Deuteronomy 2:8-18

8 And we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, by the plain, by Elath, and by Ezion-geber, and we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.
9 And Jehovah said to me, Distress not the Moabites, neither engage with them in battle; for I will not give thee of their land a possession; for unto the children of Lot have I given Ar as a possession.
10 (The Emim dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall as the Anakim.
11 They also are reckoned as giants like the Anakim; but the Moabites call them Emim.
12 And in Seir dwelt the Horites in times past; and the children of Esau dispossessed them, and destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; as Israel did to the land of their possession, which Jehovah gave to them.)
13 Now rise up, and pass over the torrent Zered. And we passed over the torrent Zered.
14 Now the days in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, until we had come over the torrent Zered, were thirty-eight years; until the whole generation of the men of war was consumed from the midst of the camp, as Jehovah had sworn unto them.
15 Moreover the hand of Jehovah was against them to destroy them from the midst of the camp, until they were consumed.
16 And it came to pass when all the men of war were consumed, having died off from among the people,
17 that Jehovah spoke to me, saying,
18 Thou art to pass this day over the border of Moab, [which is] Ar,

Deuteronomy 2:8-18 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 2

  • [a]. Rephaim; and so ver. 20 and ch. 3.11,13; Gen. 14.5.
  • [b]. Or 'valley;' elsewhere also translated 'river,' as in vers. 24,36,37: the word applies equally to the gorge in which the torrent runs; Gen. 26.17. See Note, ver.36.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.