Deuteronomy 2:16

16–25. Approach to the ‘Ammonites and Amorites

The adult generation having died out (Deu_2:16), Jehovah charged Moses that, being about to pass the border or cross the territory of Mo’ab (Deu_2:17 f.) and to approach ‘Ammôn, Israel (Sg. address) must not fight the latter, for Jehovah gave that land to the sons of Lot (Deu_2:19). Follows an archaeological note on the predecessors of ‘Ammôn (Deu_2:20-23); and then the command, in the Pl. address, to cross the Arnon (Deu_2:24 a); then, in the Sg., an assurance that Sîḥôn should be given into Israel’s hands, they must fight him (Deu_2:24 b); for the dread of Israel would Jehovah put on all peoples at the mere report of Israel’s approach (Deu_2:25).

This section is perplexing, because of the apparently proleptic mention of ‘Ammôn, the use of the Pl. address only in Deu_2:24 a, and the discrepancy between Deu_2:24 b, Deu_2:25 and the next section, especially Deu_2:27-30. On these grounds, combined with the fact that there are no parallels in JE, on which document the rest of this discourse is based, there is a strong case for the opinion that this section is for the most part from another hand than the rest of the discourse. Steuern. indeed takes only Deu_2:16-17; Deu_2:24 a as original. For details see notes.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Deu 2:16-17. When all the men of war were consumed — Israel is not called to march against and attack the Canaanites till the men most fit for war, and who probably had learned the art of it in Egypt, and had been used to hardship, were all wasted and dead from among the people, and only a host of new raised men, trained up in a wilderness, were left, in whom, as being possessed of little knowledge, experience, or natural fortitude, no great dependance could be placed. Thus it became more fully manifest that the excellency of the power which subdued the warlike Canaanites, was of God and not of man. On the same principle, and with the same design, long after this, were the following words spoken by the Lord to Gideon: The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. And thus, to subdue the enemies of God’s church, and bring sinners to the obedience of the faith, he hath chosen the weak things of the world, and things that are despised, and things that are not, to bring to naught the things that are, that no flesh may glory in his presence.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people--The outbreak at Kadesh on the false report of the spies had been the occasion of the fatal decree by which God doomed the whole grown-up population to die in the wilderness [Num 14:29]; but that outbreak only filled up the measure of their iniquities. For that generation, though not universally abandoned to heathenish and idolatrous practices, yet had all along displayed a fearful amount of ungodliness in the desert, which this history only hints at obscurely, but which is expressly asserted elsewhere (Eze 20:25-26; Amo 5:25, Amo 5:27; Act 7:42-43).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed,.... By wasting diseases and judgments of one kind or another:

and dead from among the people; the rising and surviving generation.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

16-19. Men of war were consumed — The generation that rebelled had died in their wandering. The people are now to cross over the boundary of Moab and advance into the neighbourhood of the Ammonites. In Deu_2:20-23 some particulars concerning the ancient inhabitants of these regions are introduced.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 16-19. The generation that sinned having quite died out, the people were now to cross the border of Moab and advance to the conquest of the Promised Land. To the east of Moab was the country of the Ammonites; these, also, the Israelites were to leave unassailed, for the Lord had given to them their land for a possession (cf. ver. 9).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Defeat of Sihon

v. 16. So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people, the punishment of God having struck them according to His word,

v. 17. that the Lord spake unto me, saying,

v. 18. Thou art to pass over through Ar, the coast of Moab, this day;

v. 19. and when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, whose territory was chiefly east and northeast of that of the Amorites, distress them not, nor meddle with them, assume no hostile attitude nor make a show of attacking 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, for the Ammonites were descendants of Lot, Gen 19:38.

v. 20. (That also was accounted a land of giants before its occupation by the children of Ammon; giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummim, literally, "a humming, noisy people," possibly the same as the Zusim, Gen 14:5, or related to them;

v. 21. a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakim. But the Lord destroyed them before them, the Ammonites, His object being to lead the latter to repentance, to cause them to seek the true God, the tradition of whom was handed down to them from their fathers, and they succeeded them and dwelt in their stead,

v. 22. 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;

v. 23. and the Avims, which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah, in the southwestern corner of Canaan, the Caphtorim, which came forth out of Caphtor, and bore the name of their progenitor, Gen 10:14, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead. ) This notice having been inserted for the sake of orientation, Moses continues his address proper.

v. 24. Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon, the southern boundary of the land of the Amorites; behold, I have given in to thine hand Sihon, the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land; begin to possess it, in modern English, go ahead and take it, and contend with him in battle.

v. 25. 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, not only the Canaanites, but all the other nations whom the news of their advance would reach, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee.

v. 26. And I sent messengers out of the Wilderness of Kedemoth, on the southeastern boundary of the Amorite territory, where there was an easy passage over the Arnon, unto Sihon, king of Heshbon, with words of peace, in order to give him an opportunity to decide for himself and to avoid an offense against Jehovah, saying,

v. 27. Let me pass through thy land. I will go along by the highway; I will neither turn unto the right hand nor to the left. Cf Num 21:21-22.

v. 28. Thou shalt sell me meat, food, for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink; only I will pass through on my feet, without any delay,

v. 29. (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.

v. 30. But Sihon, king of Heshbon, would not let us pass by him, through his land; 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. All obduracy on the part of man is as much a deed of man’s freedom, of his own willful transgression, as it is a punishment of God. When man continues to harden his heart to the influence of God, then God, in turn, hardens the sinner until he becomes altogether callous toward all efforts of the Spirit.

v. 31. 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.

v. 32. Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz, Num 21:23.

v. 33. And the Lord, our God, delivered him before us; and we smote him and his sons and all his people, Num 21:24.

v. 34. 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, for it was a war of extermination;

v. 35. only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took.

v. 36. From Aroer, which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, in the extreme southern part of the territory, and from the city that is by the river, Ar or Areopolis, even unto Gilead, the southern boundary of which, generally speaking, was the Jabbok, there was not one city too strong for us, literally, "too high," too powerful to overcome; the Lord, our God, delivered all unto us;

v. 37. only unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not, nor unto any place of the river Jabbok, toward the east and north, nor unto the cities in the mountains, the mountainous district of Ammonitis, nor unto whatsoever the Lord, our God, forbade us. Note that the Lord spared the Edomites, the Moabites, and the Ammonites, nations related to Israel, since He wanted to give them time and opportunity for repentance. In the very midst of the unbelievers and His professed enemies the Lord has His elect, whom He intends to lead to repentance by the glorious manifestations of His kindness and mercy.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Moses continues reminding the people of Israel of what happened in the past.

You are ... you come ... do not trouble ... give you

Moses speaks to the Israelites as if they were one man, so all instances of "you" and the command "do not trouble" are singular. (See: Forms of You)

pass over Ar

This is the name of a city in Moab. See how you translated "Ar" in Deuteronomy 2:9. (See: How to Translate Names)

to the descendants of Lot

The people of Israel were related to the descendants of Ammon. Ammon was the son of Lot. Lot was the nephew of Abraham. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

die

Yahweh

Moab

Ammon

possess

descend

Lot

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

ויהי כאשר תמו וגו׳ וידבר ה' אלי וגו׳ SO IT CAME TO PASS WHEN [ALL THE MEN OF WAR] HAD COME TO AN END … THAT THE LORD SPOKE TO ME etc. — But from when the spies were sent forth until now, the word וידבר is not mentioned in this section, but ויאמר, to teach you that during these entire thirty eight years during which the Israelites were lying under God’s censure, the Divine speech was not directed towards him in an expression of affection, face to face, and with tranquility of mind — to teach you that the Shechinah rests upon the prophets only for Israel’s sake (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Nedavah, Chapter 2 13; Mekhilta; cf. Rashi on Leviticus 1:1 towards end).

אנשי המלחמה THE MEN OF WAR — men from twenty years old and upwards, who went to war (cf. Numbers 14:29 and Rashi thereon).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.