Deuteronomy2

The Israelites, after circling Mount Seir, are commanded by God to turn northward. God instructs them not to attack the Edomites, Moabites, or Ammonites, as these lands were given to Esau and Lot's descendants. After the generation of men of war had perished, God commanded Israel to conquer Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, whom they utterly defeated and dispossessed.

The Long Circuit Around Mount Seir

1
Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way to the Sea of Suf, as the LORD spoke to me; and we encircled Mount Seir many days. ​
2
The LORD 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. Therefore be careful.
5
Don’t 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 for a possession. ​
6
You shall purchase food from them for money, that you may eat. You shall also buy water from them for money, that you may drink.’”
7
For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He has known your walking through this great wilderness. These forty years, the LORD 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.

Prohibition Against Attacking Moab

9
The LORD said to me, “Don’t bother Moab, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give you any 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 considered to be 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. They destroyed them from before them, and lived in their place; as Israel did to the land of his possession, which the LORD gave to them.) ​

The End of the Wilderness Generation

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 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 the LORD swore to them. ​
15
Moreover the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from the midst of the camp, until they were consumed. ​
16
So, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people,
17
the LORD spoke to me, saying,

Prohibition Against Attacking Ammon

18
“You are this day to pass over Ar, the border of Moab.
19
When you come near the border of the children of Ammon, don’t bother them, nor contend with them; for I will not give you any 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 considered a land of Rephaim: Rephaim lived there before; but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim, ​
21
a great people, many, and tall, as the Anakim; but the LORD 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 out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and lived in their place.)

Command to Conquer Sihon the Amorite

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. Just 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 pass over the Jordan into the land which the LORD our God gives 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 deliver him into your hand, as at this day. ​
31
The LORD 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
The LORD our God delivered him up before us; and we struck him, 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 no one remaining. ​
35
Only the livestock we took for plunder for ourselves, with the plunder of the cities which we had taken.
36
From Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the valley, even to Gilead, there was not a city too high for us. the LORD 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 the LORD our God forbade us. ​

Study Notes for Deuteronomy 2

Verse 1

This verse opens Moses' historical recollection, covering the 38-year period of wandering which began after the rebellion at Kadesh-Barnea (Num 14). The route compassed Mount Seir, the territory of Edom.

Verse 3

This divine command marks the end of the punitive wandering period. The generation under judgment had finally died off, and God was now ready to direct the new generation toward the promised land.

Verse 5

God’s sovereignty is highlighted here; He had already distributed the territories of Edom (descendants of Esau) and Israel (descendants of Jacob), and Israel was forbidden to violate the established boundaries of their kin.

Verse 7

Moses reminds Israel of God’s steadfast provision during the forty years. Because the LORD had supplied all their needs miraculously, they had no justification for plundering or seizing Edomite resources.

Verse 9

Similar to the Edomites, the Moabites were spared because they were descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. This demonstrates that God’s covenant protection extended to the relatives of the patriarchs.

Verse 12

This verse offers a theological precedent. Just as God enabled the Edomites to displace the Horims, He will enable Israel to displace the Canaanites. God is sovereign over the fate of all nations.

Verse 13

The brook Zered served as a geographical marker that the Israelites crossed to leave the wilderness behind and enter the territory adjacent to the Transjordan kingdoms.

Verse 14

This chronological note confirms that 38 years elapsed between the rebellion at Kadesh-Barnea and the arrival at the Zered, fulfilling the divine oath that the generation of fighting men would perish (Num 14:29).

Verse 15

The death of the old generation was not merely natural attrition but a direct punitive act of the LORD. This emphasizes the seriousness of unbelief and the necessity of purification before conquest.

Verse 19

The Ammonites, also descendants of Lot, were protected just like the Moabites and Edomites. This principle of respecting boundaries highlights God’s controlled and purposeful distribution of land.

Verse 20

The parenthetical notes (vv. 20-23) reinforce the theme that God controls history and conquest. The Ammonites’ ability to conquer the formidable Zamzummim was entirely due to God’s intervention, paralleling Israel's situation.

Verse 24

This verse marks the shift from peaceful passage to mandated holy war. The Amorites, unlike the kin nations (Edom, Moab, Ammon), were explicitly designated for destruction and their land for possession.

Verse 25

God initiates the conquest by instilling terror (dread and fear) in the local inhabitants. This illustrates that the victory is secured not by Israel's strength, but by God’s psychological warfare and divine power.

Verse 26

Moses follows the standard protocol of offering peaceful passage first (cf. Deut 20:10). This demonstrates that Israel only resorted to battle after their diplomatic request was rejected.

Verse 30

Sihon’s obstinate rejection of the peace overture was divinely orchestrated. God hardened his heart to ensure a conflict, thereby providing the legal and theological justification for Israel to seize his land.

Verse 34

The 'utterly destroyed' (Hebrew: *herem*) command applied to the Amorites. This practice ensured the removal of pagan influence and cultic practices from the land God intended for His people.

Verse 36

The conquest of Sihon’s territory (from the Arnon River north to Gilead) served as a powerful sign of God's faithfulness and a rehearsal for the greater conquest west of the Jordan.

Verse 37

Moses reiterates that Israel strictly obeyed God's geographical boundaries, respecting the land God had designated for the descendants of Lot (Ammon).

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