Chapter 2
Verses 1-8: Journey Through the Wilderness
1. “Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea, as the Lord told me. And we circled Mount Seir for many days.”
2. “And the Lord said to me,”
3. “You have been traveling around this mountain country long enough. Turn northward,”
4. “and command the people, ‘You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers, the sons of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful.”
5. “Do not contend with them, for I will not give you any 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 as a possession.”
6. “You shall buy food from them with money, that you may eat, and you shall also buy water from them with money, that you may drink.”
7. “For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.”
8. “So we went on, away from our brothers, the sons of Esau, who live in Seir, away from the Arabah road from Elath and Ezion-geber. And we turned and went in the direction of the wilderness of Moab.”
Interpretation:
These verses describe the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness, emphasizing obedience to God’s guidance. The directive to avoid conflict with the descendants of Esau in Seir reflects the theme of respecting the territories of other nations as divinely ordained. The mention of God’s provision and presence during their wilderness journey underscores His care and the importance of trust in Him.
Verses 9-15: Instructions for Passing Through Moab
9. “And the Lord said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab or contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot for a possession.”
10. “The Emim formerly lived there, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim.”
11. “Like the Anakim they are also counted as Rephaim, but the Moabites call them Emim.”
12. “The Horites also lived in Seir formerly, but the sons of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and settled in their place, just as Israel did to the land of their possession, which the Lord gave to them.)”
13. “Now rise up and go over the brook Zered.’ So we went over the brook Zered.”
14. “And the time from our leaving Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until the entire generation, that is, the men of war, had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them.”
15. “For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from the camp, until they had perished.”
Interpretation:
This passage reflects the complex relationships and histories of different peoples in the region. God’s command to avoid conflict with Moab, descendants of Lot, shows respect for the divine allotment of lands to different nations. The historical note about the Emim and the Horites reveals the ancient and changing nature of these populations. The emphasis on the fulfillment of God’s judgment on the rebellious generation highlights divine justice and the fulfillment of His words.
Verses 16-25: Transition to Conquest and Divine Provisions
16. “So as soon as all the men of war had perished and were dead from among the people,”
17. “the Lord said to me,”
18. “Today you are to cross the border of Moab at Ar,”
19. “and when you approach the frontier of the sons of Ammon, do not harass them or contend with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the sons of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession.”
20. “That also is counted as a land of Rephaim. Rephaim formerly lived there, but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim,”
21. “a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim; but the Lord destroyed them before the Ammonites, and they dispossessed them and settled in their place,”
22. “as he did for the sons of Esau, who live in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites before them. They dispossessed them and settled in their place even to this day.”
23. “As for the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and settled in their place.)”
24. “Rise up, set out on your journey and go over the valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to take possession, and contend with him in battle.”
25. “This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples who are under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.”
Interpretation:
This section continues the theme of God’s providential guidance and allocation of lands to different peoples. The Israelites are instructed not to engage the Ammonites, another nation with a divinely given territory. The historical remarks about the Rephaim and the Avvim, and their displacement by other peoples, offer a broader perspective on the region’s ancient history. The divine command to engage Sihon, king of Heshbon, marks a shift where God explicitly authorizes conflict for the Israelites to claim the land promised to them.
Verses 26-37: The Defeat of Sihon, King of Heshbon
26. “So I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying,”
27. “Let me pass through your land. I will go only by the road; I will turn aside neither to the right 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 foot,”
29. “as the sons of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me, until I go over the Jordan into the land that the Lord our God is giving to us.”
30. “But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that he might give him into your hand, as he is this day.”
31. “And the Lord said to me, ‘Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to take possession, that you may occupy his land.’”
32. “Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Jahaz.”
33. “And the Lord our God gave him over to us, and we defeated him and his sons and all his people.”
34. “And we captured all his cities at that time and devoted to destruction every city, men, women, and children. We left no survivors.”
35. “Only the livestock we took as spoil for ourselves, with the plunder of the cities that we captured.”
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. The Lord our God gave all into our hands.”
37. “Only to the land of the sons of Ammon you did not draw near, that is, to all the bank of the river Jabbok and the cities of the hill country, whatever the Lord our God had forbidden us.”
Interpretation:
These verses narrate the encounter with Sihon, king of Heshbon. Moses initially seeks a peaceful passage through Sihon’s territory, similar to the approach with Esau’s descendants and the Moabites. However, Sihon’s refusal, attributed to divine hardening of his heart, leads to conflict. The complete defeat and destruction of Sihon’s kingdom are portrayed as acts of divine judgment and fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel. The narrative emphasizes God’s sovereignty and the Israelites’ dependence on His guidance and power in acquiring the promised land. The careful avoidance of Ammonite territory again shows obedience to God’s commands regarding the lands of other nations.
Signup | Reset Password