Deuteronomy 2:20-36 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Reader Related Verse
Bible Comments

Antiquarian note by an editor (cf. Deuteronomy 2:10-12).

Deuteronomy 2:20. Zamzummim: the Zuzim of Genesis 14:5 *, so Keil and others.

Deuteronomy 2:22. unto this day: frequent in Dt. (Deuteronomy 3:14, etc.), Jos., and Jg. in a similar context. The implication is that the state of things described continued down to the writer's day.

Deuteronomy 2:23. Avvim (better Awwim) dispossessed by the Philistines (Deuteronomy 2:12; Deuteronomy 2:21 f.) with whom, however, they are mentioned in Joshua 13:4. Caphtor (the home of the Philistines, Amos 9:7 *, Jeremiah 47:4) is Crete.

Deuteronomy 2:24-37. Numbers 21:21-32 * (JE), which is older. The Israelites were not restrained by ties of kinship from attacking the Amorites and their king Sihon when their request was refused.

Deuteronomy 2:24. Arnon: pp. 32f., Numbers 21:13 f.*

Deuteronomy 2:29. It is not distinctly stated (except in the LXX) in Deuteronomy 2:2-8 that the Edomites (children of Esau) acceded to Israel's request; nor is the contrary stated or suggested. According to Deuteronomy 23:4 and Numbers 20:18-21 (JE) they definitely rejected Israel's proposal and according to Deuteronomy 23:4 the Moabites did the same. We have to do simply with different traditions. Many, however (Driver, etc.), hold that Edom's refusal belongs to an earlier period, and that it took place in W. not E. Moab.

Deuteronomy 2:30. hardened: Exodus 4:21 (E), Deuteronomy 7:3 * (P). his spirit, his heart: i.e. him. The emphatic personal pronoun is often thus expressed (Deuteronomy 4:9 *). The parallel clauses hardened him, made him obstinate, mean the same thing.

Deuteronomy 2:32. at: render, to

Deuteronomy 2:34. utterly destroyed: Heb. put under a ban, to tabu. The verbal root occurs in the cognate languages as well as Heb., and denotes literally to cut off, to separate; then to withdraw from common use (tabu) with a view to complete surrender to deity as a sacrifice. Hence it comes to mean, to destroy utterly. In the Moabite Stone (lines 11- 17) Mesha says he had devoted (same Semitic word) Israel to Ishtar. Generally among the Israelites, as among other people, the ban arose from a vow to devote to deity a part or the whole of the booty obtained in the event of victory. In the OT, and especially in Dt. (see Deuteronomy 20:17 ff.), the ethical character of the ban is strongly insisted upon. The goim or non-Israelites are to be offered up as a sacrifice to Yahweh lest they should corrupt the morals and religion of the chosen race. Three degrees of the war-ban may be traced in Dt. and in other parts of the OT. (a) That in which every man, woman, and child of the enemy and also their property of every kind was devoted, i.e. utterly destroyed (see Deuteronomy 13:16, etc.). (b) The ban of the second degree stopped short with the devotion, i.e. the destruction, of men, women, and children; cattle and the rest of the spoil being reserved by the victors for their own use (see Deuteronomy 2:34 f. Deuteronomy 3:6 f. Deuteronomy 7:2, etc.). (c) The third degree is represented by the law laid down in Deuteronomy 20:10-15, men alone being devoted to destruction. In Numbers 31:17 f. (P 8) and Judges 21:11 f. (LXXB) it is the virgins only that are spared (see pp 99, 114, Joshua 6:17 *, and Ban in HSDB).

Deuteronomy 2:36. Gilead proper was divided by the Jabbok into a northern and southern half. Sihon's kingdom lay S. of this river (Deuteronomy 3:10 *).

Related Commentaries of Deuteronomy 2:20

Deuteronomy 2:20-36

20 (That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims;f

21 A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead:

22 As he did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day:

23 And the Avims which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah, the Caphtorims, which came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.)

24 Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: beging to possess it, and contend with him in battle.

25 This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee.

26 And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying,

27 Let me pass through thy land: I will go along by the high way, I will neither turn unto the right hand nor to the left.

28 Thou shalt sell me meat for money, that I may eat; and give me water for money, that I may drink: only I will pass through on my feet;

29 (As the children of Esau which dwell in Seir, and the Moabites which dwell in Ar, did unto me;) until I shall pass over Jordan into the land which the LORD our God giveth us.

30 But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day.

31 And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land.

32 Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz.

33 And the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people.

34 And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men,h and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain:

35 Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took.

36 From Aroer, which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us: the LORD our God delivered all unto us: