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.
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The Long Circuit Around Mount Seir

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Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the LORD spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days. ​
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And the LORD spake unto me, saying,
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Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward. ​
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And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore:
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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. ​
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Ye shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water of them for money, that ye may drink.
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For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing. ​
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And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Eziongaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.

Prohibition Against Attacking Moab

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And the LORD said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession. ​
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The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims;
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Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims.
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The Horims also dwelt in Seir beforetime; but the children of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; as Israel did unto the land of his possession, which the LORD gave unto them. ​

The End of the Wilderness Generation

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Now rise up, said I, and get you over the brook Zered. And we went over the brook Zered. ​
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And the space in which we came from Kadeshbarnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the LORD sware unto them. ​
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For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from among the host, until they were consumed. ​
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So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people,
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That the LORD spake unto me, saying,

Prohibition Against Attacking Ammon

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Thou art to pass over through Ar, the coast of Moab, this day:
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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. ​
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(That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims; ​
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A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead:
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As he did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day:
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And the Avims which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah, the Caphtorims, which came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.)

Command to Conquer Sihon the Amorite

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Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle. ​
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This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee. ​
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And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying, ​
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Let me pass through thy land: I will go along by the high way, I will neither turn unto the right hand nor to the left.
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Thou shalt sell me meat for money, that I may eat; and give me water for money, that I may drink: only I will pass through on my feet;
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(As the children of Esau which dwell in Seir, and the Moabites which dwell in Ar, did unto me;) until I shall pass over Jordan into the land which the LORD our God giveth us.
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But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day. ​
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And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land.
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Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz.
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And the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people.
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And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain: ​
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Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took.
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From Aroer, which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us: the LORD our God delivered all unto us: ​
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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. ​

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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