Deuteronomy 2:8-18

8 "So we passed beyond * our brothers the sons of Esau, who live in Seir, away from the 1Arabah road, away from Elath and 2from Ezion-geber. And we turned and passed through by the way of the wilderness of Moab.
9 "Then the LORD said to me, 'Do not harass Moab, nor provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given 3Ar to 4the sons of Lot as a possession.
10 (The 5Emim lived there formerly, a people as great, numerous, and tall as the Anakim.
11 Like the Anakim, they are also regarded as 6Rephaim, but the Moabites call them Emim.
12 7The Horites formerly lived in Seir, but the sons of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and settled in their place, 8just as Israel did to the land of their possession which the LORD gave to them.)
13 'Now arise and cross over the brook Zered yourselves.' So we crossed over the brook Zered.
14 "Now the time that it took for us to come from Kadesh-barnea until * we crossed over the brook Zered was 9thirty-eight * years, until 10all the generation of the men of war perished from within the camp, as 11the LORD had sworn to them.
15 "12Moreover the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from within the camp until they all perished.
16 "So it came about when 13all the men of war had finally perished * from among the people,
17 that the LORD spoke to me, saying,
18 'Today you shall cross over 14Ar, the border of Moab.

Deuteronomy 2:8-18 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 14

  • 1. Deuteronomy 1:1
  • 2. Numbers 33:35; 1 Kings 9:26
  • 3. Numbers 21:15, 28; Deuteronomy 2:18, 29
  • 4. Genesis 19:36, 37
  • 5. Genesis 14:5
  • 6. Genesis 14:5; Deuteronomy 2:20
  • 7. Genesis 36:20; Deuteronomy 2:22
  • 8. Numbers 21:25, 35
  • 9. Deuteronomy 2:7
  • 10. Numbers 14:29-35; Numbers 26:64, 65; Psalms 106:26; 1 Corinthians 10:5
  • 11. Deuteronomy 1:34, 35
  • 12. Jude 5
  • 13. Deuteronomy 2:14
  • 14. Deuteronomy 2:9

Footnotes 6

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