Deuteronomy 2
2
Journey past Seir
1“Then we turned back and headed for the wilderness by way of the Red Sea, # 2:1 Ex 10:19; 13:18; 15:4,22; 23:31; Nm 21:4; Dt 1:40 as the Lord had told me, and we traveled around the hill country of Seir for many days. 2The Lord then said to me, 3‘You’ve been traveling around this hill country long enough; turn north. # 2:3 Dt 1:6 4Command the people: You are about to travel through the territory of your brothers, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, so be very careful. 5Don’t provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, not even a foot of it, # 2:5 Lit land as far as the width of a sole of a foot because I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his possession. # 2:5 Ezk 25:12–14 6You may purchase food from them, so that you may eat, and buy water from them to drink. # 2:1–6 Nm 20:14–21 7For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. # 2:7 Dt 30:9 He has watched over your journey through this immense wilderness. The Lord your God has been with you these past forty years, and you have lacked nothing.’ # 2:7 Dt 8:2–4; 29:5; Neh 9:21
Journey past Moab
8“So we bypassed our brothers, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned away from the Arabah road and from Elath and Ezion-geber. # 2:8 Nm 33:35–36; 1Kg 9:26 We traveled along the road to the Wilderness of Moab. 9The Lord said to me, ‘Show no hostility toward Moab, and do not provoke them to battle, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, since I have given Ar as a possession to the descendants of Lot.’ ” # 2:9 Gn 19:36–37; Ezk 25:8–11; Am 2:1–2; Mc 6:5; Zph 2:8–9
10The Emim, a great and numerous people as tall as the Anakim, # 2:10 Dt 1:28; Jos 11:21–22 had previously lived there. 11They were also regarded as Rephaim, # 2:11 Gn 14:5; 15:20; Jos 13:12; 2Sm 21:15–22 like the Anakim, though the Moabites called them Emim. # 2:11 Gn 14:5 12The Horites # 2:12 Gn 14:6; 36:21,29–30 had previously lived in Seir, but the descendants of Esau drove them out, destroying them completely # 2:12 Lit them before them and settling in their place, just as Israel did in the land of its possession the Lord gave them.
13“The Lord said, ‘Now get up and cross the Zered Valley.’ So we crossed the Zered Valley. # 2:8–13 Nm 21:10–20 14The time we spent traveling from Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the Zered Valley was thirty-eight years until the entire generation of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them. 15Indeed, the Lord’s hand was against them, to eliminate # 2:15 Ex 14:24; 23:27; Dt 7:23 them from the camp until they had all perished. # 2:15 1Co 10:1–5; Jd 5
Journey past Ammon
16“When all the fighting men had died among the people, 17the Lord spoke to me, 18‘Today you are going to cross the border of Moab at Ar. 19When you get close to the Ammonites, don’t show any hostility to them or provoke them, for I will not give you any of the Ammonites’ land as a possession; I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot.’ ” # 2:19 Gn 19:36,38; Nm 21:24; Jdg 10:9–18; 1Sm 11:11; 12:12; Neh 4:7
20This too used to be regarded as the land of the Rephaim. The Rephaim lived there previously, though the Ammonites called them Zamzummim, # 2:20 Gn 14:5 21a great and numerous people, tall as the Anakim. The Lord destroyed the Rephaim at the advance of the Ammonites, so that they drove them out and settled in their place. 22This was just as he had done for the descendants of Esau who lived in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites before them; they drove them out and have lived in their place until now. 23The Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, # 2:23 Probably Crete,# 2:23 Gn 10:14; 1Ch 1:12; Jr 47:4; Am 9:7 destroyed the Avvites, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, and settled in their place.
Defeat of Sihon the Amorite
24“The Lord also said, ‘Get up, move out, and cross the Arnon Valley. See, I have handed the Amorites’ King Sihon of Heshbon and his land over to you. Begin to take possession of it; engage # 2:24 Or provoke him in battle. # 2:24 Dt 1:27 25Today I will begin to put the fear and dread of you on the peoples everywhere under heaven. They will hear the report about you, tremble, and be in anguish because of you.’ # 2:25 Ex 15:14–16; 23:27; Dt 11:25; Jos 2:9–11; 5:1; 9:3–6
26“So I sent messengers with an offer of peace # 2:26 Dt 20:10; Jdg 21:13 to King Sihon of Heshbon from the Wilderness of Kedemoth, saying, 27‘Let us travel through your land; we will keep strictly to the highway. We will not turn to the right or the left. # 2:27 Nm 20:17 28You can sell us food in exchange for silver so we may eat, and give us water for silver so we may drink. Only let us travel through on foot, 29just as the descendants of Esau who live in Seir did for us, and the Moabites who live in Ar, until we cross the Jordan into the land the Lord our God is giving us.’ 30But King Sihon of Heshbon would not let us travel through his land, for the Lord your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to hand him over to you, as has now taken place. # 2:30 Ex 4:21; 7:3; Nm 21:23; 2Ch 36:13
31“Then the Lord said to me, ‘See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land to you. Begin to take possession of it.’ 32So Sihon and his whole army came out against us for battle at Jahaz. 33The Lord our God handed him over to us, # 2:33 Dt 7:2,23; 20:13; 21:10; 31:5; Jos 8:7; 11:8 and we defeated him, his sons, and his whole army. 34At that time we captured all his cities and completely destroyed the people of every city, including the women and children. We left no survivors. # 2:34 Dt 20:16–18; 1Sm 15:9 35We took only the livestock and the spoil from the cities we captured as plunder for ourselves. 36There was no city that was inaccessible to # 2:36 Or was too high for,# 2:36 Nm 13:28; Ps 139:6; Pr 18:10–11; Is 2:11,17; 26:5 us, from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the valley, even as far as Gilead. # 2:36 Jos 13:9,16 The Lord our God gave everything to us. 37But you did not go near the Ammonites’ land, all along the bank of the Jabbok River, # 2:37 Nm 21:24; Jos 12:2 the cities of the hill country, or any place that the Lord our God had forbidden. # 2:24–37 Nm 21:21–31
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Deuteronomy 2: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Deuteronomy 2
2
1We spent many years wandering around outside the hill country of Seir,#2.1 hill country of Seir: See the note at 1.44.#Nu 21.4. 2until the LORD said:
Moses, 3Israel has wandered in these hills long enough. Turn and go north. 4And give the people these orders: “Be very careful, because you will soon go through the land that belongs to your relatives, the descendants of Esau.#2.4 your relatives, the descendants of Esau: Esau was the brother of Jacob, the ancestor of the nation of Israel. Esau's descendants were also known as the nation of Edom. They are afraid of you,#Gn 36.8. 5but don't start a war with them. I have given them the hill country of Seir, so I won't give any of it to you, not even enough to set a foot on. 6And as you go through their land, you will have to buy food and water from them.”
7The LORD has helped us and taken care of us during the past forty years that we have been in this huge desert. We've had everything we needed, and the LORD has blessed us and made us successful in whatever we have done.
8We went past the territory that belonged to our relatives, the descendants of Esau.#2.8 We went past…Esau: According to Numbers 20.14-21, the king of Edom did not let the Israelites go through his land. We followed Arabah Road that starts in the south at Elath and Ezion-Geber, then we turned on to the desert road that leads to Moab.
9The LORD told me, “Don't try to start a war with Moab. Leave them alone, because I gave the land of Ar#2.9 Ar: One of the main cities of Moab (see Numbers 21.28); sometimes it may have stood for the whole territory of Moab. to them,#2.9 them: The Hebrew text has “the descendants of Lot”; the nation of Moab descended from Moab, who was the son of Lot, the nephew of Abraham. and I will not let you have any of it.”#Gn 19.37.
Tribes that lived near Canaan
10Before the LORD gave the Moabites their land, a large and powerful tribe lived there. They were the Emim, and they were as tall as the Anakim. 11The Moabites called them Emim, though others sometimes used the name Rephaim#2.10,11 Emim…Anakim…Rephaim: These may refer to a group or groups of very tall people that lived in or near Palestine before the Israelites (see also Numbers 13.33). for both the Anakim and the Emim.
12The Horites used to live in Seir, but the Edomites#2.12 Edomites: The Hebrew text has “the descendants of Esau”, who became the nation of Edom. took over that region. They killed many of the Horites and forced the rest of them to leave, just as Israel did to the people in the land that the LORD gave them.
Israel crossed the Zered Gorge
Moses said to Israel:
13When we came to the Zered Gorge along the southern border of Moab, the LORD told us to cross the gorge into Moab, and we did. 14This was thirty-eight years after we left Kadesh-Barnea, and by that time all the men who had been in the army at Kadesh-Barnea had died, just as the LORD had said they would.#Nu 14.28-35. 15-16The LORD kept getting rid of#2.15,16 getting rid of: Or “sending diseases on”. them until finally none of them were left.
17Then the LORD told me, 18“Moses, now go past the town of Ar and cross Moab's northern border 19into Ammon. But don't start a war with the Ammonites. I gave them#2.19 them: The Hebrew text has “descendants of Lot”; the nation of Ammon descended from Benammi, who was the son of Lot, the nephew of Abraham. their land, and I won't give any of it to Israel.”#Gn 19.38.
More nations that lived near Canaan
20Before the Ammonites conquered the land that the LORD had given them, some of the Rephaim used to live there, although the Ammonites called them Zamzummim. 21The Zamzummim were a large and powerful tribe and were as tall as the Anakim.#2.21 Anakim: See the note at 2.10,11. But the LORD helped the Ammonites, and they killed many of the Zamzummim and forced the rest to leave. Then the Ammonites settled there. 22The LORD helped them as he had helped the Edomites,#2.22 Edomites: See the note at 2.12. who killed many of the Horites in Seir and forced the rest to leave before settling there themselves.
23A group called the Avvim used to live in villages as far south as Gaza, but the Philistines#2.23 Philistines: The Hebrew text has “the Caphtorim from Caphtor”, probably referring to the Philistines who originally came from Crete. killed them and settled on their land.
Israel crossed the Arnon Gorge
Moses said:
24After we went through Ammon, the LORD told us:
Israel, pack up your possessions, take down your tents, and cross the gorge of the River Arnon.#2.24 gorge of the River Arnon: The northern boundary of Moab's territory and the southern boundary of Sihon's kingdom. The territory of the Amorite King Sihon of Heshbon lies on the other side of the river, but I now give you his land. So attack and take it! 25Today I will start making all other nations afraid of you. They will tremble with fear when anyone mentions you, and they will be terrified when you appear.
The defeat of King Sihon of Heshbon
(Numbers 21.21-30)
Moses said to Israel:
26After we had crossed the Arnon and had set up camp in the Kedemoth Desert, I sent messengers to King Sihon of Heshbon, telling him that his nation and ours could be at peace. I said:
27Please let Israel go across your country. We will walk straight through, without turning off the road. 28-29You can even sell us food and water, and we will pay with silver. We need to reach the River Jordan and cross it, because the LORD our God is giving us the land on the west side. The Edomites and Moabites#2.28,29 Edomites and Moabites: Hebrew “descendants of Esau, who live in Seir and Moabites who live in Ar”. have already let us cross their land. Please let us cross your land as well.
30-31But Sihon refused to let us go across his country, because the LORD made him stubborn and eager to fight us. The LORD told me, “I am going to help you defeat Sihon and take his land, so attack him!”
32We met Sihon and his army in battle at Jahaz, 33and the LORD our God helped us defeat them. We killed Sihon, his sons, and everyone else in his army. 34Then we captured and destroyed every town in Sihon's kingdom, killing everyone, 35but keeping the livestock and everything else of value. 36The LORD helped us capture every town from the gorge of the River Arnon north to the boundary of Gilead, including the town of Aroer on the edge of the gorge and the town in the middle of the gorge.
37However, we stayed away from all the Ammonite towns, both in the hill country and near the River Jabbok, just as the LORD had commanded.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012