Sefer Milhamot Hashem - from Bamidbar 21:14

Question

Does anyone know of any discussion of the the "sefer Milkhamot Hashem" mentioned in Bamidbar 21:14? Someone had asked me about the content of the book and I had no idea of what to answer him.

Answer 1

(To see the commentaries in Hebrew, click on the link in Dan's comment.)

The explanations of "The book of the wars of G-d" (ordered by subject):

Rashi and Sforno and Rashbam: The oral traditions/tellings of miracles

Shadal: Songs people sing about G-d

Ibn Ezra: An actual book dating from the time of Avraham that is no longer extant

Ramban and Daas Zekeinim: An actual book,because in every generation there's someone who records things that happened

Targum Onkelos: An actual book that records the encounters G-d had at Yam Suf, etc.

Targum Yonasan and Yerushalmi: The Torah, which records G-d's wars

Midrash Agadah: The book of Shemos

Ohr HaChaim: G-d's "record book" of which countries own which land

Netziv: The book about the conquer of Eretz Yisrael, which started when they defeated Sichon