1 Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea, as Yahweh spoke to me; and we encircled Mount Seir many days. 2 Yahweh spoke to me, saying, 3 "You have encircled this mountain long enough. Turn northward. 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: take good heed to yourselves therefore; 5 don't contend 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. 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.'" 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; you have lacked nothing. 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. 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." 10 (The Emim lived therein before, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakim: 11 these also are accounted Rephaim, as the Anakim; but the Moabites call them Emim. 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.) 13 "Now rise up, and cross over the brook Zered." We went over the brook Zered. 14 The days in which we came from Kadesh Barnea, until we were 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. 15 Moreover the hand of Yahweh was against them, to destroy them from the midst of the camp, until they were consumed. 16 So it happened, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people, 17 that Yahweh spoke to me, saying, 18 "You are this day to pass over Ar, the border of Moab: 19 and when you come near over against the children of Ammon, don't bother them, nor 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." 20 (That also is accounted a land of Rephaim: Rephaim lived therein before; but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim, 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; 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 even to this day: 23 and the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and lived in their place.) 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. 25 This day will I begin to put the dread of you and the fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole sky, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of you." 26 I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying, 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. 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, 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 into the land which Yahweh our God gives us." 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. 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." 32 Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Jahaz. 33 Yahweh our God delivered him up before us; and we struck him, and his sons, and all his people. 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: 35 only the livestock we took for a prey to ourselves, with the spoil of the cities which we had taken. 36 From Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and (from) the city that is in the valley, even to Gilead, there was not a city too high for us; Yahweh our God delivered up all before us: 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 forbade us.
Moses continues to relate how they compassed Mount Seir, Deuteronomy 2:1. And the commands they received not to meddle with the descendants of Esau, Deuteronomy 2:2-8; nor to distress the Moabites, Deuteronomy 2:9. Of the Emims, Deuteronomy 2:10, Deuteronomy 2:11; the Horims, Deuteronomy 2:12. Their passage of the brook Zered, Deuteronomy 2:13. The time they spent between Kadesh-barnea and Zered, Deuteronomy 2:14; during which all the men of war that came out of Egypt were consumed, Deuteronomy 2:15, Deuteronomy 2:16. The command not to distress the Ammonites, Deuteronomy 2:17-19. Of the Zamzummims, Deuteronomy 2:20, the Anakims, Deuteronomy 2:21, the Horims, Deuteronomy 2:22, the Avims and Caphtorims, all destroyed by the Ammonites, Deuteronomy 2:23. They are commanded to cross the river Arnon, and are promised the land of Sihon, king of the Amorites, Deuteronomy 2:24, Deuteronomy 2:25. Of the message sent to Sihon, to request a passage through his territories, Deuteronomy 2:26-29. His refusal, Deuteronomy 2:30.The consequent war, Deuteronomy 2:31, Deuteronomy 2:32. His total overthrow, Deuteronomy 2:33; and extermination of his people, Deuteronomy 2:34. The spoils that were taken, Deuteronomy 2:35. And his land possessed from Aroer to Arnon by the Israelites, Deuteronomy 2:36; who took care, according to the command of God, not to invade any part of the territories of the Ammonites, Deuteronomy 2:37.
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, Deuteronomy 2:1, 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, Deuteronomy 2:4, nor to distress the Moabites, of whose country, as formerly inhabited, and also of Edom, some account is given, Deuteronomy 2:9, 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, Deuteronomy 2:13 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, Deuteronomy 2:17, then passing over the river Arnon, they are bid to fight with Sihon king of the Amorites, and possess his land, Deuteronomy 2:24 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, Deuteronomy 2:26 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, Deuteronomy 2:30.
(Deuteronomy 2:1-7) The Edomites to be spared.
(v. 8-23) The Moabites and Ammonites to be spared.
(Deuteronomy 2:24-37) The Amorites to be destroyed.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.