1452 B.C.

Deuteronomy 2)

1: Then we faced about (cp. 1:7), and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, according as the Lord said to me: (Yahaveh spoke at 9 "sundry times" and in 3 "divers manners":–

     1. To me [Moses], 2:1,2,7; 9:13; 32:48.
     2. To you, 4:12,12; 10:14.
     3. To all your assembly, 5:22.
: and we compassed mount Seir many days (these are distinguished from those mentioned in 1:46. Those were resting in disobedience, these were journeying obedience).
2: And the Lord spoke to me, saying,
3: ‘You all have compassed this mountain long enough: face about northward.

2:4–3:28. Obedience Rehearsed.

f  L¹  k¹  2:4. Passage through Edom.
        l¹  2:5-9. Command as to Edom and Moab.
         m¹  2:10-12. Former inhabitants and Moab.
   L²  k²  2:13-18. Passage over Zared.
        l²  2:19. Command as to Ammon.
         m²  2:20-23. Former inhabitants and Ammon.
   L³  k³  2:24-. Passage over Annon.
        l³  2:-24-29. Command as to Ammorites.
         m³  2:30-3:28. Former inhabitants and Israel.

4: And command you the People, saying, ‘You all are to cross the border (cp. Num. 20:4; 14-17. Judg. 11:17) of your brethren the sons of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take you all 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 (cp. Gen. 3:3; 33:6-8; 36:8. Josh. 24:4) I have given mount Seir to Esau for a possession (Heb. yarash [because given]. Also in vv.9,12 and 3:19,20 &c; in Deut. not ’ahaz [because seized], as in other books; though ’ahaz is used in 32:49).
6: You all shall buy meat (= all kinds of food) of them for money, that you all may eat; and you all shall also buy water of them for money, that you all may drink.
7: For the Lord you God (= the triune God) has blessed you in all the works of your hands: He knows your walking through this great wilderness: these forty years (cp. Neh. 9:21) the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.’ ’ (Heb. "not a word": i.e. of what Yahaveh had promised, cp. 8:2-4)
8: And when we passed by from our brethren the sons of Esau (cp. Num. 20:21; 21:11-13. 2 Chron. 20:10), which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Ezion-gaber (= Gulf of Akabah. Cp. Num.33:35 and 1 Kings 9:26), we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab (see the route, Judg. 11:16-18).
9: And the Lord said to me (occ. 13 times in Deut: 2:9,31; 3:2,26; 4:10; 5:28; 9:12; 10:1,11; 31:2,14,16; 34:4), ‘Distress not the Moabites (God judged both [2 Chron. 20:1-25. Amos 1:13-15]), neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give you of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot for a possession.’

10: The Emims (= terrible ones. Gen. 14:5. A race of the offspring of the Nephilim, see Gen.6:3) dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims (see 1:28 & Gen. 6:3);
11: Which also were accounted giants (Heb. Rephaim, another name for an offspring of the Nephilim, from one Rapha. Connected with healing, and with Egypt [Gen. 50:2]), as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims.
12: The Horims (another race or name of the offspring of the Nephilim, see v.10. Cp. Gen.14:6) also dwelt in Seir before time; but the sons of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed (= exterminated them, Heb. shâmad) them from before them, and dwelt in their stead (= room. These are the Canaanites with whom Satan had preoccupied the land to thwart God's purpose in Abraham. Cp. Gen. 12:6; 13:7. All these had to be destroyed, as the offspring of the Nephilim in Noah's days were destroyed by the Flood. Cp. Gen.6:4, which tells of a latter irruption. See Gen. 14:5); according as Israel did unto the land of his possession, which the Lord gave to them (see 3:20, and note on v.5).

13: ‘Now therefore rise up’, said I, ‘and get you over the brook Zered’ (which flows into the Arnon, the frontier between Moab and Ammon. Num. 21:13) And we went over the brook Zered (= exuberant in growth, osier brook).
14: And the space in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years (cp. the anti type of Israel in the flesh, John 5:5); until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the Lord swore to them.
15: For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from among the host (= to shake, Heb. hanan), 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 to me, saying,
18: ‘You are to pass over through Ar, the coast of Moab, this day:

19: And when you come near over against the sons of Ammon (see Gen. 19:36-38, and cp. Judg.11:15), distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give you of the land of the sons of Ammon any possession; because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession.
20: {That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims (a name given them by the Amorites = noisy ones. See vv.10-12);
21: A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims (see 1:28); but the Lord exterminated them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead:
22: As He did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when He exterminated the Horims from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day:
23: And the Avims which dwelt in Hazerim (another name for the offspring of the Nephilim. Josh. 13:3), even unto Azzah (= Gaza. Gen. 10:19. 1 Sam. 6:17. Cp. 1 Kings 4:24. Jer. 25:20. Acts 8:26), the Caphtorims (another name, for those that came out of Caphtor. Gen.10:14. Amos 9:7. Jer. 47:4. Sometimes identified with Crete, or the Delt), which came forth out of Caphtor (= crown), exterminated them, and dwelt in their stead.}

24: ‘Rise up you all, take your journey (cp. Num. 21:13), and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land:

begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle.
25: This day will I begin to put the dread of you and the fear of you upon the nations that are under the whole heaven (fulfillment of Ex. 15:14,15. Cp. Josh. 2:9,10), who shall hear report of you, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of you.’
26: And I sent messengers (Num. 21:21,22. Judg. 11:19) out of the wilderness of Kedemoth (cp. Num. 21:21-24. Afterward a Levitical city [Josh. 13:18; 21:37. 1 Chron. 6:64,79]) unto Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying,
27: ‘Let me pass through thy land: I will go along by the high way, I will neither turn unto the right hand nor to the left.
28: You shall sell me food for money (Edom refused to let Israel pass through, but dill sell, as here stated. Cp. Num. 20:17-21. Moab, too, "sold", but did not meet as a friend [23:4] were karan mean to offer unasked [cp. Isa. 21:17]), that I may eat; and give me water for money, that I may drink: only I will pass through on my feet;
29: {According as the sons of Esau which dwell in Seir, and the Moabites which dwell in Ar, did unto me;} until I shall pass over Jordan into the land which the Lord our God gives us.’

2:30-3:29. Former Inhabitants.

  M¹  2:30-37. Conquest of Sihon.
    M²  3:1-29. Conquest of Og.
Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him (cp. Num.21:23. Judg.11:20): for the Lord your God (acting as the Creator with a creature) hardened his spirit (Heb. kashah. See Ex. 4:21), and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as appears this day.
31: And the Lord said to me, ‘Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before you: begin to possess, that you may inherit his land.’
32: Then Sihon came out against us(Sihon was the aggressor. Num. 21:23. Judg.11:20), he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz.
33: And the Lord our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people.
34: And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed (Heb. haram, cp. 3:6; 7:2; 20:17 = devoted to destruction) the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain:
35: Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves (for the law governing this see Num. 31), and the spoil of the cities which we took.
36: From Aroer (Num. 32:34. The name is on the Moabite stone. See 2 Kings 1:1. The name means nudity of situation, ruins), which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river (i.e. Ar of Moab. Num. 21:15), even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us: the Lord our God delivered all unto us (cp. Judg. 11:21,22,26. "for His mercy endures forever", Ps. 136:18-22):
37: Only to the land of the sons of Ammon you came not, nor to any place of the river Jabbok, nor to the cities in the mountains, nor to whatsoever the Lord our God forbade us.

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