תהלים, פרק קל״ו, פסוק י״ח

God's care for His people goes beyond simply rescuing them from danger; it includes actively removing massive, seemingly unbeatable obstacles that stand in their way. Praise is directed to God for defeating extraordinarily powerful rulers, an act that highlights His eternal kindness. These rulers possessed exceptional physical and military strength, towering like cedars and standing as strong as oaks [אבן עזרא].

There are different views regarding the exact identities of these defeated leaders. One approach suggests they are the thirty-one kings of Canaan [מצודת דוד, אלשיך]. Tradition teaches that these rulers actually represented all the nations of the world, with each king controlling a specific portion of the Land of Israel [אלשיך]. Alternatively, these rulers are identified specifically as Sihon and Og, who controlled the territories east of the Jordan River [רד״ק].

Viewing these defeated leaders as Sihon and Og brings a deeper understanding to the concept of God's eternal kindness. True kindness is defined as an extra benefit, given beyond what was originally promised. While the land of the seven Canaanite nations was explicitly promised to Abraham, the territory east of the Jordan was not included in that original covenant. Therefore, giving the lands of Sihon and Og to the Israelites was an act of special, unmerited kindness. This divine favor was further shown when the rest of the world's nations did not unite to drive the Israelites out of these newly acquired lands [רד״ק].

The physical reality of their defeat is also a key focus. Even though the Torah does not explicitly document the death of every single one of these leaders, tradition confirms that they were indeed killed in battle [מאירי].