Deuteronomy 2:30-37

30 But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to give him into your hands, as he has now done.
31 The LORD said to me, “See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his country over to you. Now begin to conquer and possess his land.”
32 When Sihon and all his army came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz,
33 the LORD our God delivered him over to us and we struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army.
34 At that time we took all his towns and completely destroyed[a] them—men, women and children. We left no survivors.
35 But the livestock and the plunder from the towns we had captured we carried off for ourselves.
36 From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the gorge, even as far as Gilead, not one town was too strong for us. The LORD our God gave us all of them.
37 But in accordance with the command of the LORD our God, you did not encroach on any of the land of the Ammonites, neither the land along the course of the Jabbok nor that around the towns in the hills.

Deuteronomy 2:30-37 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 17

  • 1. Judges 14:4; 1 Kings 12:15; Joshua 11:20
  • 2. S Exodus 4:21; Numbers 21:23; Romans 9:18
  • 3. S Exodus 14:17
  • 4. Lamentations 3:65
  • 5. S Genesis 12:7; Deuteronomy 1:8
  • 6. S Numbers 21:23
  • 7. Exodus 23:31; Deuteronomy 7:2; Deuteronomy 31:5
  • 8. S Numbers 21:24; Deuteronomy 29:7
  • 9. S Numbers 21:2; Deuteronomy 3:6; Deuteronomy 7:2; Psalms 106:34
  • 10. Deuteronomy 3:7
  • 11. S Genesis 34:29; S Genesis 49:27
  • 12. S Numbers 32:34; Deuteronomy 3:12; Deuteronomy 4:48; Joshua 13:9
  • 13. S Numbers 32:39
  • 14. Psalms 44:3
  • 15. ver 18-19
  • 16. S Numbers 21:24
  • 17. S Genesis 32:22; Deuteronomy 3:16

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
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