2:32 at Jahaz. About seven miles south of Heshbon, Sihon was beaten and his territory conquered. The cities were put under the ban (i.e., Israel left no survivors, v. 34; Lev. 27:28 note). The calculated effect of the ban in ancient times was to make the inhabitants of an area flee without putting up resistance. Israel was commanded not to use this procedure except in their conquest of Canaan and Transjordan (20:10–15), where the holy nation would be corrupted by the influence of the remaining pagan culture (Ps. 106:34–39).