Deuteronomy 2:4

Deu 2:4 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:

Ver. 4. Which dwell in Seir.] To distinguish them from the Amalekites, Esau’s seed too, but devoted to destruction.

And they shall be afraid of you.] Though worse afraid than hurt.

“ Hic rogo, non furor est, ne moriare, mori? ”

We read of some Jews, that at the sack of Jerusalem killed themselves lest they should be taken by the enemy.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

This was the second time: for before they had caused the Israelites to return, Num. 20:21.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir . . . shall be afraid of you--The same people who had haughtily repelled the approach of the Israelites from the western frontier were alarmed now that they had come round upon the weak side of their country.

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

(4) Ye are to pass through the coast.—Literally, Ye are passing through the border. This was apparently said before the permission was asked, and in view of the request made for it (Num_20:17). But Edom refused to let Israel pass through his coast or border (Num_20:21).

They shall be afraid of you.—According to the prophecy in the song of Moses (Exo_15:15), “Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4. Ye are to pass] The Heb. participle expressing, as often, the immediate future.

through the border] Rather through the territory. The preposition is the same as that used in Israel’s request in JE, Num_21:17, let us pass through thy land and in Edom’s reply, thou shall not pass through me. Had the meaning been on or along the border, another preposition would have been used. The territory of Edom appears to have reached the sea (1Ki_9:26), and Israel must needs cross it on the way to Moab.

your brethren, the sons of Esau] Deu_23:7; Amo_1:11; Oba_1:10; Oba_1:12; Mal_1:2.

which dwell in Seir] Se‘îr is here equivalent to Mt Se‘îr as the next verse shows; yet the range, running S., droops and gives way before the W. el ’Ithm is reached, up which we have supposed that Israel marched.

and they shall be afraid of you] Heb. so that they shall be afraid of you. This is the temper imputed to Edom by JE when Israel asked leave to cross their land from Ḳadesh, Num_10:18-20.

take ye good hed unto yourselves] Another favourite expression of the deuteronomic writers.

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.

And command thou the people,.... Give them a strict charge:

saying, ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children or Esau: not through the midst of their country, for that the king of Edom would not admit of, but by or on the border of it:

and they shall be afraid of you; lest such a numerous body of people as Israel were should seize upon their country, and dispossess them of it, they having been so long, wanderers in a wilderness near them:

take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore; that they did not take any advantage of their fears, and fall upon them, and do them mischief, or that they did not provoke them to battle and overcome them.

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

Compare the marginal reference. Though the Edomites resisted the passage through the midst of their land, they did not, and probably could not, oppose the “passing through the coast” or along their eastern frontier.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Through the coast, or, by or near the coast or border; for they did not pass through their borders, as it is said, Num 20:21. And the particle beth doth oft signify by or near, as Gen 37:13; Jos 5:13; Jdg 8:5; Jer 32:7. Thus that difference may be reconciled, which others reconcile thus, that they at first denied it, but afterwards granted it.

Which dwell in Seir: these words restrain the prohibition to these particular children of Esau, for there were another sort or branch of Esau’s children, which were to be meddled with and destroyed, even the Amalekites, Exo 17:14; Deu 25:17, who were Esau’s posterity, Gen 36:12.

They shall be afraid of you; but I charge you take no advantage of their fears, which you will be very apt to do.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

4. The coast of… the children of Esau — In Num_20:14, we read that Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom asking permission to pass through his country. The request was refused, and the Edomites made hostile preparations to resist the march of the Israelites. At this time the march is along the eastern frontier of Edom, where the land is comparatively open and defenceless.

They shall be afraid of you — The same people who had repelled the Israelites when on their western frontier are alarmed at their march along their eastern border.

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

It would appear that the Edomites made preparations to resist the passage of the Israelites through their territory. (Num_20:18-20) As the Israelites, however, kept on the outskirts of their country, and did not attempt to penetrate into the interior, the Edomites did not attack them or seek to hinder their progress. The Israelites, on the other hand, were strictly forbidden to invade that country in a hostile manner; they were to watch over themselves, so as not to be tempted to make war on the Edomites, who were their brethren; as God would not give them any part, not so much as a foot-breadth, of that laud, for he had given Esau (i.e. the race descended from Esau, the Edomites LXX, toiv uiJoiv Hsau) Mount Seir for a possession. They shall be afraid of you. (see Exo_15:15)

HOMILIES BY J. ORR

Vers. 4-10, 17-20. Edom, Moab, Ammon.

The Israelites are strictly enjoined not to molest these three peoples, or to attempt to rob them of any portion of their territory. The ground of this injunction is that God had given them the territory they possessed, and had not given it to the Israelites. Additional reasons why Israel was not to molest them lay in the facts that they were kinsmen (ver. 4) and that Israel was amply provided for already (ver. 7). God"s people have little need to covet the possessions of the worldly. Apart from questions of their rights, kinsmen are entitled to be treated with special kindness and forbearance. We learn from this passage

I THAT THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD IS MINUTELY CONCERNED IN THE SETTLEMENT OF NATIONS. (Vers. 5, 9, 19.) It is not by accident that they are where they are. God marks out for them the bounds of their habitation. This is a fundamental idea in Scripture. (Ge 10; Deu_32:8; Act_17:26) In the verses before us the territories of Edom, of Moab, and of Ammon are spoken of as being a gift to them from God, as directly as Canaan was a gift to the Israelites. It does not alter this fact, though it renders the comprehension of it more difficult, that men"s own violent and aggressive dispositions are often the means by which these secret purposes of God are fulfilled (vers. 12, 22, 23). The barbarian incursions which overthrew the Roman empire were prompted by mere love of conquest, with the hope of enrichment by slaughter and pillage; but we may trace the providence of God working through them for the formation of modern Europe. Our own acquisition of India was not without blame; but we may see in our present possession of it a gift of God which, with our other territories in different parts of the globe, we are bound to use for his glory. This is the highest view we can take of the possession of territory, and one which, so far from justifying unlawful aggression, leads us to refrain from it. It is to be remarked, however, that the possessions which God gives to nations are not irrevocable not forever. Instances of dispossession occur in these verses, and Edom, Moab, and Ammon themselves have long since been dispossessed. "Be not high-minded, but fear". (Rom_11:20)

II THAT THE RIGHTS OF NATIONS ARE TO BE SACREDLY RESPECTED. These verses teach lessons which might be pondered with advantage by the most advanced modern nations. They teach:

1. Scrupulous respect for international rights. It can never be our duty wantonly to invade the territories of those at peace with us, or, from motives of ambition, to seek pretexts of war with them. They are as entitled to the peaceable possession of what they have, as we are to the peaceable possession of the lands belonging to us. The fight of the stronger is not to rule our policy.

2. Scrupulous justice in international transactions. The Israelites might have used force, but they were to deal justly, and honestly to pay for everything they received (vers. 6, 29).

3. Scrupulous self-restraint under circumstances of provocation. The Edomites had refused the Israelites a passage through their mountains, and had entailed on them a long, painful, and circuitous journey; Moab had employed Balsam to curse them, and had, with Midian, done them yet worse evil; (Num_25:1) but not even these provocations were to tempt them to retaliation. How many modern nations would have made a casus belli of far less? Forgiveness of injuries should have a place in our international as in our private dealings, and it is strange if we have to be sent back to the Jews of Canaan-conquering notoriety to learn it. It is to be added

III THESE INSTRUCTIONS WERE A VALUABLE DISCIPLINE TO THE JEWS THEMSELVES.

1. It taught them to recognize the Divine gift as the ground of their own tenure of Canaan. If the Divine providence so guarded these neighboring peoples, and would not allow one foot of their land to be taken from them against his will, how much more might the Jews, if obedient to the covenant, depend on being preserved in theirs! If God gave, who could take away?

2. It taught them to distinguish their commission to destroy the Canaanites from one of rude conquest. It teaches us also to take a just estimate of those acts of the Israelites in destroying the Canaanitish nations on which so much indignation has been expended. Their conduct here shows how far they were from being actuated by the motives often ascribed to them. This high sense of honor, this scrupulous justice, this exemplary self-restraint prove that it was in no bloodthirsty, slaughter-loving spirit they were proceeding to their work; and show how at every step they were guided by God"s will, fell in with the lines of his providence, and wrought out his wishes and purposes. They help us to conceive of the destruction of the Canaanites, not as a barbarous massacre, but as the execution of a long-delayed, deliberately pronounced, and most justly deserved sentence of Heaven. J.O.

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

General Information:

Yahweh continues speaking to Moses.

of your brothers, the descendants of Esau

"of your relatives, the descendants of Esau"

I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession

Yahweh is reminding the Israelites that he has given this territory to the descendants of Esau.

translationWords

command

people group

brother

Esau

life

fear

possess

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

ונשמרתם מאד TAKE YE GOOD HEED TO YOURSELVES — And what is this "taking heed”? What follows: אל תתגרו בם CONTEND NOT WITH THEM.

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.

YOUR BRETHREN THE CHILDREN OF ESAU. The reason for this expression is that descent of Israel is from Abraham and all his seed are thus “brothers” because they were all circumcised. This is the purport of the verse, Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite, for he is ‘thy brother.’ Only the sons of the concubines [of Abraham], Ishmael, Midian, Verse 2. and all children of Keturah, Verses 1-4. are not in this “brotherhood,” as we see from the verse, for in Isaac shall seed be called to thee., 21:12. Thus Esau [Edom] is in this “brotherhood” for he is a son of Isaac, but Ishmael, born of Hagar and Midian, born of Keturah, although they are Abraham’s biological sons, are not in this “brotherhood,” for as G-d said to Abraham: in Isaac shall seed be called to thee. This makes it clear that the spiritual brotherhood of the Abrahamitic seed is restricted to descendants of Isaac. See my Hebrew commentary p. 351.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.