Deuteronomy 2:9

_AND THE LORD SAID UNTO ME, DISTRESS NOT THE MOABITES, NEITHER CONTEND WITH THEM IN BATTLE: FOR I WILL NOT GIVE THEE OF THEIR LAND FOR A POSSESSION; BECAUSE I HAVE GIVEN AR UNTO THE CHILDREN OF LOT FOR A POSSESSION._ The Lord said ... Distress not the Moabites. Their relations with Edom compelled them to keep a line of march on the very outskirts of the great sandy, shadeless waste, stretching far into the Persian Gulf, which was even more terrible than the desert highway they had just left beyond the mountains that now stood low, compared with their elevation as they had been seen on the west. In truth, their circumstances at this time were more trying, and even apparently more desperate, than any their ancestors had ever encountered in their marching, (see the notes at Numbers 21:1). (See the route described-the southern part in Laborde's 'Voyage,' and the, northern part i

9._And the Lord said unto me, Distress not the Moabites. _He had previously forbidden them to enter the land of Edom, unless consent were obtained. A similar prohibition is now added with respect to the Moabites, because God had allotted to them the territory which they inhabited. As I have said, this was painful and burdensome, that they should cherish kindness and fraternal good-will towards those who treated them with hostility; but God desired in this respect also to prove the obedience of His people. He did not, then, take into consideration what this nation had dcserved; but, inasmuch as they were the descendants of Lot, and consequently of the race of Abraham, He desired to treat them with special favor. For the division of the whole world appertains to Him, so as to distribute to its various peoples whatever part He chooses, and to fix the bounds wherein they should confine thems...

8-23 We have the origin of the Moabites, Edomites, and Ammonites. Moses also gives an instance older than any of these; the Caphtorims drove the Avims out of their country. These revolutions show what uncertain things wordly possessions are. It was so of old, and ever will be so. Families decline, and from them estates are transferred to families that increase; so little continuance is there in these things. This is recorded to encourage the children of Israel. If the providence of God has done this for Moabites and Ammonites, much more would his promise do it for Israel, his peculiar people. Cautions are given not to meddle with Moabites and Ammonites. Even wicked men must not be wronged. God gives and preserves outward blessings to wicked men; these are not the best things, he has better in store for his own children....

The Moabites and the Ammonites Deuteronomy 2:19 being descended from Lot, the nephew of Abraham Genesis 19:30, were, like the Edomites, kinsmen of the Israelites....

EXPOSITION DEUTERONOMY 2:1 THE NEW BEGINNING AND REVIEW OF THE JOURNEYINGS OF ISRAEL FROM KADESH TO THE RIVER ARNON, THE FRONTIER OF THE AMORITES. At this point the language of address is exchanged for that of narrative. The change of subject from "ye abode" to "we turned," became necessary when Moses passed from exhorting and warning the people to narrating what happened after they resumed their journeyings; and gives no support to the notion of some recent German critics, that Moses left Ka

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 of their sins not being fully up, and the time of their punishment not come; otherwise in David's time they were subdued, and became tributaries to him, and the Edomites also, 2 Samuel 8:2, BECAUSE I HAVE GIVEN AR UNTO THE CHILDREN OF LOT FOR A POSSESSION; so the Moabites were, they sprung from Moab, a son of Lot by his firstborn daughter, Genesis 19:37. Ar was the metropolis of Moab, called Ar of Moab,...

GIVEN AR A region east of the Dead Sea....

_3. AFTER THE FORTY YEARS AND FROM CONFLICT TO CONQUEST_ CHAPTER 2 _ 1. From Kadesh to the land of the Amorites (Deuteronomy 2:1)_ 2. The command to possess (Deuteronomy 2:24) 3. The conquest of Sihon (Deuteronomy 2:26) The many days in the first verse are the thirty-eight years. We must notice the little word “we.” “We turned and took our journey into the wilderness.” Moses, Aaron, his sons, Joshua, Caleb and the faithful Levites turned back with the unfaithful, murmuring Israelites. Moses and all who had not shared in the unbelief of the people submitted to the sovereign will of the Lord. How strange it would have been if they had complained in sharing in

FROM KADESH-BARNEA TO WADY-ZERED. The present passage seems to contradict the parallel narrative in Numbers 20 f. Deuteronomy 2:1_ b. i.e._ we lingered in the neighbourhood of Mt. Seir a good length of time, viz. thirty-eight years (Deuteronomy 2:7; Deuteronomy 2:14). Deuteronomy 2:4. border: better, bordered territory, the Heb. word means both. YOUR BRETHREN: _ i.e._ kinsmen (see Genesis 25:23; Genesis 36:43

THE LORD [Hebrew. _Jehovah._ said unto me (or Moses). Occurs thirteen times in Deut.: Deuteronomy 2:9; Deuteronomy 2:31; Deuteronomy 3:2; Deuteronomy 3:26; Deuteronomy 4:10; Deuteronomy 5:28; Deuteronomy 9:12; Deuteronomy 10:1;...