In this chapter Moses goes on with his account of the affairs of the people of Israel, and what befell them, how they turned into the wilderness again; but passes over in silence their travels there, till they came to Mount Self, where having been some time they were bid to depart, Deut.

Then we turned From Kadesh, where they had been many days, and so also their backs on the land of Canaan, on the borders of which they had been: and took our journey into the wilderness, by the way of the Red sea, as the Lord spake unto me; and we compassed Mount Seir many days; many think by Mount…

And the Lord spake unto me While about Mount Seir: saying; as follows.

Ye have compassed this mountain long enough It was time to be gone from thence, as from Horeb, , turn you northward; from the southern border of Edom towards the land of Canaan, which lay north.

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…

Meddle not with them 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.

Ye shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat That is, if they would, as Aben Ezra observes; for though they had manna daily, yet if they would they might buy other food when they had an opportunity, as they would now have of Edom; but then they were not to take it by force or stealth, but…

For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thine hands Had increased their cattle and substance, even though in a wilderness: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness; every step they took, and he owned them and prospered them in all things in which they were concerned:…

And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt in Self Along their coasts, by the borders of their country: through the way of the plain; the wilderness of Zin, where Kadesh was: from Elath and Eziongeber; the two ports on the shore of the Red sea in the land of Edom; it…

And the Lord said unto me When upon the borders of Moab: distress not the Moabites, neither contend with than in battle; besiege not any of their cities, nor draw them into a battle, or provoke them to fight: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; at least not as yet, the measure…

The Emims dwelt there in time past We read of them as early as the times of Chedorlaomer, when their dwelling was in Kirjathaim, a city which Sihon king of the Amorites took from the Moabites, and which being taken from him, was with others given to the tribe of Reuben, .

Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims Because of their bulky size and tall stature; or, “the Rephaim were they accounted, even they as the Anakims;” they were reckoned Rephaim, a name for giants in early times, even as the Anakims were; see but the Moabites called them Emims; to…

The Horims also dwelt in Seir before time Which is the name of a mount, and so of the country, from it; so called from Seir the Horite, who dwelt in it before it was possessed by Esau and his sons; but who the Horim or Horites were, from whence they had their name, is difficult to say; they were as…

Now rise up, said I, and get you over the brook Zered It is called the valley of Zered, , the word used signifying both a valley and a brook; and it is very probable there were both a valley and a brook of the same name; it must be near Dibongad, since in one place it is said the Israelites came…

And the space in which we came from Kadeshbarnea The space of time; or, “the days” [[1]]; the number of them: until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years; that is, from the time that the spies were sent and searched the land, and brought a report of it; for they were sent…

For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them His power was exerted in a way of wrath and vengeance on them, for their murmurings at the report of the spies; and therefore, it is no wonder they were consumed, for strong is his hand, and high is his right hand; and when lifted up it falls heavy,…

So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed, &c.] By wasting diseases and judgments of one kind or another: and dead from among the people; the rising and surviving generation.

That the Lord spoke unto me At the brook Zered, having passed that, or at Dibongad, which was their next station: saying; as follows.

Thou art to pass over through Ar That is, over the river Arnon, by the city Ar of Moab, which was situated by it; see and so Moses and the people of Israel were to pass along by that, and by the coast of Moab; for they were not admitted to enter the land and pass through it; only to travel on the…

And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, &c.] Who dwelt near the Moabites, and were brethren, both descending from Lot, (Gen. 19:37, Gen.

That also was accounted a land of giants Ammon was so reckoned as well as Moab, (Deut. 2:10, Deut. 2:11) giants dwelt therein in old time; the Rephaim dwelt there, as they did also in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims; they are thought to be the same with the Zuzims in who…

A people great and many, and tall as the Anakims As the Emims were, but the Lord destroyed them before them; destroyed the Zamzummims before the children of Amman; or otherwise they would have been an too much for them, being so numerous, and of such a gigantic stature: and they succeeded them, and…

As he did to the children of Esau which dwelt in Seir He did the like things for them as he did for the Ammonites: when he destroyed the Horims from before them: which is repeated from , other instances of the like kind being here recited: and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead, even…

And the Avim, which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah The same with the Avites, who appear to have inhabited some part of the land of the Philistines, in which Azzah or Gaza was, which was one of the five lordships of the Philistines, .

Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon, &c.] Which was on the border of Moab, and divided between Moab and the Amorites, behold, I have given into thy hand Sihon, the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land; that is, he had determined to give it to the Israelites, for as yet it…

This day will I begin to put the dread of thee And so fulfil the prophecies delivered by Moses in and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven; not only the neighbouring nations, the Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, Philistines, and Canaanites, but nations more remote even…

And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth A city in the tribe of Reuben, and given by them to the Levites in later times, having been taken from the Amorites with others; near this lay a wilderness, which took its name from it, and seems to be the same with Jeshimon, (Num. 21:20, Num.

Let me pass through thy land (See Gill on Num. 21:22), I will go along by the highway; the king’s highway, as in the place referred to, the public road: I will neither turn to the right hand nor to the left; to go into his fields and vineyards, and gather the fruit, or tread down the corn and…

Thou shalt sell me meat for money, that I may eat If they thought fit to have provision of them, they desired no other but to pay for it: and give me water for money, that I may drink; see , only I will pass through on my feet; for they were all footmen, , of the phrase, (See Gill on Num. 20:19).

As the children of Esau which dwell in Seir, and the Moabites which dwell in Ar, did unto me Which respects, as Jarchi observes, not the affair of passing through their land requested, for neither of them granted that, but buying food and drink; for though the Edomites at first seem not to have…

But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him Or through his country, as was desired: for the Lord had hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate; as he did Pharaoh’s, for whom he will he hardens; so that he would not listen to the proposals made to him, nor grant the requests asked…

And the Lord said unto me After or about the time when the messengers were sent to Sihon, perhaps when they had returned and had brought his answer: behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee; by hardening his heart, which was a sure token of his ruin, and a leading step to the…

Then Sihon came out against us Perceiving they were upon their march towards his land or into it, he gathered all his people and went out of Heshbon their capital city, where he resided: he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz; a city which he had taken from the king of Moab, and which in later…

And the Lord our God delivered him before us With their lands: and we smote him and his sons, and all his people; with the edge of the sword; slew them all: the Cetib or textual reading is “his son”, though the Keri or margin is “his sons”, which we follow.

And we took all his cities at that time As Heshbon, and others mentioned in (Num. 21:25, Num. 21:30, Num. 21:32) (Num. 32:3, Num. 32:34–38) , and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones of every city, we left none to remain; for the Amorites were one of the seven nations who…

Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves These they did not destroy, but preserved alive for their own use and profit, and took them as their own property: and the spoil of the cities which we took; as household goods, gold, silver, and whatever valuable was found by them; this they took…

From Aroer, which is by the brink of the river Arnon &c.] Upon the border of Moab, and the principal city of it; see and from the city that is by the river; or even the city that is in the midst of the river, the city Aroer, which seems to be meant; see .

Only unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not, &c.] Which was then in their possession; otherwise what Sihon had took away from them, that the children of Israel came into and enjoyed, as before observed, nor unto any place of the river Jabbok; any town or city situated on this river,…