Deuteronomy 2:8-23

8 So 1we went on, away from our brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir, away from 2the Arabah road from 3Elath and 4Ezion-geber. "And we turned and went in the direction of the wilderness of Moab.
9 And the LORD said to me, 5'Do not harass Moab or contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have given 6Ar to 7the people of Lot for a possession.'
10 (8The Emim formerly lived there, 9a people great and many, and tall 10as the Anakim.
11 Like the Anakim they are also counted as 11Rephaim, but the Moabites call them Emim.
12 12The Horites also lived in Seir formerly, but the people of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and settled in their place, 13as Israel did to the land of their possession, which the LORD gave to them.)
13 'Now rise up and go over 14the brook Zered.' So we went over 15the brook Zered.
14 And the time from our leaving 16Kadesh-barnea until we crossed 17the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, 18until the entire generation, that is, the men of war, had perished from the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them.
15 For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from the camp, until they had perished.
16 "So as soon as all the men of war had perished and were dead from among the people,
17 the LORD said to me,
18 'Today you are to cross the border of Moab at Ar.
19 And when you approach the territory of the people of Ammon, 19do not harass them or contend with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to 20the sons of Lot for a possession.'
20 (It is also counted as a land of 21Rephaim. Rephaim formerly lived there--but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim--
21 22a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim; but the LORD destroyed them before the Ammonites,[a] and they dispossessed them and settled in their place,
22 as he did for the people of Esau, who live in Seir, when he destroyed 23the Horites before them and they dispossessed them and settled in their place even to this day.
23 As for 24the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as 25Gaza, 26the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and settled in their place.)

Deuteronomy 2:8-23 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 26

  • 1. Judges 11:18
  • 2. See Deuteronomy 1:1
  • 3. 1 Kings 9:26; [2 Kings 14:22; 2 Kings 16:6; 2 Chronicles 26:2]
  • 4. See Numbers 33:35
  • 5. ver. 19, 29
  • 6. ver. 18; Numbers 21:15; Isaiah 15:1
  • 7. ver. 19; Genesis 19:36, 37
  • 8. Genesis 14:5
  • 9. [ver. 21]
  • 10. See Numbers 13:22
  • 11. See Genesis 14:5
  • 12. ver. 22; Genesis 14:6; See Genesis 36:20-30
  • 13. Num. 21:24, 31, 35
  • 14. [Numbers 21:12]
  • 15. [Numbers 21:12]
  • 16. See Deuteronomy 1:2, 19
  • 17. [Numbers 21:12]
  • 18. Numbers 14:33, 35; Numbers 26:64; Psalms 78:33; Psalms 95:11; Psalms 106:26; Ezekiel 20:15; [1 Corinthians 10:5; Hebrews 3:17]; See Deuteronomy 1:35
  • 19. [ver. 9]
  • 20. Genesis 19:36, 38
  • 21. See Genesis 14:5
  • 22. [ver. 10]
  • 23. Genesis 14:6; See Genesis 36:20-30
  • 24. Joshua 13:3, 4
  • 25. Genesis 10:19; Jeremiah 25:20
  • 26. See Genesis 10:14

Footnotes 1

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.