Deuteronomy 2:5

5. contend not with them] In its causative form the Heb. verb means to stir up, e.g. strife, Pro_15:18, etc.; here the reflex. form is to excite oneself against another, to quarrel with them. In the Pent. found only in this chapter, Deu_2:9; Deu_2:19; Deu_2:24.

for the sole of the foot to tread on] Deu_11:24; Jos_1:3.

I have given] Note the claim made by the God of Israel over other peoples (cp. Amo_1:3 to Amo_2:3, Amo_9:7), also the memory or tradition that on their entry to Canaan Israel had not violated the rights of their kinsfolk. There is no hostile feeling towards Edom, such as became irrepressible in Israel after the Exile.

for a possession] Heb. yerushshah, in the Hex. found only in this discourse, Deu_2:5; Deu_2:8; Deu_2:12; Deu_2:19 bis, Deu_3:20, and in the deuteronomic Jos_1:15; Jos_12:6-7.

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 2:5 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.

Ver. 5. Because I have given mount Seir.] Thus the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance. {Deu 32:8} And a man must needs have some right to his inheritance, to his portion. {Psa 17:14} What Ananias had was his own whilst he had it, as Peter tells him; {Act 5:4} yet Satan had filled his heart. It is therefore a rigour to say, the wicked are usurpers of what they have, and shall be called to account for it. When the king gives a traitor his life, he gives him meat and drink that may maintain his life. That Duke of Alva is worthily taxed for a tyrant, that starved his prisoners, even after quarter; saying, though he promised to give them their lives, he did not promise to find them meat. {a} Wicked men have both a civil title to that they have, and a title before God, who will call them to account indeed at the last day, not for possessing what they had, but for abusing that possession.

{a} Grimston’s Hist. of Netherlands.

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.

2:5 I have given them: God’s gift of a promised land was not limited to Israel. He also distributed lands to Edom, Moab (2:9), Ammon (2:19), and the Caphtorites (2:22-23). Although God had chosen Israel as a special nation (1:31; see also 7:6; 14:2; Exod 19:5), he is also the God of all nations and has a place and purpose for each (Deut 32:8; Acts 17:26)—even for those that do not recognize his sovereignty (Rom 1:16-23).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Meddle not with them--that is, "which dwell in Seir" (Deu 2:4) --for there was another branch of Esau's posterity, namely, the Amalekites, who were to be fought against and destroyed (Gen 36:12; Exo 17:14; Deu 25:17). But the people of Edom were not to be injured, either in their persons or property. And although the approach of so vast a nomadic horde as the Israelites naturally created apprehension, they were to take no advantage of the prevailing terror to compel the Edomites to accept whatever terms they imposed. They were merely to pass "through" or along their border, and to buy meat and water of them for money (Deu 2:6). The people, kinder than their king, did sell them bread, meat, fruits, and water in their passage along their border (Deu 2:29), in the same manner as the Syrian caravan of Mecca is now supplied by the people of the same mountains, who meet the pilgrims as at a fair or market on the hadji route [ROBINSON]. Although the Israelites still enjoyed a daily supply of the manna, there was no prohibition against their eating other food when opportunity afforded. Only they were not to cherish an inordinate desire for it. Water is a scarce commodity and is often paid for by travellers in those parts. It was the more incumbent on the Israelites to do so, as, by the blessing of God, they possessed plenty of means to purchase, and the long-continued experience of the extraordinary goodness of God to them, should inspire such confidence in Him as would suppress the smallest thought of resorting to fraud or violence in supplying their wants.

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

Verse 5. Meddle not with them] That is, the Edomites. See on Nu 20:14-21.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(5) I have given mount Seir unto Esau—It is worthy of notice that the development of Ishmael preceded that of Isaac, and the inheritance of Esau was won earlier than that of Jacob. (Comp. Gen_25:16 with Gen_35:23-26, and Gen_36:31 with Gen_37:1.) Isaac and Israel were still strangers and sojourners, while the Ishmaelites were princes, with towns and castles, and the Edomites dukes and kings.

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

Contend not with them in battle, nor provoke them to it:

for I will not give you of their land, no not so much as a foot breadth; or as the sole of a man's foot can tread on, signifying that they should not have the least part of it, not any at all. Jarchi makes mention of an exposition of theirs, that he would give them nothing of it until should come the day of the treading of the sole of the foot in the mount of Olives, Zac 14:4, meaning not till the days of the Messiah, when Edom should be a possession of Israel; see Num 24:18, Oba 1:19.

because I have given Mount Seir unto Esau for a possession; and therefore not to be taken away from them; they have a right of inheritance of it; see Gen 36:8.

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

I have given mount Seir to Esau - Though the descendants of Esau were conquered by David 2Sa 8:14, yet they were not dispossessed of their land, and in the reign of Jehoshaphat they regained their independence 2Ki 8:20-22.

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

Stir. Hebrew gur, meddle not, wage not war, do not molest, &c. The Idumeans near Mount Hor, afterwards refused the Hebrews a passage, and the necessaries of life, though their brethren in Mount Seir had granted them the latter, while they passed quietly along their borders, ver. 28. See Numbers xx. 21. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Meddle not with them, to wit, in battle at this time.

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

5. I have given Mount Seir unto Esau — See Gen_33:16; Gen_36:8; Jos_24:4. The Edomites were subsequently conquered by David, 2Sa_8:14, but they were not deprived of their land. They afterward revolted and regained their independence. 2Ki_8:20.

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

Meddle not with them; literally, Excite not yourself against them, i.e. so as to strive in battle with them; comp. the use of the verb in Jer 1, "hast striven" (Authorized Version); mi, Dan_11:25 (where hmjl war, is added), "shall be stirred up to battle" (Authorized Version). Accordingly, they were enjoined to buy from them for money food and water as they required. Two different words in the Hebrew are rendered here by "buy" in the Authorized Version; the former, rbv a denominative from rbv, grain, properly means to deal in grain, whether as buyer or seller, and so to buy food; the latter, hrv means primarily to dig (a well, e.g., Gen_26:25) and, as used here, probably conveys the idea that the Israelites were to pay for permission to dig wells in the country of the Edomites to supply themselves with water as they passed along; this, however, does not necessarily follow from the use of this word, for it has also the meaning to buy. (comp. Hos_3:2, and the corresponding Arabic verb, kara, which in certain conjugations has the meaning to borrow or hire)

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

עד מדרך כף רגל — This means, Even מדרך כף רגל, as much as to say: even only treading with the feet (a single step). The text means, I do not permit you to pass into their land without their permission. — A Midrashic explanation is: I shall not give you of their land until there come the day of the treading of the sole of foot upon the Mount of Olives (the Messianic period), as it is said, (Zechariah 14:4) "And his feet shall stand [in that day upon the Mount of Olives etc.]”.

ירשה לעשו [I HAVE GIVEN MOUNT SEIR] TO ESAU AS AN INHERITANCE from Abraham. The territory of ten clans I gave (promised) him (Abraham); seven of them will be yours (the seven clans of Canaan), and the Kenites, the Kenizzites and the Kadmonites, — who are Ammon, Moab and Seir — one of them already belongs to Esau, and the other two to the children of Lot (cf. Genesis Rabbah 44:23; and Rashi on Genesis 15:19); as a reward because he (Lot) went with him (Abraham) To Egypt, and kept silent about what he said regarding his wife, “She is my sister”, he treated him as his son (and therefore he, through his children Amon and Moab, inherited part of the land promised to him) (cf. Rashi on Genesis 19:29 and Genesis Rabbah 51:6).

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.