And we took at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land that [was] on this side Jordan, from the river of Arnon unto mount Hermon;
Complete Jewish Bible:
"At that time we captured the territory of the two kings of the Emori east of the Yarden between the Arnon Valley and Mount Hermon,"
Berean Standard Bible:
At that time we took from the two kings of the Amorites the land across the Jordan, from the Arnon Valley as far as Mount Hermon—
American Standard Version:
And we took the land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, from the valley of the Arnon unto mount Hermon
All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants: for these did Moses smite, and cast them out.
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;
Them did Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel smite: and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it [for] a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.
And Moses gave unto them, [even] to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, [even] the cities of the country round about.
And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
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Commentary for Deuteronomy 3:8
Deuteronomy 3:8 is part of the Old Testament in the Bible, specifically within the book of Deuteronomy, which records Moses' final speeches to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land. This verse is situated in the context of Moses recounting the Israelites' journey through the wilderness and their military campaigns as they prepared to cross the Jordan River into Canaan.
**Themes:**
1. **Divine Providence:** The verse underscores the theme of God's providence and faithfulness in leading the Israelites and enabling them to conquer territories as part of the fulfillment of His promise to give them the land of Canaan.
2. **Conquest and Possession:** It reflects the theme of conquest and the possession of the Promised Land, which is a central narrative in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible).
3. **Boundaries and Inheritance:** The verse specifically mentions the geographical boundaries of the land taken from the Amorite kings, emphasizing the importance of inheritance and the allocation of land to the tribes of Israel.
**Historical Context:**
- **Time Period:** The events described in Deuteronomy are set during the final days of Moses' leadership, approximately the 13th century BCE, after the Exodus from Egypt and the 40-year wilderness wandering.
- **Amorites:** The Amorites were one of the indigenous peoples of Canaan, a region that encompasses modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and parts of Syria and Jordan. They were one of the groups that the Israelites were commanded to displace in order to inhabit the land promised to their ancestors.
- **Geographical Scope:** The land referred to in the verse stretches from the Arnon River in the south, which is part of modern-day Jordan, to Mount Hermon in the north, located at the border of modern-day Syria and Lebanon. This area was strategically important as it included the eastern part of the Jordan Valley and the Golan Heights.
- **Military Campaign:** The verse alludes to the defeat of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, two powerful kings whose territories were conquered by the Israelites under Moses' leadership, as recorded in Numbers 21 and Deuteronomy 2-3.
In summary, Deuteronomy 3:8 is a reflection on the historical conquest of land by the Israelites under divine direction, marking out the boundaries of their new territory and serving as a reminder of God's promises and their fulfillment. It is a testament to the military successes of the Israelites and the establishment of their national identity as they stood on the cusp of entering and settling in the Promised Land.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
Strong's Number: H3947 There are 909 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: לָקַח Transliteration: lâqach Pronunciation: law-kakh' Description: a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications); accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.
Strong's Number: H6256 There are 258 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: עֵת Transliteration: ʻêth Pronunciation: ayth Description: from עַד; time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.; [phrase] after, (al-) ways, [idiom] certain, [phrase] continually, [phrase] evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-, noon-) tide, (meal-), what) time, when.
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.
Strong's Number: H8147 There are 647 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: שְׁנַיִם Transliteration: shᵉnayim Pronunciation: shen-ah'-yim Description: dual of שֵׁנִי; feminine שְׁתַּיִם; two; also (as ordinal) twofold; both, couple, double, second, twain, [phrase] twelfth, [phrase] twelve, [phrase] twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.
Strong's Number: H4428 There are 1922 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: מֶלֶךְ Transliteration: melek Pronunciation: meh'-lek Description: from מָלַךְ; a king; king, royal.
Strong's Number: H567 There are 715 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: אֱמֹרִי Transliteration: ʼĔmôrîy Pronunciation: em-o-ree' Description: probably a patronymic from an unused name derived from אָמַר in the sense of publicity, i.e. prominence; thus, a mountaineer; an Emorite, one of the Canaanitish tribes; Amorite.
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.
Strong's Number: H5676 There are 84 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: עֵבֶר Transliteration: ʻêber Pronunciation: ay'-ber Description: from עָבַר; properly, a region across; but used only adverbially (with or without a preposition) on the opposite side (especially of the Jordan; ususally meaning the east); [idiom] against, beyond, by, [idiom] from, over, passage, quarter, (other, this) side, straight.
Strong's Number: H3383 There are 164 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: יַרְדֵּן Transliteration: Yardên Pronunciation: yar-dane' Description: from יָרַד; a descender; Jarden, the principal river of Palestine; Jordan.
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.
Strong's Number: H769 There are 86 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: אַרְנוֹן Transliteration: ʼArnôwn Pronunciation: ar-nohn' Description: or אַרְנֹןlemma אַרְנן missing vowel, corrected to אַרְנֹן; from רָנַן; a brawling stream; the Arnon, a river east of the Jordan, also its territory; Arnon.
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.
Strong's Number: H2768 There are 13 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: חֶרְמוֹן Transliteration: Chermôwn Pronunciation: kher-mone' Description: from חָרַם; abrupt; Chermon, a mount of Palestine; Hermon.