Deuteronomy 2

Translator Notes

1. The verbs va-nefen ('we turned') and va-nissa ('we set out') echo the divine command of 1:40. The phrase va-nassov et har Se'ir yamim rabbim ('we circled Mount Seir many days') compresses decades of aimless wandering into a single clause. The yamim rabbim ('many days') parallels the same phrase in 1:46 — the extended circling represents the consequence of their refusal to enter the land directly.

Translator Notes

1. The messenger formula va-yomer YHWH elai lemor ('the LORD said to me, saying') marks a new divine instruction, transitioning from aimless wandering to directed movement. God breaks the long silence of the wilderness years with a fresh command — the period of judgment is ending.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase rav lakhem sov ('enough for you circling') echoes the identical construction in 1:6 (rav lakhem shevet — 'enough for you dwelling'). In both cases God declares that a period of stagnation is over. The command penu lakhem tsafonah ('turn yourselves northward') redirects Israel toward the promised land — north through Transjordan. The divine initiative breaks the cycle of purposeless wandering.

Translator Notes

1. The Edomites are called acheikhem benei Esav ('your brothers, the children of Esau') — the kinship language is significant. Despite the hostile history between Jacob and Esau, God recognizes their fraternal bond. The warning v'yir'u mikkem ('they will fear you') acknowledges Israel's military strength, but the command v'nishmartem me'od ('guard yourselves very carefully') warns against exploiting that advantage. Restraint, not conquest, is required.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The prohibition al titgaru vam ('do not provoke/engage them') from garah means to stir up conflict. The measure ad midrakh kaf ragel ('as far as the treading of the sole of a foot' — not even a footprint's width) emphasizes the absoluteness of the restriction. God's grant of har Se'ir to Esau (yerushah l'Esav — 'an inheritance to Esau') parallels Israel's own land grant — God is sovereign over all nations' territories, not just Israel's. This theological principle shapes the entire chapter.

Translator Notes

1. The instruction to buy (tishberu — 'you shall purchase grain/food') from the Edomites rather than take by force establishes a commerce-not-conquest protocol. Even water — a critical resource in the wilderness — must be purchased (tikhru — 'you shall buy/dig') with kesef ('silver, money'). This demonstrates that Israel's military power was to be restrained by divine command, and their passage through Edom was to be peaceful and economically fair.

Translator Notes

1. God's provision is comprehensive: berakekha be-khol ma'aseh yadekha ('He blessed you in every work of your hands'). The verb yada ('He knew/was attentive to') lekhtekha ('your walking') implies intimate, watchful care — not distant observation but personal attention. The summary lo chasarta davar ('you lacked nothing') after arba'im shanah ('forty years') in the midbar ha-gadol ('great wilderness') is remarkable: complete provision in complete desolation. This abundance is why they can afford to pay for Edomite food and water.

Translator Notes

1. The route takes Israel me'Eilat u-me'Etsyon Gaver ('from Elath and from Ezion-geber') — both towns at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba — then northward via the wilderness road of Moab. The continued use of acheinu ('our brothers/relatives') for the Edomites maintains the kinship language. The transition from Edomite to Moabite territory sets up the next set of divine restrictions on Israel's passage.

Translator Notes

1. Two prohibitions: al tatsar ('do not harass/distress') from tsarar and al titgar ('do not engage/provoke') from garah. Moab is protected as benei Lot ('children of Lot') — Abraham's nephew, making the Moabites distant relatives of Israel. The city of Ar (the capital region of Moab) was divinely allocated to Lot's line just as Canaan was allocated to Abraham's. God's land-distribution extends beyond the Abrahamic covenant to include other peoples in His sovereign plan.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. This parenthetical antiquarian note explains that the Emim (ha-Emim — possibly meaning 'the fearsome ones' or 'the terrors') were the previous inhabitants of Moab. They are compared to the Anaqim in being gadol v'rav v'ram ('great, numerous, and tall'). The subtext is reassuring: if the Moabites could displace giant inhabitants, then Israel can certainly overcome the Canaanites with God's help.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The Repha'im ('shades' or 'healers') is the broader category for pre-Israelite giant peoples. The verb yechashevu ('they were reckoned/considered') indicates a classificatory system — different nations used different names for the same population. The Moabites' local term Emim coexisted with the more widely known Repha'im designation. This ethnographic note demonstrates Moses's awareness of regional naming conventions.

Translator Notes

1. The Chorim ('Horites' — cave-dwellers or Hurrians) were the original inhabitants of Seir. The verb yirashu ('they dispossessed') is the same verb used for Israel's conquest — the parallel is explicit. The phrase ka'asher asah Yisra'el ('just as Israel did') refers proleptically to Israel's future conquest of Canaan, or retrospectively to the Transjordanian conquests. The point: God empowered Esau to displace the Horites just as He empowers Israel to displace the Canaanites.

Translator Notes

1. The Nachal Zered ('Wadi Zered') marks the boundary between Edomite and Moabite territory. The abrupt command-and-compliance structure — qumu v'ivru ('rise and cross'), va-na'avor ('and we crossed') — contrasts sharply with the rebellion narratives of chapter 1. This new generation obeys immediately. The wadi crossing functions as a geographical marker of transition from the old era of wandering to the new era of purposeful advance.

Translator Notes

1. The precise count — shloshim u-shmoneh shanah ('thirty-eight years') — combined with the eleven-day journey of 1:2 accounts for the full forty years. The phrase ad tom kol ha-dor anshei ha-milchamah ('until the completion of the entire generation of men of war') specifies that the military-age males who refused to fight at Kadesh had to die before Israel could advance. The oath fulfillment (ka'asher nishba YHWH — 'as the LORD swore') closes the circle on the judgment of 1:34-35.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase yad YHWH hayetah bam ('the hand of the LORD was against them') describes active divine judgment, not merely natural attrition. The verb le-humam ('to confound, to destroy, to throw into panic') from hamam suggests God used disruption and turmoil — perhaps disease, conflict, or other calamities — to ensure the doomed generation perished within the wilderness. The repetition ad tummam ('until their completion') echoes the finality of divine judgment.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase tammu kol anshei ha-milchamah lamut ('all the men of war finished dying') marks the end of the judgment era. The verb tammu ('they were finished, completed, consumed') from tamam conveys total completion — not one survived from the condemned generation. This verse is the hinge point of the narrative: the old generation's sentence is fully served, and the new generation can now move forward.

Translator Notes

1. The speech formula va-yedabber YHWH elai ('the LORD spoke to me') resumes after the narrative parenthesis of verses 10-16. God speaks directly to Moses again, marking a new phase of the journey. The connection to verse 16 is immediate: the moment the last condemned man dies, God's word comes with new instructions.

Translator Notes

1. The word ha-yom ('today') signals urgency and immediacy — the long waiting is over. Crossing gevul Mo'av ('the border of Moab') at Ar means passing through the Moabite capital region. The participle over ('crossing') in the present tense conveys that the action is already underway — God announces what He is already bringing about.

Translator Notes

1. The Ammonites receive the same protection as Moab and Edom — al tetsurem ('do not besiege/harass them') and al titgar bam ('do not provoke them'). Like the Moabites, the Ammonites are benei Lot ('children of Lot'), making them distant relatives through Abraham's family. The threefold restriction — Edom (v. 5), Moab (v. 9), Ammon (v. 19) — establishes that God's land-distribution plan is comprehensive and respects the territorial rights of related peoples.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. Another antiquarian note: the Ammonite territory was also erets Repha'im ('land of the Rephaim'). The Ammonites' local name for these people — Zamzummim — may derive from zamam ('to plan, to devise') or may be onomatopoeic, suggesting murmuring or buzzing speech. Each nation had its own designation for the same pre-Israelite giant population: Emim (Moab), Horites (Edom), Zamzummim (Ammon), Anakim (Canaan).

Translator Notes

1. The repeated formula — gadol v'rav v'ram ka-Anaqim ('great, numerous, and tall like the Anakim') — and the pattern of divine destruction (va-yashmidem YHWH — 'the LORD destroyed them') followed by dispossession (va-yirashu — 'they dispossessed') drives home the lesson: giants are not invincible when God fights for a people. The implicit argument is that Israel's fear of the Anakim at Kadesh was groundless.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase ad ha-yom ha-zeh ('to this day') anchors the ancient precedent in the audience's present experience — the Edomites still occupy Seir, confirming that God's land allocations endure. The repetitive pattern (God destroys previous inhabitants, new nation takes their place) establishes a theological template: land transfer is divinely managed, not humanly achieved. What God did for Esau, He will do for Israel.

Translator Notes

1. This parenthetical note adds a fourth example of population displacement. The Avvim (a pre-Philistine people living ba-chatserim — 'in settlements/villages' near Gaza) were destroyed by the Kaphtorim ('Caphtorites'), generally identified as the Philistines originating from Kaphtor (Crete or a broader Aegean region). This example involves non-Israelite, non-Abrahamic peoples — demonstrating that God orchestrates population movements universally, not only for covenant peoples.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. Three imperatives open the command: qumu ('rise'), se'u ('travel'), v'ivru ('cross'). The Nachal Arnon ('Arnon Gorge') is the boundary between Moab and Amorite territory — crossing it enters the combat zone. Unlike the prohibitions regarding Edom, Moab, and Ammon, God now commands engagement: hachel rash ('begin possessing') and hitgar bo milchamah ('engage him in battle'). The perfect tense natati ('I have given') again declares the outcome settled before the battle begins.

Translator Notes

1. God promises to project pachdekha v'yir'atekha ('your dread and your fear') upon ha-amim tachat kol ha-shamayim ('the peoples under all the heavens'). Two fear responses describe the reaction: ragzu ('they will tremble/quake') and chalu ('they will writhe in pain/anguish') — the second verb is used for birth pangs, suggesting overwhelming, involuntary terror. The phrase ha-yom ha-zeh achel ('this day I begin') marks the inauguration of Israel's fearsome reputation among the nations.

Translator Notes

1. Despite the divine guarantee of victory, Moses first extends divrei shalom ('words of peace') — a diplomatic overture offering the possibility of peaceful passage. The midbar Qedemot ('wilderness of Kedemoth') is in Moabite border territory. This approach follows the protocol of Deuteronomy 20:10, which requires offering peace terms before attacking. Moses demonstrates that Israel is not a reckless aggressor but follows divine rules of engagement.

Translator Notes

1. The repeated ba-derekh ba-derekh ('on the road, on the road') is emphatic — strict adherence to the highway with no deviation. The pledge lo asur yamin u-semol ('I will not turn right or left') guarantees Israel will not encroach on Sihon's territory. The request mirrors the earlier passage through Edom, but Sihon's response will differ dramatically from Edom's cautious tolerance.

Translator Notes

1. The offer is purely commercial: okhel ba-kesef tashbireni ('food for silver you shall sell me') and mayim ba-kesef titten li ('water for silver you shall give me'). Israel proposes paying fair market value for provisions — no plundering, no foraging, no resource extraction. The final clause raq ev'rah be-raglai ('only let me pass through on my feet') emphasizes the minimal, non-threatening nature of the request.

Translator Notes

1. Moses cites precedent: the Edomites (benei Esav — 'children of Esau') and Moabites permitted peaceful passage and trade. The reference to crossing ha-Yarden ('the Jordan') to reach the land YHWH Eloheinu noten lanu ('the LORD our God is giving us') clarifies Israel's ultimate destination — they are not interested in Sihon's territory per se but simply need transit rights. However, God's larger plan will unfold differently.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The divine hardening — hiqshah YHWH et rucho ('the LORD hardened his spirit') and immets et levavo ('made obstinate his heart') — recalls the hardening of Pharaoh. The verbs qashah ('to be hard, stiff') and amats ('to be strong, firm, obstinate') together describe complete inflexibility. The purpose clause lema'an titto be-yadekha ('in order to give him into your hand') reveals that Sihon's refusal was divinely orchestrated to create the conditions for Israel's first Transjordanian conquest.

Translator Notes

1. The verb hachiloti ('I have begun') from chalal indicates the process is already underway from God's perspective. The double command — hachel rash lareshet ('begin possessing to possess') — uses both the imperative and infinitive of yarash to emphasize urgency and totality. God's initiative precedes human action: He has already begun; Israel must now participate in what God is accomplishing.

Translator Notes

1. Sihon initiates the battle — va-yetse liqratenu ('he came out to meet us') hu v'khol ammo ('he and all his people') — giving Israel the legal and moral justification for the war: they offered peace (vv. 26-29), he refused (v. 30), and then he attacked. The battle at Yahtsah ('Jahaz') — a site east of the Dead Sea — becomes the first engagement in Israel's conquest. Sihon's full mobilization (kol ammo — 'all his people') leads to total defeat.

Translator Notes

1. The verb va-yittenhu ('He gave him') from natan places God as the primary agent of victory — YHWH Eloheinu ('the LORD our God') delivers, then Israel acts. The verb va-nakk ('we struck') from nakah describes the military defeat. The inclusion of banav ('his sons') indicates the end of Sihon's dynasty — no heir survived to reclaim the throne or rally a resistance.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The verb va-nacharim ('we devoted to destruction') from charam is the key term for total warfare in the Hebrew Bible — the cherem ('ban, devotion to destruction'). This practice dedicated everything to God by destroying it completely. The phrase lo hish'arnu sarid ('we did not leave a survivor') indicates total destruction. The cherem was specific to certain divinely commanded military operations and is not presented as a general model for warfare.

Translator Notes

1. The exception raq ha-behemah ('only the livestock') indicates that the cherem (ban of total destruction) applied to the human population but not to animals and movable property. The shlal ha-arim ('spoil of the cities') — material goods, supplies, valuables — was available as bazaznu lanu ('we plundered for ourselves'). This distinction between devoted persons and permitted plunder follows the warfare regulations that will be codified later in Deuteronomy.

Translator Notes

1. The geographical sweep — me-Aro'er ('from Aroer') on the sfat nachal Arnon ('rim of the Arnon Gorge') to ha-Gil'ad ('Gilead') — describes the full extent of conquered territory. The assessment lo hayetah qiryah asher sagvah mimmenu ('there was not a city that was too high/fortified for us') directly answers the fearful complaint of 1:28 about cities betsurot ba-shamayim ('fortified to the heavens'). What seemed impossible through human eyes proved achievable through divine power.

Translator Notes

1. The chapter's final verse returns to the theme of divinely mandated restraint: raq el erets benei Ammon lo qaravta ('only the land of the Ammonites you did not approach'). Israel's obedience was selective in the right way — they conquered where God commanded and refrained where God prohibited. The mention of nachal Yabboq ('the Jabbok River') and arei ha-har ('cities of the highlands') specifies the off-limits zones. The closing phrase v'khol asher tsivah YHWH Eloheinu ('everything the LORD our God commanded') frames Israel's entire conduct as covenant obedience.