Deuteronomy 2:31

Moses continues to relate how they compassed Mount Seir, Deu 2:1. And the commands they received not to meddle with the descendants of Esau, Deu 2:2-8; nor to distress the Moabites, Deu 2:9. Of the Emims, Deu 2:10, Deu 2:11; the Horims, Deu 2:12. Their passage of the brook Zered, Deu 2:13. The time they spent between Kadesh-barnea and Zered, Deu 2:14; during which all the men of war that came out of Egypt were consumed, Deu 2:15, Deu 2:16. The command not to distress the Ammonites, Deu 2:17-19. Of the Zamzummims, Deu 2:20, the Anakims, Deu 2:21, the Horims, Deu 2:22, the Avims and Caphtorims, all destroyed by the Ammonites, Deu 2:23. They are commanded to cross the river Arnon, and are promised the land of Sihon, king of the Amorites, Deu 2:24, Deu 2:25. Of the message sent to Sihon, to request a passage through his territories, Deu 2:26-29. His refusal, Deu 2:30.The consequent war, Deu 2:31, Deu 2:32. His total overthrow, Deu 2:33; and extermination of his people, Deu 2:34. The spoils that were taken, Deu 2:35. And his land possessed from Aroer to Arnon by the Israelites, Deu 2:36; who took care, according to the command of God, not to invade any part of the territories of the Ammonites, Deu 2:37. Verse 3 Turn you northward - From Mount Seir, in order to get to Canaan. This was not the way they went before, viz., by Kadesh-barnea, but they were to proceed between Edom on the one hand, and Moab and Ammon on the other, so as to enter into Canaan through the land of the Amorites. Verse 5 Meddle not with them - That is, the Edomites. See on Num 20:14-21 (note). Verse 7 The Lord - hath blessed thee, etc. - God had given them much property, and therefore they had no need of plunder; they had gold and silver to buy the provender they needed, and therefore God would not permit them to take any thing by violence. Verse 10 The Emims dwelt therein - Calmet supposes that these people were destroyed in the war made against them by Chedorlaomer and his allies, Gen 14:5. Lot possessed their country after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. They are generally esteemed as giants; probably they were a hardy, fierce, and terrible people, who lived, like the wandering Arabs, on the plunder of others. This was sufficient to gain them the appellation of giants, or men of prodigious stature. See next verse, Deu 2:11 (note). Verse 11 Which also were accounted giants - This is not a fortunate version. The word is not giants, but רפאים Rephaim, the name of a people. It appears that the Emim, the Anakim, and the Rephaim, were probably the same people, called by different names in the different countries where they dwelt; for they appear originally to have been a kind of wandering free-booters, who lived by plunder. (See on Deu 2:10 (note)). It must be granted, however, that there were several men of this race of extraordinary stature. And hence all gigantic men have been called Rephaim. (See on Gen 6:4 (note), and Gen 14:5 (note)). But we well know that fear and public report have often added whole cubits to men's height. It was under this influence that the spies acted, when they brought the disheartening report mentioned Num 13:33. Verse 12 The Horims also dwelt in Seir - The whole of this verse was probably added by Joshua or Ezra. Verse 20 That also was accounted a land of giants - That was accounted the land or territory of the Rephaim. Zamzummims - Supposed to be the same as the Zuzim, Gen 14:5. Of these ancient people we know very little; they were probably inconsiderable tribes or clans, "pursuing and pursued, each other's prey," till at length a stronger totally destroyed or subdued them, and their name became either extinct or absorbed in that of their conquerors. From the 10th to the 12th, and from the 20th to the 23d verse inclusive ( Deu 2:10-12, Deu 2:20-23 ), we have certain historical remarks introduced which do not seem to have been made by Moses, but rather by Joshua or Ezra. By the introduction of these verses the thread of the narrative suffers considerable interruption. Dr. Kennicott considers both these passages to be interpolations. That they could not have made a part of the speech of Moses originally, needs little proof. Verse 29 As the children of Esau which dwell in Seir - See the note on Num 20:21. Verse 30 The Lord - hardened his spirit - See the notes on Exo 4:21, and Exo 9:15 (note), etc. Verse 36 From Aroer - by the brink of the river of Arnon - See on Num 21:13 (note), etc. Verse 37 Only unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not - God gave them their commission; and those only were to be cut off, the cup of whose iniquity was full. Though the Moabites and Ammonites were thus spared, they requited good with evil, for they fought against the Israelites, and cast them out of their possessions, Jdg 11:4, Jdg 11:5; 2Chr 20:1, etc., and committed the most shocking cruelties; see Amo 1:13. Hence God enacted a law, that none of these people should enter into the congregation of the Lord even to their tenth generation: see Deu 23:3-6.

History of the Moabites. ( b. c. 1451.) 24 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. 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, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee. 26 And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying, 27 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. 28 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; 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. 30 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. 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. 32 Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz. 33 And the Lord our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people. 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: 35 Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took. 36 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: 37 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. God having tried the self-denial of his people in forbidding them to meddle with the Moabites and Ammonites, and they having quietly passed by those rich countries, and, though superior in number, not made any attack upon them, here he recompenses them for their obedience by giving them possession of the country of Sihon king of the Amorites. If we forbear what God forbids, we shall receive what he promises, and shall be no losers at last by our obedience, though it may seem for the present to be to our loss. Wrong not others, and God shall right thee. I. God gives them commission to seize upon the country of Sihon king of Heshbon, v. 24, 25 . This was then God's way of disposing of kingdoms, but such particular grants are not now either to be expected or pretended. In this commission observe, 1. Though God assured them that the land should be their own, yet they must bestir themselves, and contend in battle with the enemy. What God gives we must endeavour to get. 2. God promises that when they fight he will fight for them. Do you begin to possess it, and I will begin to put the dread of you upon them. God would dispirit the enemy and so destroy them, would magnify Israel and so terrify all those against whom they were commissioned. See Exod. xv. 14 . II. Moses sends to Sihon a message of peace, and only begs a passage through his land, with a promise to give his country no disturbance, but the advantage of trading for ready money with so great a body, v. 26-29 . Moses herein did neither disobey God, who bade him contend with Sihon, nor dissemble with Sihon; but doubtless it was by divine direction that he did it, that Sihon might be left inexcusable, though God hardened his heart. This may illustrate the method of God's dealing with those to whom he gives his gospel, but does not give grace to believe it. III. Sihon began the war ( v. 32 ), God having made his heart obstinate, and hidden from his eyes the thing that belonged to his peace ( v. 30 ), that he might deliver him into the hand of Israel. Those that meddle with the people of God meddle to their own hurt; and God sometimes ruins his enemies by their own resolves. See Mic. iv. 11-13 ; Rev. xvi. 14 . IV. Israel was victorious. 1. They put all the Amorites to the sword, men, women, and children ( v. 33, 34 ); this they did as the executioners of God's wrath; now the measure of the Amorites' iniquity was full ( Gen. xv. 16 ), and the longer it was in the filling the sorer was the reckoning at last. This was one of the devoted nations. They died, not as Israel's enemies, but as sacrifices to divine justice, in the offering of which sacrifices Israel was employed, as a kingdom of priests. The case being therefore extraordinary, it ought not to be drawn into a precedent for military executions, which make no distinction and give no quarter: those will have judgment without mercy that show no mercy. 2. They took possession of all they had; their cities ( v. 34 ), their goods ( v. 35 ), and their land, v. 36 . The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. What a new world did Israel now come into! Most of them were born, and had lived all their days, in a vast howling wilderness, where they knew not what either fields or cities were, had no houses to dwell in, and neither sowed nor reaped; and now of a sudden to become masters of a country so well built, so well husbanded, this made them amends for their long waiting, and yet it was but the earnest of a great deal more. Much more joyful will the change be which holy souls will experience when they remove out of the wilderness of this world to the better country, that is, the heavenly, to the city that has foundations.