Deeper Commentary
The territory of Edom / mount Seir was within the territory promised
to Abraham. But they were told to circle around the southern part of it.
And for a long time, to teach them that they were not being allowed to
enter the land promised to them.
Deu 2:2 Yahweh spoke to me saying-
The directions for travel were apparently given directly to Moses at
this point, rather than through simply following the cloud. This may be a
tacit reflection of the peoples' disobedience, or because at this critical
time they had to understand very clearly that they were to move away from
the border of the promised land and retrace their steps back to Egypt-
which they had earlier wished to do. They were being made to realize what
their desire to return to Egypt really felt like. Their condemnation was
in fact only what they themselves had asked for. And that will be equally
true in the judgment of the last day.
Deu 2:3 You have circled this mountain long enough; turn to the north-
This may be a reference to mount Seir, or "mountain" is being used to
refer to a kingdom, in this case that of Edom (:1).
Deu 2:4 Command the people saying, ‘You are to pass through the border of
your brothers the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir, and they will be
afraid of you-
Dt. 2:4 was but a conditional promise. For in Num. 20:18 we learn
that "Edom said to him, You shall not pass through", and they came out
against them. I suggest that instead of believing these words, and the
promise that the hearts of all would fear them (Ex. 15:16), the Israelites
feared Esau- just as faithless Jacob had done. And so things were
transferred the other war around. Esau was not afraid of Israel, as
potentially they could have feared.
Paul's "Take heed therefore unto yourselves" (Acts 20:28) is quoted
from many places in Deuteronomy (e.g. Dt. 2:4; 4:9,15,23; 11:16;
12:13,19,30; 24:8; 27:9).
Deu 2:5 don’t meddle with them, for I will not give you of their land, no,
not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on, because I have given
Mount Seir to Esau for a possession-
Deu 2:6 You shall purchase food of them for money that you may eat, and
you shall also buy water of them for money that you may drink’-
Deu 2:7 For Yahweh your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand;
He has known your walking through this great wilderness; these forty years
Yahweh your God has been with you and you have lacked nothing-
Deu 2:8 So we passed by from our brothers the children of Esau who dwell
in Seir, from the way of the Arabah from Elath and from Ezion Geber. We
turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab-
The brotherhood between Jacob and Esau is stressed (:4). Perhaps this
was to remind rejected Israel that they were no better than faithless
Esau. And yet God later shows His awareness that Esau was indeed Jacob's
brother, and condemns them for joining in the desecration of Jerusalem. We
see here the way that the ties that bind in family life are respected by
God over the generations.
Deu 2:9 Yahweh said to me, Don’t bother Moab, neither contend with them in
battle, for I will not give you of his land for a possession, because I
have given Ar to the children of Lot for a possession-
Deu 2:10 (The Emim lived there before, a people great and many and tall as
the Anakim-
Deu 2:11 these also are accounted Rephaim, as the Anakim, but the Moabites
call them Emim-
As noted on :12, the point is that unbelieving Moab drove out these
tribes, and so how much more should Israel be able to, with God on their
side and the weight of the promises to Abraham behind them. But as so
often happens, the unbelieving secular world have more faith, hope and
brave commitment to their principles than do God's people.
Deu 2:12 The Horites also lived in Seir before, but the children of Esau
succeeded them, and they destroyed them from before them and lived in
their place, as Israel did to the land of his possession, which Yahweh
gave to them.)-
Deu 2:13 Now rise up and cross over the brook Zered. We went over the
brook Zered-
This was a tiny brook that could be walked over easily without hardly
getting the feet wet. The idea is that they had been unable to cross this
tiny river which was seen as the boundary of the promised land- for 38
years (:14). The tiny brook is given such significance to demonstrate to
them how easy entrance into the land really was. It seems this was when
the manna and water from the rock ceased (hence :28).
Deu 2:14 The days in which we came from Kadesh Barnea until we had come
over the brook Zered were thirty-eight years, until all the generation of
the men of war were consumed from the midst of the camp, as Yahweh swore
to them-
Gen. 15:13 had predicted 400 years of bondage in Egypt, a period
which was increased to 430 (Ex. 12:40,41). The "fourth generation" were to
return to the land of Canaan, when the iniquity of the Amorites was "full"
(Gen. 15:16). That is exemplified in the genealogy given at Ex. 6:16-20:
(1) Levi, (2) Kohath, (3) Amram, (4) Moses. But the extra 38 years stretch
this, and is an example of where time periods can be expanded or
decreased. The 70 years captivity in Babylon was thus reinterpreted to 70
x 7 in Dan. 9. It is all multi factorial, and we cannot discern all the
variables; only God can. Perhaps in this case, the sin of the Amorites
took a bit longer to fill up [witness the repentant attitude of Rahab, an
Amorite]; and the sin of Israel took longer to punish.
Deu 2:15 Moreover the hand of Yahweh was against them, to destroy them
from the midst of the camp until they were consumed-
AV "from among the host" [i.e. army], seeing the reference was to men
of military age being destroyed (:16 "the men of war").
Deu 2:16 So it happened. When all the men of war were consumed and dead
from among the people-
LXX "when all the men of war dying out of the midst of the people had
fallen". We get the impression of these men dying in the midst of the
people, falling as warriors fall in battle, but dying when no man pursued
them. Ps. 91:5-7 describes Joshua surviving this kind of destruction of
that generation: "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of
the arrow that flies by day; nor of the plagues that stalks in darkness,
nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your
side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you".
Deu 2:17 Yahweh spoke to me saying-
Some texts read "to us", hence GNB "the LORD said to us". What was
spoken to Moses was spoken to the people. He was fully their
representative, looking ahead to the nature of the Lord Jesus.
Deu 2:18 You are today to pass over Ar, the border of Moab-
It could be implied in Num. 21:13-15 that some significant action
occurred here, perhaps even a miraculous parting of the waters similar to
that at the Red Sea (Num. 21:14). The essence of the Red Sea deliverance
continues throughout our wilderness journey, just as the cloud of water
which enveloped them at the Red Sea actually continued over them
throughout the journey. This was the spot where Balak and Balaam were to
later meet (Num. 22:36), at the border of Moab. The internal agreement of
geographical details within the Bible is significant, seeing that the
writers lacked maps and geographical information. The chances of a
contradiction are huge- but these records are Divinely inspired.
Deu 2:19 and when you come near to the children of Ammon, don’t bother
them or contend with them, for I will not give you of the land of the
children of Ammon for a possession, because I have given it to the
children of Lot for a possession-
Deu 2:20 That also is accounted a land of Rephaim. Rephaim lived there
before, but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim-
Again the point is made that the Ammonites had cast out giants, and
Israel should do likewise in their intended territory. They were given
these encounters with those who had done so in order to encourage them
that it was possible. We too are given such meetings with people and
situations in our lives; people who have already done what we are intended
to do.
Deu 2:21 a people great and many and tall, as the Anakim; but Yahweh
destroyed them before them and they succeeded them and lived in their
place-
Deu 2:22 as He did for the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir, when He
destroyed the Horites from before them and they succeeded them and lived
in their place to this day-
Although Esau had chosen the way of idolatry, God still worked with
him and his seed in order to destroy the tribes of giants in his intended
inheritance. It seems God at times works with those who are not truly His
people; and this is all encouragement for us to go ahead in His strength,
as His true people.
Deu 2:23 and the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the
Caphtorim, who came out of Caphtor, destroyed them and lived in their
place-
The point is that giants as far as Gaza had been destroyed by Edom.
But Jacob's sons were to struggle to subdue Gaza; it was a continual
source of Philistine opposition to them until the days of David.
Deu 2:24 Rise up, take your journey and pass over the valley of the 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-
Deu 2:26 I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king
of Heshbon with words of peace saying-
See on :24. The Divine intention was that the victory over Sihon
would put fear into the hearts of all the other tribes (:25). But it was
God's ideal intention that Sihon would have accepted the message of peace-
perhaps implying peace with God, as "peace" often means in the Bible. We
see here the complexity of God's workings with men. Little surprise,
therefore, that at times we fail to perceive what God is doing in our
lives. Things appear to be left hanging, or events lack apparent meaning,
or things could have various possible outcomes, some of which are quite
contradictory when compared against each other. This offering of peace
before fighting was to be typical of Israel's approach (Dt. 20:10).
Deu 2:27 Let me pass through your land; I will go along by the highway; I
will turn neither to the right hand nor to the left-
The king's highway; they promised not to eat food from the fields nor
drink water from the wells (Num. 21:22). Such a large body of people would
have required a huge amount of food and water each day.
Deu 2:28 You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat and give me
water for money, that I may drink; only let me pass through on my feet-
The implication would be that the water from the rock "which followed
them" and the manna had ceased- as soon as they entered the land by
crossing the brook Zered (:13). To drink water for money was a sign of
being subservient to the seller of the water (Lam. 5:4). Water was to be
freely provided to travellers; Israel were being taught humility by
offering to pay for it.
Deu 2:29 as the children of Esau who dwell in Seir, and the Moabites who
dwell in Ar, did to me, until I shall pass over the Jordan-
Dt. 2:29 says that the Edomites and Moabites sold Israel food and
water as they passed through. But Dt. 23:3,4 says that the Moabites didn't
do this and were cursed because of it. Perhaps a few Moabites did do so,
but Moab generally didn't. Or perhaps the sense of Dt. 2:29 is that Moab
and Edom did let Israel pass through without harassing them, hence GNB
"All we want to do is to pass through your country... The descendants of
Esau, who live in Edom, and the Moabites, who live in Ar, allowed us to
pass through their territory". But Edom didn't let Israel pass through
(Num. 20:18). So the point of Dt. 2:29 may be that Sihon was warned that
Edom and Moab had been asked to do this but had not done so, and Sihon was
to take warning from this, to learn from the mistakes of others. However,
we should note that Dt. 2:29 speaks of "the children of Esau who dwell in
Seir". These Edomites perhaps did let Israel pass through, whereas the
Edomites in the Kadesh area didn't.
Deu 2:30 But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for
Yahweh your God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that He
might deliver him into your hand, as at this day-
Deu 2:31 Yahweh said to me, Behold, I have begun to deliver up Sihon and
his land before you; begin to possess, that you may inherit his land-
The victory against Sihon was a beginning, in that it was a guarantee
of further success (:25,26).
"Jahaz" is the word for 'threshing floor', and suggests the victory
was therefore a foretaste of judgment upon the tribes opposing Israel. But
they could have avoided that condemnation- for peace was offered to them
first (:26).
Deu 2:33 Yahweh our God delivered him up before us and we struck him and
his sons and all his people-
This would have been Israel's first battle experience. And God gave
them a total victory, in order to encourage them that the opposition in
Canaan would likewise crumble before them. We continually sense His hand
working to educate us in the path of faith.
Deu 2:34 We took all his cities at that time and utterly destroyed every
inhabited city, with the women and the little ones. We left none
remaining-
We see here the widely differing possible outcomes for Sihon and his
people. They were offered peace with God and fellowship with His people
(:26); and the opportunity to materially benefit by selling Israel a huge
amount of food and water for money. They refused, and so they ended up
losing their lives, families, cattle- everything. In the end, these are
the choices facing those who encounter the gospel of peace.
Deu 2:36 From Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and
the city that is in the valley, to Gilead, there was not a city too high
for us; Yahweh our God delivered up all before us-
"Too high" recalls how earlier the people had turned away from Canaan
because they thought that walled cities were impossible to conquer. These
victories were to lead them towards faith that even the legendary walls of
Jericho would fall before them. God likewise gently educates us in the
path of faith; victory over a relatively small wall leads us to believe in
victory against far taller walls which we will later encounter in life.
Deu 2:37 Only to the land of the children of Ammon you didn’t come near,
all the side of the river Jabbok, and the cities of the hill country, and
wherever Yahweh our God forbad us-
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