Deuteronomy 2:8

8 So we passed by our relatives, the descendants of Esau, who lived in Seir. We turned off the road that goes through the plains to Elath and Ezion Geber and took the road that goes through the desert of Moab.

Deuteronomy 2:8 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 2:8

And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau,
which dwelt in Self
Along their coasts, by the borders of their country:

through the way of the plain;
the wilderness of Zin, where Kadesh was:

from Elath and Eziongeber;
the two ports on the shore of the Red sea in the land of Edom; it was from the latter they came to Kadesh; see ( Numbers 33:35 Numbers 33:36 ) . Elath was ten miles from Petra, the metropolis of Edom, to the east of it, as Jerom says ^F26; it is by Josephus ^F1 called Aelana, and by the Septuagint here Ailon; from whence the Elanitic bay has its name; he speaks of it as not far from Eziongeber, which he says was then called Berenice:

we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab;
the wilderness which is before Moab, towards the sun rising or the east, ( Numbers 21:11 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 De loc. Heb. fol. 91. E.
F1 Antiqu. l. 8. c. 6. sect. 4.

Deuteronomy 2:8 In-Context

6 You must pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.'"

7 The LORD your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched over you as you traveled through this vast desert. For 40 years now the LORD your God has been with you, and you haven't needed a thing.

8 So we passed by our relatives, the descendants of Esau, who lived in Seir. We turned off the road that goes through the plains to Elath and Ezion Geber and took the road that goes through the desert of Moab.

9 The LORD said to me, "Don't bother the people of Moab or start a war with them. I'm not giving you any of Ar as your property. I have given it to the descendants of Lot."

10 The Emites used to live there. These people were as strong, as numerous, and as tall as the people of Anak.