Deuteronomy 2:37

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

Only unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not, [nor] unto any place of the river Jabbok, nor unto the cities in the mountains, nor unto whatsoever the LORD our God forbad us.

Complete Jewish Bible:

The only land you didn't approach was that of the descendants of 'Amon - the region around the Yabok River, the cities in the hills and wherever else ADONAI our God forbade us to go.

Berean Standard Bible:

But you did not go near the land of the Ammonites, or the land along the banks of the Jabbok River, or the cities of the hill country, or any place that the LORD our God had forbidden.

American Standard Version:

only to the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not near; all the side of the river Jabbok, and the cities of the hill-country, and wheresoever Jehovah our God forbade us.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

Only unto the land{H776} of the children{H1121} of Ammon{H5983} thou camest{H7126} not, nor unto any place{H3027} of the river{H5158} Jabbok{H2999}, nor unto the cities{H5892} in the mountains{H2022}, nor unto whatsoever the LORD{H3068} our God{H430} forbad{H6680} us.

Cross-References (KJV):

Genesis 32:22

  • And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.

Deuteronomy 3:16

  • And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the river Arnon half the valley, and the border even unto the river Jabbok, [which is] the border of the children of Ammon;

Numbers 21:24

  • And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon [was] strong.

Deuteronomy 2:19

  • And [when] thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon [any] possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot [for] a possession.

Joshua 12:2

  • Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, [and] ruled from Aroer, which [is] upon the bank of the river Arnon, and from the middle of the river, and from half Gilead, even unto the river Jabbok, [which is] the border of the children of Ammon;

Deuteronomy 2:5

  • Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau [for] a possession.

Judges 11:15

  • And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:

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Commentary for Deuteronomy 2:37

Deuteronomy 2:37 is part of the narrative where Moses recounts the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt. The verse reflects on the boundaries that the Israelites were instructed not to cross as they approached the Promised Land. The themes of obedience to God's commands and respect for the territories of other nations are central.

**Historical Context:**
- The Israelites, led by Moses, are on the brink of entering the land that God promised to their ancestors, but they must first traverse territories of various nations.
- The children of Ammon, mentioned in this verse, are descendants of Lot (Abraham's nephew) and occupy the land east of the Jordan River.
- The river Jabbok is significant as the place where Jacob wrestled with God (Genesis 32:22-32), and it serves as a natural boundary.

**Themes:**
- **Divine Guidance and Obedience:** The Israelites are reminded of their need to follow God's directives precisely, which includes not encroaching upon the lands of neighboring nations.
- **Respect for Neighboring Peoples:** Although God had promised the land of Canaan to the Israelites, they were not to take by force what was not given to them, acknowledging the sovereignty of other nations.
- **God's Sovereignty:** The verse underscores that the land and its boundaries are under God's authority, and His commands are to be obeyed without trespass.
- **Promise and Fulfillment:** This passage is part of the broader theme of the fulfillment of God's promises to His people, as they approach the culmination of their journey to the Promised Land.

In summary, Deuteronomy 2:37 emphasizes the importance of respecting the territorial integrity of other nations as part of the Israelites' obedience to God's specific instructions during their journey to the Promised Land. It reflects the themes of divine guidance, respect for others, God's sovereignty, and the fulfillment of His promises.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

  1. Strong's Number: H776
    There are 2739 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אֶרֶץ
    Transliteration: ʼerets
    Pronunciation: eh'-rets
    Description: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.
  2. Strong's Number: H1121
    There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: בֵּן
    Transliteration: bên
    Pronunciation: bane
    Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
  3. Strong's Number: H5983
    There are 98 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: עַמּוֹן
    Transliteration: ʻAmmôwn
    Pronunciation: am-mone'
    Description: from עַם; tribal, i.e. inbred; Ammon, a son of Lot; also his posterity and their country; Ammon, Ammonites.
  4. Strong's Number: H7126
    There are 259 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: קָרַב
    Transliteration: qârab
    Pronunciation: kaw-rab'
    Description: a primitive root; to approach (causatively, bring near) for whatever purpose; (cause to) approach, (cause to) bring (forth, near), (cause to) come (near, nigh), (cause to) draw near (nigh), go (near), be at hand, join, be near, offer, present, produce, make ready, stand, take.
  5. Strong's Number: H3027
    There are 1447 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יָד
    Transliteration: yâd
    Pronunciation: yawd
    Description: a primitive word; in distinction from כַּף, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows); a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),; ([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, [idiom] enough, [phrase] fellowship, force, [idiom] from, hand(-staves, -y work), [idiom] he, himself, [idiom] in, labour, [phrase] large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, [idiom] mine, ministry, near, [idiom] of, [idiom] order, ordinance, [idiom] our, parts, pain, power, [idiom] presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, [phrase] swear, terror, [idiom] thee, [idiom] by them, [idiom] themselves, [idiom] thine own, [idiom] thou, through, [idiom] throwing, [phrase] thumb, times, [idiom] to, [idiom] under, [idiom] us, [idiom] wait on, (way-) side, where, [phrase] wide, [idiom] with (him, me, you), work, [phrase] yield, [idiom] yourselves.
  6. Strong's Number: H5158
    There are 123 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: נַחַל
    Transliteration: nachal
    Pronunciation: nakh'-al
    Description: or (feminine) נַחְלָה; (Psalm 124:4), or נַחֲלָה; (Ezekiel 47:19; Ezekiel 48:28), from נָחַל in its original sense; a stream, especially a winter torrent; (by implication) a (narrow) valley (in which a brook runs); also a shaft (of a mine); brook, flood, river, stream, valley.
  7. Strong's Number: H2999
    There are 7 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יַבֹּק
    Transliteration: Yabbôq
    Pronunciation: yab-boke'
    Description: probably from בָּקַק; pouring forth; Jabbok, a river east of the Jordan; Jabbok.
  8. Strong's Number: H5892
    There are 937 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: עִיר
    Transliteration: ʻîyr
    Pronunciation: eer
    Description: or (in the plural) עָר; or עָיַר; (Judges 10:4), from עוּר; a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post); Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.
  9. Strong's Number: H2022
    There are 485 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: הַר
    Transliteration: har
    Pronunciation: har
    Description: a shortened form of הָרָר; a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively); hill (country), mount(-ain), [idiom] promotion.
  10. Strong's Number: H3068
    There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יְהֹוָה
    Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
    Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
    Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה.
  11. Strong's Number: H430
    There are 2334 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אֱלֹהִים
    Transliteration: ʼĕlôhîym
    Pronunciation: el-o-heem'
    Description: plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative; angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.
  12. Strong's Number: H6680
    There are 475 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: צָוָה
    Transliteration: tsâvâh
    Pronunciation: tsaw-vaw'
    Description: a primitive root; (intensively) to constitute, enjoin; appoint, (for-) bid, (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with) command(-er, -ment), send a messenger, put, (set) in order.