Ver. 23. And the Avims, which dwelt in Hazerim, &c.— The Avims are mentioned, Judges 13:3 as the ancient inhabitants of Palestine: Hazerim is no where else read of. Calmet supposes it to be the same place with Hazeroth, Numbers 33:17. But Azza, or Gaza, is well known, being one of the cities of the Philistines, on the northern coast. The Caphtorims were a branch of the Philistines, so called from their founder, who settled in Caphtor, a country in or about Egypt. See Genesis 10:14 and Shaw's Travels, p. 286. Le Clerc thinks that the Caphtorims came from the northern coast of Africa: Calmet believes them to have been originally from the island of Cyprus. The translation here is awkward; it would be better, and the Caphtorims, who came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed the Avims, &c. and dwelt in their stead. By producing these instances of God's displacing one people, settling another, and fixing bounds which they should not pass without his leave, Moses designed to strengthen the faith of the Israelites in the divine promise of giving them the victory over all their enemies, and settling them in the land of Canaan. Besides, in this view of things, these nations, who themselves had dispossessed others, could not with justice reproach those who dispossessed them. See Calmet.
REFLECTIONS.—Moses proceeds, 1. To recount their marches by the borders of Moab and Ammon, with some historical account of the former inhabitants, whom they had dispossessed. They were giants, great in statute, and terrible to look upon as the Anakims, yet fell before the sons of Lot and Esau; why, then, should the seed of Jacob fear that God would not more gloriously assist them in destroying the giants of Canaan? Note; In the world we have no sure and abiding portion. The more vain and changeable its possession, the more solicitous should we be to secure a kingdom which cannot be moved. 2. He mentions the remarkable fulfilment of God's sentence, in cutting off entirely the former generation, except Caleb and Joshua, in the wilderness. God's counsel will stand, and woe to the soul against whom he contendeth in anger. 3. They are strictly forbidden to distress the children of Lot. Note; (1.) Relations have a title to a particular regard. (2.) The blessing of godly parents descends to children's children.