1Na ka tahuri tatou, ka haere ki te koraha na te ara ki te Moana Whero; i pera ano me ta Ihowa i ki mai ai ki ahau: a he maha nga ra i taiawhiotia ai e tatou a Maunga Heira. 2Na ka korero a Ihowa ki ahau, ka mea, 3Ka roa nei ta koutou taiawhio i tenei maunga: tahuri whaka te raki. 4Whakahau hoki ki te iwi, mea atu, Ka haere nei koutou na nga rohe o o koutou tuakana, o nga tama a Ehau, e noho ana i Heira; a ka wehi ratou i a koutou: na kia tupato i a koutou: 5Kaua e whakapataritari i a ratou; e kore hoki e hoatu e ahau ki a koutou tetahi wahi o to ratou whenua, ahakoa takahanga mo te kapu o te waewae, no te mea kua hoatu e ahau a Maunga Heira ki a Ehau hei kainga tupu. 6Hokona he kai i a ratou ki te moni, ka kai ai koutou; ko te wai hoki me hoki e koutou i a ratou ki te moni, ka inu ai. 7He mea hoki kua manaaki a Ihowa, tou Atua, i a koe i nga mahi katoa a tou ringa; e mohio ana ia ki tou haerenga i tenei koraha nui: i tou taha a Ihowa, tou Atua, i enei tau e wha tekau; a kahore koe i hapa i tetahi mea. 8A ka pahemo i a tatou o tatou tuakana, nga tama a Ehau, e noho ana i Heira, i te ara i te mania o Erata, o Ehiono Kepere, na ka tahuri tatou, ka haere na te huarahi i te koraha o Moapa. 9A ka mea a Ihowa ki ahau, Kei whawhai koe ki nga Moapi, kaua ano e whakatari pakanga ki a ratou; ta te mea e kore e hoatu e ahau tetahi wahi o tona whenua hei kainga mou, no te mea kua hoatu a Ara e ahau hei kainga mo nga tama a Rota. 10I noho nga Emime ki reira i mua, he nui, he tini, he roroa tena iwi, rite tahi ano ki nga Anakimi: 11I korerotia hoki ratou he roroa, he pera me nga Anakimi; na nga Moapi ia ratou i hua he Emime. 12I noho hoki nga Hori ki Heira i mua; a, muri iho i a ratou, ko nga tama a Ehau, na ratou hoki te hunanga i era i o ratou aroaro, a noho iho ana ki to ratou wahi, rite tahi ta ratou ki ta Iharaira i mea ai ki te whenua i riro mai i a ia, i homai nei e Ihowa ki a ratou. 13Tena, whakatika, whiti atu i te awa, i Terete: na ka whiti mai tatou i te awa, i Terete. 14A ko nga ra i haere mai ai tatou i Kareheparenea, a tae noa ki to tatou whitinga mai i te awa, i Terete, e toru tekau ma waru nga tau, no ka poto atu i roto i te ope te whakapaparanga katoa o nga tangata hapai patu; te pera me ta Ihowa i oati ai ki a ratou. 15I runga ano hoki i a ratou te ringa o Ihowa e whakamate ana i a ratou i te puni a poto noa ratou. 16A ka poto katoa nga tangata hapai patu te mate atu i roto i te iwi. 17Na ka korero a Ihowa ki ahau, ka mea, 18Hei tenei ra koe haere ai ma Ara, ma te rohe o Moapa. 19A, e tata atu koe ki te ritenga atu o nga tama a Amona, kaua e whawhai ki a ratou, kaua ano hoki e whakatari pakanga ki a ratou: e kore hoki e hoatu e ahau tetahi wahi o te whenua o nga tama a Amona hei kainga mou, no te mea kua hoatu e ahau hei kainga mo nga tama a Rota. 20I korerotia hoki tera he whenua tangata roroa; i noho hoki nga tangata roroa ki reira i mua, a huaina iho ratou e nga Amoni he Hamahumi. 21He nui, he maha, he roroa taua iwi, rite tahi ki nga Anakimi; na Ihowa ia ratou i huna i to ratou aroaro; a riro ana to ratou kainga i a ratou, a noho tonu iho i muri i a ratou; 22Pera me tana i mea ai ki nga tama a Ehau, e noho ra i Heira, i tana hunanga i nga Hori i to ratou aroaro; na riro ana i a ratou to ratou kainga, a noho tonu iho ratou i muri i a ratou a mohoa noa nei. 23Na, ko nga Awimi, i noho ra ki nga pa a puta noa ki Kaha, na nga Kapatorimi i haere mai ra i Kapatora ratou i huna, a noho iho i muri i a ratou. 24Whakatika, haere, whiti atu i te awa i Aranona; na kua hoatu e ahau ki tou ringa a Hihona kingi o Hehepona, te Amori me tona whenua: anga atu, tangohia, e riri i ta korua riri. 25Kei tenei ra ahau timata ai te whakapa i tou pawera, i tou wehi ki nga iwi i raro i te rangi, puta noa, puta noa, ina rongo ki tou rongo, a ka wiri ratou, ka aue i a koe. 26Na tukua atu ana e ahau nga karere i te koraha, i Keremota, ki a Hihona kingi o Hehepona; mo te ata noho nga kupu, a ka mea atu, 27Kia haere atu ahau na tou whenua; ka haere ahau na te huanui; e kore ahau e peka ki matau, ki maui. 28Mau e homai he kai maku hei utu mo te moni, ka kai ai ahau; e homai hoki he wai moku mo te moni, ka inu ai ahau; heoi ano ko te haere kau a oku waewae; 29Kia rite ki ta nga tama a Ehau e noho ana i Heira i mea ai ki ahau, me ta nga Moapi hoki e noho ra i Ara; kia whiti atu ra ano ahau i Horano ki te whenua i homai e Ihowa, e to matou Atua, ki a matou. 30Heoi kihai a Hihona kingi o Hehepona i pai kia haere atu tatou na tona kainga: na Ihowa hoki, na tou Atua i whakapakeke tona wairua, i whakamaia hoki tona ngakau, kia homai ai ia ki tou ringa; koia ano tenei inaianei. 31Na ka mea a Ihowa ki ahau, Titiro, kua timata ahau te tuku ki tou aroaro i a Hihona, i tona whenua: anga atu, tangohia tona whenua hei kainga. 32Na ka puta mai a Hihona ki te tu i a tatou, ki te whawhai hoki i Iahata, a ia me tona iwi katoa. 33A homai ana ia e Ihowa, e to tatou Atua, ki to tatou aroaro; na patua ana ia e tatou, me ana tama, me tona iwi katoa. 34A horo ana i a tatou ona pa katoa i taua wa ano, huna iho ana hoki nga tangata o nga pa katoa, me nga wahine, me nga potiki, kihai tetahi morehu i mahue i a tatou. 35Ko nga kararehe ia i tangohia ma tatou, me nga taonga hoki o nga pa i horo i a tatou. 36O Aroera atu ano, i te taha o te awa o Aranona, me te pa hoki i te awa, a paku noa ki Kireara, kahore tetahi pa i maia i a tatou: homai katoa ana e Ihowa, e to tatou Atua, ki a tatou. 37Heoi ano ko te whenua o nga tama a Amona kihai i taea atu e koe, me nga wahi katoa o te awa, o Iapoko, me nga pa o nga maunga, me nga wahi katoa i kiia mai e Ihowa, e to tatou Atua.
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.