Deuteronomy 2:24-34

24 Arise, set out and cross [over] the wadi of Arnon. Look! I have given Sihon the Amorite, the king of Heshbon, and his land into your hand; begin to take possession of [it], and engage with him in battle.
25 This day I will begin to place {the dread of you} and the fear of you {before} the peoples under all the heavens. [They] will hear {the report about you}, and [so] they will shake and tremble {because of you}.'
26 "So I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon; [I sent] terms of peace, {saying},
27 'Let me cross through your land [and] {only along the road} I will go; I will not turn aside to the right or [to the] left.
28 Food for money you shall sell me, so that I may eat, and water for money you will give to me, so that I may drink; just let me cross on foot.
29 [Just as] the descendants of Esau did for me, who live in Seir, and the Moabites, who live in Ar, until I cross the Jordan into the land that Yahweh our God is giving to us.'
30 But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing to let us cross through his [territory] because Yahweh your God hardened his spirit and {made him obstinate} {in order to give him} into your hand, {just as he has now done}.
31 Yahweh said to me, 'Look! I have begun to give {over to you} Sihon and his land; begin {to take possession of his land}.'
32 Then Sihon and all his people came out to meet us for battle at Jahaz.
33 And so Yahweh our God gave him over {to us}, and we struck him down, and his sons and all of his people.
34 So we captured all of his cities at that time, and we destroyed each town [of] males and the women and the children; we did not leave behind a survivor.

Deuteronomy 2:24-34 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.

Footnotes 17

  • [a]. Or "Get up"
  • [b]. A valley that is dry most of the year, but contains a stream during the rainy season
  • [c]. Literally "your dread"
  • [d]. Literally "upon the faces of"
  • [e]. Literally "your report"
  • [f]. Literally "from before you"
  • [g]. Or "desert"
  • [h]. Literally "to say"
  • [i]. Literally "in the road, in the road"
  • [j]. Or "the children/sons of"
  • [k]. Literally "made firm his heart"
  • [l]. Literally "to give him," indicating purpose
  • [m]. Literally "as [it is] this day"
  • [n]. Literally "to the face of you"
  • [o]. Literally, "take possession in order to possess his land"
  • [p]. Literally "before us"
  • [q]. Or "descendants"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.