought against the first king of Moab and taken all his land as far as the Arnon. Ki Cheshbon ir Sichon melech ha'Emori hi vehu nilcham bemelech Moav harishon vayikach et-kol-artso miyado ad-Arnon.
21:27	The minstrels therefore say: Come to Cheshbon! Let Sichon's city be built and established! Al-ken yomru hamoshlim bo'u Cheshbon tibaneh vetikonen ir Sichon.

Commentary:

He had fought...
Some say that this war had occurred four years earlier (Sefer HaYashar). Because Sichon had conquered Moab, it was permissible for the Israelites to occupy it (Chullin 60b).

minstrels
Poets, or makers of parables (Targum Yonathan; Rashbam; Bachya), possibly denoting prophets (Rashbam), women who make up parables (Lekach Tov), or people who speak in parables (Septuagint). Mosh'lim in Hebrew. Or, 'rulers' (Radak, Sherashim; Tur), possibly the governors under Sichon mentioned in Joshua 13:21 (Yehudah HaChasid). Some say that they were Balaam and his father Beor (22:5; BeMidbar Rabbah19:30; Rashi; Sefer HaYashar). See Jeremiah 48:45.

Come to Cheshbon
'Come and conquer Cheshbon' (Ralbag), 'Come and defend Cheshbon' (Sforno), or, 'Come and see Cheshbon' (Adereth Eliahu).

Let...
Or, 'Sichon's city has been built...'

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