From Ḳadesh-Barnea- round Mt Se-îr The discourse continues: After the repulse on Ḳadesh (Deuteronomy 1:45), Israel turned back towards the Red Sea, skirting Mt Se-îr many days (Deuteronomy 2:1), when Jehovah said, Enough, turn N.! (Deuteronomy 2:2 f.); in crossing Esau's land Israel must purchase b... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then we turned_, etc.] See on Deuteronomy 1:7. _by the way to the Red Sea_ Rather, IN THE DIRECTION OF THE RED SEA. _as the Lord spake unto me_ Deuteronomy 1:40. _and we compassed mount Seir_ The range E. of the -Arabah: see on Deuteronomy 1:2; Deuteronomy 1:44 JE, Numbers 21:4 _b_, _by the way... [ Continue Reading ]
Duet Deuteronomy 1:6 to Deuteronomy 3:29. Historical Part of the First Introductory Discourse Spoken in the land of Moab (Deuteronomy 1:5) in _the gai_or _glen, over against Beth Pe-or_(Deuteronomy 3:29), a review of Israel's experiences since they left Ḥoreb. In the Plur. form of address except fo... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye have compassed this mountain long enough_ For the idiom see on Deuteronomy 1:6. _turn you northward_ Marching from Ḳadesh down the W. of Mt Se-îr, Israel had now reached not the sea, but probably the mouth of the W. el "Ithm (or Yitm), which opens N.E. from the -Arabah across or round the S. en... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye are to pass_ The Heb. participle expressing, as often, the immediate future. _through the border_ Rather THROUGH THE TERRITORY. The preposition is the same as that used in Israel's request in JE, Numbers 21:17, _let us pass through thy land_and in Edom's reply, _thou shall not pass through me_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_contend not with them_ In its causative form the Heb. verb means _to stir up_, e.g. strife, Proverbs 15:18, etc.; here the reflex. form is to _excite oneself_against another, to _quarrel_with them. In the Pent. found only in this chapter, Deuteronomy 2:9_; Deuteronomy 2:19; Deuteronomy 2:24_. _for... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye shall purchase … ye shall buy_ Heb. _shabar_, literally to _deal in grain_(Genesis 41:57, etc.), but also victuals (Genesis 42:7), and _karah, to buy_, only here Hosea 3:2 and in Job. JE, Numbers 20:19: _if we drink of thy water, I and my cattle, then I will give the price thereof_. To-day nomad... [ Continue Reading ]
_For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee_ Another formula recurrent in D. _in all the work of thy hand_ Some Heb. MSS, LXX, Sam., _hands_: another recurrent phrase. _he hath known thy walking_ Rather HATH CARED FOR. The Heb. verb _to know_means frequently, especially in a religious connection, to pu... [ Continue Reading ]
_So we passed by from our brethren_, etc.] The Heb. prep. _me'eth_is _from with_; but probably we should read merely _"eth_the sign of the accus.: _we crossed_or _passed through our brethren_(cp. 4 and 29). So LXX. Sam. readings are various. _from the way of the Arabah_ The -Arabah itself forms in... [ Continue Reading ]
8 _b_15. Arrival on the Border of Moab Israel, having crossed Edom from the -Arabah towards the wilderness of Moab (8 _b_), is charged not to treat Moab as a foe. Jehovah gave -Ar, their land, to the children of Lot: this is in Sg. address (9); and there follow notes on the predecessors of Moab in... [ Continue Reading ]
_Vex not Moab_ Treat not Moab as a foe. _neither contend with them_ See on Deuteronomy 2:5. _Ar -Ar_(Numbers 21:15) or _-Ar of Mo'ab_(_id._28) is in these passages a township, probably the same as _-Ir_, or _City of, Mo'ab, on the border of Arnon at the end of the border_(JE, Numbers 22:36). Musil... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Emim_ Only here and Genesis 14:5 which places the Emîm in Shaweh-Ḳiriathaim, probably _the plain_of the present Ḳureiyât, N. of Arnon. Whether the name is of an actual people or of mythical formation like Repha"îm, Nephilîm, etc. as if from _"emah, fear_, or Ar. _"iyam_-serpent" (Schwally, _ZAT... [ Continue Reading ]
An archaeological note, rightly put in brackets by R.V., written after the settlement in W. Palestine, as is clear from the end of Deuteronomy 2:12. This of course does not in itself prove that the note is by a later hand than the rest of the discourse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Rephaim … Anakim_ See on Deuteronomy 1:28.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Horites_ Heb. the _Ḥorîm_; Sam. LXX, _Ḥorî_. Possibly cave-dwellers, cp. Heb. _ḥôr_, Ar. _ḥawr, cave_or _hole_. Cave-dwelling is ascribed by Jerome (on Obadiah 1:6) to the Edomites of his day; and is fully verified for the Nabatean period, at least, by the remains about Petra; but it is precari... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now rise up_ Sam., LXX, _And now rise and break camp_; cp. Deuteronomy 2:24. _and get you over the brook Zered_ WÂDY, or TORRENT-VALLEY, ZERED. JE, Numbers 21:12, _they marched thence_, the E. desert of Mo'ab, _and camped in the W. Zered_. The name, LXX _Zaret_, does not occur again in the O.T. nor... [ Continue Reading ]
_thirty and eight years_ See above, introd. to Deuteronomy 2:1-8 _a_. _until all the generation of the men of war were consumed_ See Deuteronomy 1:35; Deuteronomy 1:39.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the hand of the Lord_ It was no natural death of the whole generation, but by special plagues from Jehovah; cp. JE, Numbers 14:31 ff; Numbers 21:6; P, Numbers 14:32; Numbers 14:37.... [ Continue Reading ]
Approach to the -Ammonites and Amorites The adult generation having died out (Deuteronomy 2:16), Jehovah charged Moses that, being about to pass the border or cross the territory of Mo'ab (Deuteronomy 2:17 f.) and to approach -Ammôn, Israel (Sg. address) must not fight the latter, for Jehovah gave... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou art … to pass over_). See on Deuteronomy 9:1. _Ar, the border of Moab_ See on Deuteronomy 2:9. Here as there it is doubtful whether -Ar is to be understood as the territory of Mo'ab, their crossing of which Israel are completing _this day_; or the N. limit of that territory which they are abo... [ Continue Reading ]
_when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon_ AND THOU SHALT APPROACH TO THE FRONT OF THE BNÊ -AMMÔN. The expression is vague and the mention of -Ammôn at this stage perplexing. It is true that, acc. to Judges 11:13, the -Ammonites declared to Jephthah that Israel coming out of Egypt to... [ Continue Reading ]
Another Archaeological Note. On _the Repha'im_, see Deuteronomy 1:28. _Zamzummim_, a name held by some to be formed on the analogy of the Gk -Barbaroi," as of a people whose speech sounded uncouth; Ar. _zamzamah_is a distant, confused sound. Others suggest identification with the Zuzîm of Genesis 14... [ Continue Reading ]
_Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over_ In this section the one clause in the Pl. address. Steuernagel connects it immediately with 16 f. On these formulas cp. Deuteronomy 1:7; Deuteronomy 1:19. _the valley of Arnon_ No one doubts that the _Naḥal Arnôn_and the modern W. el-Môjeb are the same... [ Continue Reading ]
_This day will I begin to put the dread of thee_ Nor is this verse in harmony with Deuteronomy 2:29. The trembling and anguish which it predicts on all people at the mere report of Israel is the opposite effect from that produced in Sîḥôn, Deuteronomy 2:29, by Israel's request to cross his land, for... [ Continue Reading ]
_And I sent messengers_, etc.] E, Numbers 21:21, _Israel sent messengers_, etc. _the wilderness of Kedemoth_ So only here. A Levite city _Ḳedemoth_, belonging to R e "uben, is given along with Yahaṣ and Mepha-ath, P, Joshua 13:18; Joshua 21:37; 1 Chronicles 6:79 [64]. The name is a plur. = _East pa... [ Continue Reading ]
The Victory over Sîḥôn From the desert N. of Arnon Moses sent to Sîḥôn asking leave to cross his land in peace, purchasing food and water (Deuteronomy 2:26-29). Sîḥôn refused, Jehovah hardening bis spirit that he might be delivered into Israel's hands (Deuteronomy 2:30 f.). They met at Yahaṣ and Sî... [ Continue Reading ]
_Let me pass_, etc.] So E, Numbers 21:22; LXX, _we will pass_. _I will go along by the highway_ Heb. and Sam. here _by the way by the way_; E, _by the king's way_, the main road, like the Ar. term Sulṭani. _I will neither turn_, etc.] E, Numbers 21:22: _we will not turn aside into field or vineyar... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou shalt sell me food_, etc.] See on Deuteronomy 2:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
_as the children of Esau … and the Moabites_ In JE Numbers 20:18 ff. Esau refused Israel's request made from Ḳadesh, but appears to have sold them bread and water when, later, Israel crossed the S. end of Mt Se-ir, Deuteronomy 2:6. In Deuteronomy 23:5 [4] Mo'ab is blamed for not meeting Israel with... [ Continue Reading ]
_But Sihon … would not let us pass by him_) E, Numbers 21:23: _S. would not allow_(another verb) Israel to cross his territory. _for the Lord thy God hardened his spirit_ Sg. address; it is at least remarkable that the change coincides with a religious explanation of Sîḥôn's resistance, for which E... [ Continue Reading ]
_deliver up before thee_ See Deuteronomy 1:8. The Sg. is retained as original by Steuern. presumably on the ground of its being addressed to Moses. _Sihon_ LXX. Sam. add _king of Ḥeshbon, the Amorite_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_unto battle at Jahaz_ E, Numbers 21:23; _went out to meet I. towards the wilderness, came to Yahaṣ and fought Israel_. See on Ḳedemoth, Deuteronomy 2:26. The Moabite stone (Deuteronomy 2:18-21) implies that Yahaṣ was near Dîbôn; Jeremiah 48:21 places it on the Mishôr or Moab plateau (see Deuteronom... [ Continue Reading ]
_delivered him up before us_ See on Deuteronomy 1:8. _his sons_ So the Heb. vowels, LXX, Sam. E, Numbers 21:24 _a_: _smote him with the edge of the sword_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And we look all his cities_ E, Numbers 21:24 _a_, _possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabboḳ_; J, _id._25: _Israel took all these cities and dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, Ḥeshbon and her towns_. Anciently this part of the Plateau was thickly populated. From almost every elevation several... [ Continue Reading ]
See previous note on Deuteronomy 2:24... [ Continue Reading ]
_From Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon The Naḥal "Arnon_= Wâdy Môjeb, see above Deuteronomy 2:24. _Edge_, Heb. _lip. -Arô-er_is frequently given in the O.T. as a S. limit: e.g. of the territory taken by Israel from Sîḥôn (here, and Deuteronomy 3:12; Deuteronomy 4:48; Joshua 12:2; J... [ Continue Reading ]
Change to the Sg. address. This, with the fact that the clause is a mere qualification not necessary to the context, has led some to take it for a later addition. _all the side of the river Jabboḳ, and the cities of the hill country_ This defines the land of -Ammôn, which lay at that time on the up... [ Continue Reading ]