1Dann kehrten wir um, und brachen auf in die Wüste, auf dem Wege nach dem Schilfmeere zu, wie Jehova zu mir geredet hatte, und umzogen das Gebirge Seir lange Zeit. 2Da redete Jehova zu mir, und sprach: 3Ihr habet lange genug dieß Gebirge umzogen; wendet euch gegen Norden! 4Und dem Volke gebiete und sprich: Ihr werdet durch das Gebiet eurer Brüder, der Söhne Esau's, ziehen, die in Seir wohnen; und sie werden sich vor euch fürchten. Allein hütet euch sehr; 5lasset euch nicht in einen Krieg mit ihnen ein; denn ich gebe euch von ihrem Lande auch nicht einen Fuß breit; weil ich Esau das Gebirge Seir zum Eigenthume gegeben habe. 6Ihr sollet die Speise, die ihr esset, um Geld von ihnen kaufen; auch das Wasser, das ihr trinket, sollet ihr um Geld von ihnen kaufen. 7Denn Jehova, dein Gott, hat dich gesegnet in allen Werken deiner Hände; er wußte um dein Ziehen durch diese große Wüste; diese vierzig Jahre war Jehova, dein Gott, bei dir; es hat dir nichts gemangelt. 8So zogen wir vorüber vor unsern Brüdern, den Söhnen Esau's, die in Seir wohnen, von dem Wege der Ebene, von Elath und Ezjon-Geber, und wandten uns, und zogen gegen die Wüste Moab's. 9Da sprach Jehova zu mir: Befeinde Moab nicht, und laß dich nicht in einen Krieg mit ihnen ein; denn ich gebe dir nichts von seinem Lande zum Eigenthume; weil ich den Söhnen Lots Ar zum Eigenthume gegeben habe. 10(Die Emiten haben vorher darin gewohnt, ein großes, zahlreiches, und hochgewachsenes Volk, wie die Enakiten. 11Für Riesen wurden auch sie geachtet, wie die Enakiten, und die Moabiter hießen sie Emiten. 12Auch hatten früher in Seir die Horiten gewohnt; aber die Söhne Esau's hatten sie vertrieben, und sie vor sich vertilgt, und sich an ihrer Stelle daselbst niedergelassen, wie es Israel machte in seinem Erblande, das Jehova ihnen gegeben.) 13Brechet also auf, und gehet über den Bach Sared! Da gingen wir über den Bach Sared. 14Und die Zeit, die wir von Kadesch-Barnea an herumzogen, bis wir über den Bach Sared gingen, war acht un dreißig Jahre, bis das ganze Geschlecht der Kriegsmänner aus dem Lager ausgestorben war, wie Jehova ihnen geschworen hatte. 15Und auch die Hand Jehova's war wider sie, sie zu vertilgen aus dem Lager, bis sie ausgestorben waren. 16Und es geschah, wie alle Kriegsmänner ausgestorben waren aus dem Volke; 17da redete Jehova zu mir, und sprach: 18Du wirst nunmehr durch das Gebiet Moabs, an Ar vorüber, ziehen, 19und nahe vor die Söhne Ammons kommen; befeinde sie nicht, und lasse dich nicht in einen Krieg mit ihnen ein; denn ich gebe dir nichts vom Lande der Söhne Ammons zum Eigenthume; weil ich es den Söhnen Lots zum Eigenthume gegeben habe. 20(Für ein Riesenland wird auch dieß gehalten; Riesen hätten früher darin gewohnt; und die Ammoniter nannten sie Samsummiten, 21ein großes, zahlreiches und hochgewachsenes Vollk, wie die Enakiten. Jehova aber vertigte sie vor ihnen, und sie vertrieben sie, und wohnten an ihrer Stelle, 22wie er es den Söhnen Esau's gethan hatte, die in Seir wohnen, vor denen er die Horiten vertilgte, so daß sie dieselben vertrieben, und sich an ihrer Stelle niederließen bis auf diesen Tag. 23Und die Avviten, welche in Dörfern wohnten bis nach Gaza, wurden von den Kaphtoritern vertilgt, die aus Kaphtor herkamen, und sich an ihrer Stelle niederließen.) 24Brechet also auf, und gehet über den Bach Arnon! Siehe! ich gebe in deine Hand Sihon, den König von Hesbon, den Amoriter, und sein Land; fang' an es in Besitz zu nehmen, und lasse dich in einen Krieg mit ihm ein. 25Nunmehr will ich anfangen, Schrecken und Furcht vor dir zu verbreiten bei den Völkern unter dem ganzen Himmel; die deinen Ruf hören, sollen zittern und beben vor dir. 26Da schickte ich Gesandte von der Wüste Kedemoth an Sihon, den König von Hesbon, mit Worten des Friedens und sprach: 27Laß mich ziehen durch dein Land; nur immer auf dem Wege will ich gehen, will nicht abweichen zur Rechten, noch zur Linken. 28Speise sollst du um Geld an mich verkaufen, die ich esse; und Wasser sollst du um Geld mir geben, das ich trinke; nur durchziehen will ich mit meinen Füßen, 29wie mir die Söhne Esau's gethan haben, die in Seir wohnen, und die Moabiter, die in Ar wohnen, bis ich über den Jordan komme, in das Land, das Jehova, unser Gott, und geben wird. 30Allein Sihon, der König von Hesbon, wollte uns durch sein Land nicht ziehen lassen; denn verhärtet hatte Jehova, dein Gott, seinen Geist, und sein Herz verstockt, um ihn in deine Hand zu geben, wie es jetzt ist. 31Da sprach Jehova zu mir: Siehe! ich fange an, dir zu geben Sihon und sein Land; fange du an, es in Besitz zu nehmen, damit du sein Land in Besitz bekommest. 32Und Sihon zog aus, uns entgegen, er und sein ganzes Volk, zum Kriege, nach Jahza. 33Und Jehova, unser Gott, gab ihn uns; und wir schlugen ihn und seine Söhne, und sein ganzes Volk. 34Und wir nahmen seine Städte ein in dieser Stadt, und gaben der gottverschwornen Vertilgung hin alle Städte, Männer, Weiber und Kinder; wir ließen nichts übrig. 35Nur das Vieh machten wir zur Beute für uns, und was wir in den Städten raubten, die wir einnahmen. 36Von Aroer an, das am Ufer des Baches Arnon liegt, und der Stadt im Thale bis Gilead war keine Stadt, welche zu mächtig war für uns; alle gab Jehova, unser Gott, uns Preis. 37Nur zu dem Lande der Söhne Ammons kamst du nicht, noch zu der ganzen Seite des Baches Jabbok, noch zu den Städten auf dem Gebirge, noch zu Allem, was Jehova, unser Gott, verboten hatte.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE STORY IS CONTINUED. (Deu. 2:1-37)
Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea--After their unsuccessful attack upon the Canaanites, the Israelites broke up their encampment at Kadesh, and journeying southward over the west desert of Tih as well as through the great valley of the Ghor and Arabah, they extended their removals as far as the gulf of Akaba.
we compassed mount Seir many days--In these few words Moses comprised the whole of that wandering nomadic life through which they passed during thirty-eight years, shifting from place to place, and regulating their stations by the prospect of pasturage and water. Within the interval they went northward a second time to Kadesh, but being refused a passage through Edom and opposed by the Canaanites and Amalekites, they again had no alternative but to traverse once more the great Arabah southwards to the Red Sea, where turning to the left and crossing the long, lofty mountain chain to the eastward of Ezion-geber (
Num 21:4-
Num 21:5), they issued into the great and elevated plains, which are still traversed by the Syrian pilgrims in their way to Mecca. They appear to have followed northward nearly the same route, which is now taken by the Syrian hadji, along the western skirts of this great desert, near the mountains of Edom [ROBINSON]. It was on entering these plains they received the command, "Ye have compassed this mountain (this hilly tract, now Jebel Shera) long enough, turn ye northward" [
Deut 2:3].
4 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.
5 Meddle not with them--that is, "which dwell in Seir" (
Deut 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;
Exod 17:14;
Deut 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 (
Deut 2:6). The people, kinder than their king, did sell them bread, meat, fruits, and water in their passage along their border (
Deut 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.
8 we passed . . . through the way of the plain--the Arabah or great valley, from Elath ("trees") (the Ailah of the Greeks and Romans). The site of it is marked by extensive mounds of rubbish.
Ezion-geber--now Akaba, both were within the territory of Edom; and after making a circuit of its southeastern boundary, the Israelites reached the border of Moab on the southeast of the Salt Sea. They had been forbidden by divine command to molest the Moabites in any way; and this special honor was conferred on that people not on their own account, for they were very wicked, but in virtue of their descent from Lot. (See on
Deut 23:3). Their territory comprised the fine country on the south, and partly on the north of the Arnon. They had won it by their arms from the original inhabitants, the Emims, a race, terrible, as their name imports, for physical power and stature (
Gen 14:5), in like manner as the Edomites had obtained their settlement by the overthrow of the original occupiers of Seir, the Horims (
Gen 14:6), who were troglodytes, or dwellers in caves. Moses alluded to these circumstances to encourage his countrymen to believe that God would much more enable them to expel the wicked and accursed Canaanites. At that time, however, the Moabites, having lost the greater part of their possessions through the usurpations of Sihon, were reduced to the small but fertile region between the Zered and the Arnon.
13 Now rise up, and get you over the brook Zered--The southern border of Moab, Zered ("woody"), now Wady Ahsy, separates the modern district of Kerak from Jebal, and, indeed, forms a natural division of the country between the north and south. Ar, called in later times Rabbah, was the capital of Moab and situated twenty-five miles south of the Arnon on the banks of a small but shady stream, the Beni Hamed. It is here mentioned as representative of the country dependent on it, a rich and well-cultivated country, as appears from the numerous ruins of cities, as well as from the traces of tillage still visible on the fields.
16 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 (
Ezek 20:25-
Ezek 20:26;
Amos 5:25,
Amos 5:27;
Acts 7:42-
Acts 7:43).
19 when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them--The Ammonites, being kindred to the Moabites, were, from regard to the memory of their common ancestor, to remain undisturbed by the Israelites. The territory of this people had been directly north from that of Moab. It extended as far as the Jabbok, having been taken by them from a number of small Canaanitish tribes, namely, the Zamzummins, a bullying, presumptuous band of giants, as their name indicates; and the Avims, the aborigines of the district extending from Hazerim or Hazeroth (El Hudhera) even unto Azzah (Gaza), but of which they had been dispossessed by the Caphtorim (Philistines), who came out of Caphtor (Lower Egypt) and settled in the western coast of Palestine. The limits of the Ammonites were now compressed; but they still possessed the mountainous region beyond the Jabbok (
Josh 11:2). What a strange insight does this parenthesis of four verses give into the early history of Palestine! How many successive wars of conquest had swept over its early state--what changes of dynasty among the Canaanitish tribes had taken place long prior to the transactions recorded in this history!
24 Rise ye up . . . and pass over the river Arnon--At its mouth, this stream is eighty-two feet wide and four deep. It flows in a channel banked by perpendicular cliffs of sandstone. At the date of the Israelitish migration to the east of the Jordan, the whole of the fine country lying between the Arnon and the Jabbok including the mountainous tract of Gilead, had been seized by the Amorites, who, being one of the nations doomed to destruction (see
Deut 7:2;
Deut 20:16), were utterly exterminated. Their country fell by right of conquest into the hands of the Israelites. Moses, however, considering this doom as referring solely to the Amorite possessions west of Jordan, sent a pacific message to Sihon, requesting permission to go through his territories, which lay on the east of that river. It is always customary to send messengers before to prepare the way; but the rejection of Moses' request by Sihon and his opposition to the advance of the Israelites (
Num 21:23;
Judg 11:26) drew down on himself and his Amorite subjects the predicted doom on the first pitched battlefield with the Canaanites. It secured to Israel not only the possession of a fine and pastoral country, but, what was of more importance to them, a free access to the Jordan on the east.