Deuteronomy 2:24-37

24 'Rise up, set out on your journey and 1go over the Valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of 2Heshbon, and his land. Begin to take possession, and 3contend with him in battle.
25 This day I will begin to put 4the dread and fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.'

The Defeat of King Sihon

26 "So I sent messengers from the wilderness of 5Kedemoth to Sihon the king of 6Heshbon, 7with words of peace, saying,
27 8'Let me pass through your land. I will go only by the road; I will turn aside neither to the right nor to the left.
28 9You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink. Only let me pass through on foot,
29 10as the sons of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me, until I go over the Jordan into the land that the LORD our God is giving to us.'
30 But 11Sihon the king of 12Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for the LORD your God 13hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that he might give him into your hand, as he is this day.
31 And the LORD said to me, 'Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to take possession, that you may occupy his land.'
32 Then 14Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Jahaz.
33 And 15the LORD our God gave him over to us, and 16we defeated him and his sons and all his people.
34 And we captured all his cities at that time and devoted to destruction[a] every 17city, men, women, and children. We left no survivors.
35 Only the livestock we took as spoil for ourselves, with the plunder of the cities that we captured.
36 18From Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and from 19the city that is in the valley, as far as Gilead, there was not a city too high for us. 20The LORD our God gave all into our hands.
37 Only to the land of the sons of Ammon you did not draw near, that is, to all the banks of the river 21Jabbok and the cities of the hill country, whatever the LORD our God had forbidden us.

Deuteronomy 2:24-37 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 2

In this chapter Moses goes on with his account of the affairs of the people of Israel, and what befell them, how they turned into the wilderness again; but passes over in silence their travels there, till they came to Mount Self, where having been some time they were bid to depart, De 2:1-3, and were directed not to meddle with the Edomites, or take anything from them, but pay them for what they should have of them, since they lacked not, De 2:4-8, nor to distress the Moabites, of whose country, as formerly inhabited, and also of Edom, some account is given, De 2:9-12, when they were bid to go over the brook Zered, to which from their coming from Kadeshbarnea was the space of thirty eight years, in which time the former generation was consumed, De 2:13-16 and now passing along the borders of Moab, they were ordered not to meddle with nor distress the children of Ammon, of whose land also, and the former inhabitants of it, an account is given, De 2:17-23, then passing over the river Arnon, they are bid to fight with Sihon king of the Amorites, and possess his land, De 2:24,25 to whom they sent messengers, desiring leave to pass through his land, and to furnish them with provisions for their money, as the Edomites and Moabites had done, De 2:26-29 but he refusing, this gave them an opportunity to attack him, in which they succeeded, slew him and his people, and took possession of his country, De 2:30-37.

Cross References 21

  • 1. Numbers 21:13, 14; Judges 11:18, 21
  • 2. Num. 21:27, 28, 30
  • 3. [ver. 9]
  • 4. Deuteronomy 11:25; Deuteronomy 28:10; See Exodus 15:14-16; Joshua 2:9-11
  • 5. Joshua 13:18; 1 Chronicles 6:79
  • 6. [See ver. 24 above]
  • 7. [Deuteronomy 20:10]
  • 8. Numbers 21:21, 22; Judges 11:19
  • 9. ver. 6; Numbers 20:19
  • 10. ver. 5, 9; [Deuteronomy 23:3, 4; Numbers 20:18; Judges 11:17, 18]
  • 11. Numbers 21:23
  • 12. [See ver. 24 above]
  • 13. See Exodus 4:21
  • 14. See Numbers 21:23-30
  • 15. [Deuteronomy 7:2]
  • 16. Deuteronomy 29:7
  • 17. Deuteronomy 3:6
  • 18. Deuteronomy 3:12; Deuteronomy 4:48; Joshua 12:2; Joshua 13:9, 16; 2 Kings 10:33
  • 19. Joshua 13:9, 16; 2 Samuel 24:5
  • 20. Psalms 44:3
  • 21. Deuteronomy 3:16; Genesis 32:22; Numbers 21:24; Joshua 12:2; Judges 11:22

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. That is, set apart (devoted) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction)
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.