Deuteronomy 2:3

3 "You've been going around in circles in these hills long enough; go north.

Deuteronomy 2:3 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 2:3

Ye have compassed this mountain long enough
It was time to be gone from thence, as from Horeb, ( Deuteronomy 1:6 ) ,

turn you northward;
from the southern border of Edom towards the land of Canaan, which lay north. It was from Eziongeber in the land of Edom, from whence the Israelites came to Kadesh, where they sent messengers to the king of Edom, to desire a passage through his land; see ( Numbers 33:36 ) ( 20:14 ) .

Deuteronomy 2:3 In-Context

1 Then we turned around and went back into the wilderness following the route to the Red Sea, as God had instructed me. We worked our way in and around the hills of Seir for a long, long time.
2 Then God said,
3 "You've been going around in circles in these hills long enough; go north.
4 Command the people, You're about to cut through the land belonging to your relatives, the People of Esau who settled in Seir. They are terrified of you, but restrain yourselves.
5 Don't try and start a fight. I am not giving you so much as a square inch of their land. I've already given all the hill country of Seir to Esau - he owns it all.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.