Deuteronomy 2:1-21

1 "Then we turned and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea, as the LORD spoke unto me; and we compassed Mount Seir many days.

2 And the LORD spoke unto me, saying,

3 `Ye have compassed this mountain long enough; turn you northward.

4 And command thou the people, saying, "Ye are to pass through the border of your brethren the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you. Take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore.

5 Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth, because I have given Mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.

6 Ye shall buy meat from them with money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water from them with money, that ye may drink.

7 For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand. He knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing."'

8 And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath and from Eziongaber, we turned and passed by the way of the Wilderness of Moab.

9 "And the LORD said unto me, `Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give thee of their land for a possession, because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.'

10 (The Emim dwelt therein in times past, a people great and many and tall as the Anakim,

11 who also were accounted giants, as the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim.

12 The Horim also dwelt in Seir aforetime, but the children of Esau succeeded them when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead, as Israel did unto the land of his possession which the LORD gave unto them.)

13 `Now rise up,' said I, `and get you over the Brook Zered.' And we went over the Brook Zered.

14 And the space in which we came from Kadeshbarnea until we had come over the Brook Zered was thirty and eight years, until all the generation of the men of war were wasted from among the host, as the LORD swore unto them.

15 For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them to destroy them from among the host until they were consumed.

16 "So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people,

17 that the LORD spoke unto me, saying,

18 `Thou art to pass over through Ar, the border of Moab, this day.

19 And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not nor meddle with them; for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession, because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.'

20 (That also was accounted a land of giants. Giants dwelt therein in olden times; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummim,

21 a people great and many and tall, as the Anakim. But the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them and dwelt in their stead,

Deuteronomy 2:1-21 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.