Deuteronomy 2

The Wilderness Years

1 "Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea, e as the Lord told me. And for many days we traveled around Mount Seir. 2 Then the Lord said to me, 3 'You have been traveling around this mountain country f long enough. Turn northward 4 and command the people, "You are about to pass through the territory of g your brothers, the people of Esau, h who live in Seir; and i they will be afraid of you. So be very careful. 5 Do not contend with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on, because h I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. 6 j You shall purchase food from them for money, that you may eat, and you shall also buy water of them for money, that you may drink. 7 For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. k He knows your going through this great wilderness. l These forty years the Lord your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing."'

8 So m we went on, away from our brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir, away from n the Arabah road from o Elath and p Ezion-geber. "And we turned and went in the direction of the wilderness of Moab. 9 And the Lord said to me, q 'Do not harass Moab or contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have given r Ar to s the people of Lot for a possession.' 10 ( t The Emim formerly lived there, u a people great and many, and tall v as the Anakim. 11 Like the Anakim they are also counted as w Rephaim, but the Moabites call them Emim. 12 x The Horites also lived in Seir formerly, but the people of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and settled in their place, y as Israel did to the land of their possession, which the Lord gave to them.) 13 'Now rise up and go over z the brook Zered.' So we went over z the brook Zered. 14 And the time from our leaving a Kadesh-barnea until we crossed b the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, c until the entire generation, that is, the men of war, had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them. 15 For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from the camp, until they had perished.

16 "So as soon as all the men of war had perished and were dead from among the people, 17 the Lord said to me, 18 'Today you are to cross the border of Moab at Ar. 19 And when you approach the territory of the people of Ammon, d do not harass them or contend with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to e the sons of Lot for a possession.' 20 (It is also counted as a land of f Rephaim. Rephaim formerly lived there - but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim - 21 g a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim; but the Lord destroyed them before the Ammonites, 1 and they dispossessed them and settled in their place, 22 as he did for the people of Esau, who live in Seir, when he destroyed h the Horites before them and they dispossessed them and settled in their place even to this day. 23 As for i the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as j Gaza, k the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and settled in their place.) 24 'Rise up, set out on your journey and l go over the Valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of m Heshbon, and his land. Begin to take possession, and n contend with him in battle. 25 This day I will begin to put o the dread and fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.'

The Defeat of King Sihon

26 "So I sent messengers from the wilderness of p Kedemoth to Sihon the king of m Heshbon, q with words of peace, saying, 27 r 'Let me pass through your land. I will go only by the road; I will turn aside neither to the right nor to the left. 28 s You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink. Only let me pass through on foot, 29 t as the sons of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me, until I go over the Jordan into the land that the Lord our God is giving to us.' 30 But u Sihon the king of m Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for the Lord your God v hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that he might give him into your hand, as he is this day. 31 And the Lord said to me, 'Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to take possession, that you may occupy his land.' 32 Then w Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Jahaz. 33 And x the Lord our God gave him over to us, and y we defeated him and his sons and all his people. 34 And we captured all his cities at that time and devoted to destruction 2 every z city, men, women, and children. We left no survivors. 35 Only the livestock we took as spoil for ourselves, with the plunder of the cities that we captured. 36 a From Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and from b the city that is in the valley, as far as Gilead, there was not a city too high for us. c The Lord our God gave all into our hands. 37 Only to the land of the sons of Ammon you did not draw near, that is, to all the banks of the river d Jabbok and the cities of the hill country, whatever the Lord our God had forbidden us.

  1. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 1:40
    But as for you, turn, and journey into the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.
    Numbers 14:25
    Now, since the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valleys, turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.
  2. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 1:6
    The Lord our God said to us in Horeb, 'You have stayed long enough at this mountain.
  3. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 23:7
    You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were a sojourner in his land.
    Amos 1:11
    Thus says the Lord : "For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever.
    Obadiah 1:10
    Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever.
    Obadiah 1:12
    But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress.
  4. Cross References
    Genesis 32:3
    And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
  5. Cross References
    Numbers 20:18 - 21
    But Edom said to him, "You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you.
  6. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 2:4
    And command the people, "You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers, the people of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful.
  7. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 2:28
    You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink. Only let me pass through on foot.
  8. Cross References
    Job 23:10
    But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.
  9. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 8:2 - 4
    And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.
  10. Cross References
    Judges 11:18
    Then they journeyed through the wilderness and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab and arrived on the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab.
  11. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 1:1
    These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.
  12. Cross References
    1 Kings 9:26
    King Solomon built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.
    2 Kings 14:22
    He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers.
    2 Kings 16:6
    At that time Rezin the king of Syria recovered Elath for Syria and drove the men of Judah from Elath, and the Edomites came to Elath, where they dwell to this day.
    2 Chronicles 26:2
    He built Eloth and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers.
  13. Cross References
    Numbers 33:35
    And they set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.
  14. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 2:19
    And when you approach the territory of the people of Ammon, do not harass them or contend with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession.
    Deuteronomy 2:29
    As the sons of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me, until I go over the Jordan into the land that the Lord our God is giving to us.
  15. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 2:18
    Today you are to cross the border of Moab at Ar.
    Numbers 21:15
    And the slope of the valleys that extends to the seat of Ar, and leans to the border of Moab.
    Isaiah 15:1
    An oracle concerning Moab. Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone; because Kir of Moab is laid waste in a night, Moab is undone.
  16. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 2:19
    And when you approach the territory of the people of Ammon, do not harass them or contend with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession.
    Genesis 19:36 - 37
    Thus both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father.
  17. Cross References
    Genesis 14:5
    In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim.
  18. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 2:21
    A people great and many, and tall as the Anakim; but the Lord destroyed them before the Ammonites, and they dispossessed them and settled in their place.
  19. Cross References
    Numbers 13:22
    They went up into the Negeb and came to Hebron. Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. ( Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
  20. Cross References
    Genesis 14:5
    In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim.
  21. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 2:22
    As he did for the people of Esau, who live in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites before them and they dispossessed them and settled in their place even to this day.
    Genesis 14:6
    And the Horites in their hill country of Seir as far as El-paran on the border of the wilderness.
    Genesis 36:20 - 30
    These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah.
  22. Cross References
    Numbers 21:24
    And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong.
    Numbers 21:31
    Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.
    Numbers 21:35
    So they defeated him and his sons and all his people, until he had no survivor left. And they possessed his land.
  23. Cross References
    Numbers 21:12
    From there they set out and camped in the Valley of Zered.
  24. Cross References
    Numbers 21:12
    From there they set out and camped in the Valley of Zered.
  25. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 1:2
    It is eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea.
    Deuteronomy 1:19
    Then we set out from Horeb and went through all that great and terrifying wilderness that you saw, on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as the Lord our God commanded us. And we came to Kadesh-barnea.
  26. Cross References
    Numbers 21:12
    From there they set out and camped in the Valley of Zered.
  27. Cross References
    Numbers 14:33
    And your children shall be shepherds in the wil...
    Numbers 14:35
    I, the Lord, have spoken. Surely this will I do...
    Numbers 26:64
    But among these there was not one of those list...
    Psalms 78:33
    So he made their days vanish like a breath, and...
    Psalms 95:11
    Therefore I swore in my wrath, "They shall not ...
    Psalms 106:26
    Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them ...
    Ezekiel 20:15
    Moreover, I swore to them in the wilderness tha...
    1 Corinthians 10:5
    Nevertheless, with most of them God was not ple...
    Hebrews 3:17
    And with whom was he provoked for forty years? ...
    Deuteronomy 1:35
    Not one of these men of this evil generation sh...
  28. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 2:9
    And the Lord said to me, 'Do not harass Moab or contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the people of Lot for a possession.
  29. Cross References
    Genesis 19:36
    Thus both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father.
    Genesis 19:38
    The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day.
  30. Cross References
    Genesis 14:5
    In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim.
  31. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 2:10
    ( The Emim formerly lived there, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim.
  32. Cross References
    Genesis 14:6
    And the Horites in their hill country of Seir as far as El-paran on the border of the wilderness.
    Genesis 36:20 - 30
    These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah.
  33. Cross References
    Joshua 13:3 - 4
    (from the Shihor, which is east of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron, it is counted as Canaanite; there are five rulers of the Philistines, those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron), and those of the Avvim.
  34. Cross References
    Genesis 10:19
    And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of Gerar as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
    Jeremiah 25:20
    And all the mixed tribes among them; all the kings of the land of Uz and all the kings of the land of the Philistines ( Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod).
  35. Cross References
    Genesis 10:14
    Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.
  36. Cross References
    Numbers 21:13 - 14
    From there they set out and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites, for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
    Judges 11:18
    Then they journeyed through the wilderness and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab and arrived on the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab.
    Judges 11:21
    And the Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country.
  37. Cross References
    Numbers 21:27 - 28
    Therefore the ballad singers say, "Come to Heshbon, let it be built; let the city of Sihon be established.
    Numbers 21:30
    So we overthrew them; Heshbon, as far as Dibon, perished; and we laid waste as far as Nophah; fire spread as far as Medeba.
  38. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 2:9
    And the Lord said to me, 'Do not harass Moab or contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the people of Lot for a possession.
  39. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 11:25
    No one shall be able to stand against you. The Lord your God will lay the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you shall tread, as he promised you.
    Deuteronomy 28:10
    And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you.
    Exodus 15:14 - 16
    The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
    Joshua 2:9 - 11
    And said to the men, "I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.
  40. Cross References
    Joshua 13:18
    And Jahaz, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath.
    1 Chronicles 6:79
    Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands.
  41. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 2:24
    Rise up, set out on your journey and go over the Valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to take possession, and contend with him in battle.
  42. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 20:10
    When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer terms of peace to it.
  43. Cross References
    Numbers 21:21 - 22
    Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying.
    Judges 11:19
    Israel then sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, 'Please let us pass through your land to our country.
  44. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 2:6
    You shall purchase food from them for money, that you may eat, and you shall also buy water of them for money, that you may drink.
    Numbers 20:19
    And the people of Israel said to him, "We will go up by the highway, and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.
  45. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 2:5
    Do not contend with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession.
    Deuteronomy 2:9
    And the Lord said to me, 'Do not harass Moab or contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the people of Lot for a possession.
    Deuteronomy 23:3 - 4
    No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the Lord forever.
    Numbers 20:18
    But Edom said to him, "You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you.
    Judges 11:17 - 18
    Israel then sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, 'Please let us pass through your land,' but the king of Edom would not listen. And they sent also to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained at Kadesh.
  46. Cross References
    Numbers 21:23
    But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel.
  47. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 2:24
    Rise up, set out on your journey and go over the Valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to take possession, and contend with him in battle.
  48. Cross References
    Exodus 4:21
    And the Lord said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
  49. Cross References
    Numbers 21:23 - 30
    But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel.
  50. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 7:2
    And when the Lord your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them.
  51. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 29:7
    And when you came to this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out against us to battle, but we defeated them.
  52. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 3:6
    And we devoted them to destruction, as we did to Sihon the king of Heshbon, devoting to destruction every city, men, women, and children.
  53. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 3:12
    When we took possession of this land at that ti...
    Deuteronomy 4:48
    From Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley ...
    Joshua 12:2
    Sihon king of the Amorites who lived at Heshbon...
    Joshua 13:9
    From Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley ...
    Joshua 13:16
    So their territory was from Aroer, which is on ...
    2 Kings 10:33
    From the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilea...
  54. Cross References
    Joshua 13:9
    From Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland of Medeba as far as Dibon.
    Joshua 13:16
    So their territory was from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland by Medeba.
    2 Samuel 24:5
    They crossed the Jordan and began from Aroer, and from the city that is in the middle of the valley, toward Gad and on to Jazer.
  55. Cross References
    Psalms 44:3
    For not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them.
  56. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 3:16
    And to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave the territory from Gilead as far as the Valley of the Arnon, with the middle of the valley as a border, as far over as the river Jabbok, the border of the Ammonites.
    Genesis 32:22
    The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
    Numbers 21:24
    And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong.
    Joshua 12:2
    Sihon king of the Amorites who lived at Heshbon and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and from the middle of the valley as far as the river Jabbok, the boundary of the Ammonites, that is, half of Gilead.
    Judges 11:22
    And they took possession of all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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