Moses recounts the wilderness wandering — Israel's long circuit around Edom and Moab, God's provision during forty years, and the defeat of King Sihon of Heshbon.
What Makes This Chapter Remarkable
God commands Israel to respect three nations' territorial rights: Esau's Seir, Moab, and Ammon — all of them Israel's relatives through Abraham and Lot. The theological principle is that God grants land to nations other than Israel. The parenthetical notes about the Emim, Rephaim, and Zamzummim (vv. 10-12, 20-23) are ancient editorial glosses preserving pre-Israelite ethnographic memory.
Translation Friction
The verb hiqshah (v. 30), describing God hardening Sihon's spirit, uses the same root as Pharaoh's hardening in Exodus. We rendered it 'made stubborn' to preserve the theological parallel. The phrase lo avah (v. 30, 'was not willing') creates a double causation: Sihon chose and God confirmed, the same tension as the Exodus hardening.
Connections
The Sihon victory is cited in Judges 11:19-22, Nehemiah 9:22, and Psalms 135:11; 136:19. The command not to provoke Edom, Moab, or Ammon recurs in Judges 11:15-18, where Jephthah appeals to this history. The forty years of provision (v. 7) anticipates the explicit reflection in 8:2-4.
So we turned back and headed into the wilderness toward the Sea of Reeds, just as the LORD had told me, and we circled the region of Mount Seir for a long time.
KJV Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the LORD spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The verbs va-nefen ('we turned') and va-nissa ('we set out') echo the divine command of 1:40. The phrase va-nassov et har Se'ir yamim rabbim ('we circled Mount Seir many days') compresses decades of aimless wandering into a single clause. The yamim rabbim ('many days') parallels the same phrase in 1:46 — the extended circling represents the consequence of their refusal to enter the land directly.
Deuteronomy 2:2
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃
Then the LORD said to me:
KJV And the LORD spake unto me, saying,
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The messenger formula va-yomer YHWH elai lemor ('the LORD said to me, saying') marks a new divine instruction, transitioning from aimless wandering to directed movement. God breaks the long silence of the wilderness years with a fresh command — the period of judgment is ending.
'You have been circling this mountain long enough. Turn northward.'
KJV Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The phrase rav lakhem sov ('enough for you circling') echoes the identical construction in 1:6 (rav lakhem shevet — 'enough for you dwelling'). In both cases God declares that a period of stagnation is over. The command penu lakhem tsafonah ('turn yourselves northward') redirects Israel toward the promised land — north through Transjordan. The divine initiative breaks the cycle of purposeless wandering.
'Instruct the people as follows: You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, so be very careful —'
KJV And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore:
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The Edomites are called acheikhem benei Esav ('your brothers, the children of Esau') — the kinship language is significant. Despite the hostile history between Jacob and Esau, God recognizes their fraternal bond. The warning v'yir'u mikkem ('they will fear you') acknowledges Israel's military strength, but the command v'nishmartem me'od ('guard yourselves very carefully') warns against exploiting that advantage. Restraint, not conquest, is required.
'Do not provoke them, because I will not give you any of their land — not even a footprint's width — for I have given Mount Seir to Esau as his inheritance.'
KJV Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a footbreadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.
The same term used for Israel's possession of Canaan is applied to Esau's possession of Seir — God allocates territories to nations as sovereign lord of all the earth, not only to Israel.
Translator Notes
The prohibition al titgaru vam ('do not provoke/engage them') from garah means to stir up conflict. The measure ad midrakh kaf ragel ('as far as the treading of the sole of a foot' — not even a footprint's width) emphasizes the absoluteness of the restriction. God's grant of har Se'ir to Esau (yerushah l'Esav — 'an inheritance to Esau') parallels Israel's own land grant — God is sovereign over all nations' territories, not just Israel's. This theological principle shapes the entire chapter.
'Buy food from them with silver so you can eat, and also purchase water from them with silver so you can drink.'
KJV Ye shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water of them for money, that ye may drink.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The instruction to buy (tishberu — 'you shall purchase grain/food') from the Edomites rather than take by force establishes a commerce-not-conquest protocol. Even water — a critical resource in the wilderness — must be purchased (tikhru — 'you shall buy/dig') with kesef ('silver, money'). This demonstrates that Israel's military power was to be restrained by divine command, and their passage through Edom was to be peaceful and economically fair.
'For the LORD your God has blessed you in everything your hands have done. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. For forty years now the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.'
KJV For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
God's provision is comprehensive: berakekha be-khol ma'aseh yadekha ('He blessed you in every work of your hands'). The verb yada ('He knew/was attentive to') lekhtekha ('your walking') implies intimate, watchful care — not distant observation but personal attention. The summary lo chasarta davar ('you lacked nothing') after arba'im shanah ('forty years') in the midbar ha-gadol ('great wilderness') is remarkable: complete provision in complete desolation. This abundance is why they can afford to pay for Edomite food and water.
So we passed by our relatives, the descendants of Esau who live in Seir, leaving the Arabah road from Elath and Ezion-geber. We turned and traveled along the wilderness road of Moab.
KJV And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Ezion-gaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The route takes Israel me'Eilat u-me'Etsyon Gaver ('from Elath and from Ezion-geber') — both towns at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba — then northward via the wilderness road of Moab. The continued use of acheinu ('our brothers/relatives') for the Edomites maintains the kinship language. The transition from Edomite to Moabite territory sets up the next set of divine restrictions on Israel's passage.
The LORD said to me, 'Do not harass Moab or engage them in battle, because I will not give you any of their land as a possession. I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as their inheritance.'
KJV 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.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Two prohibitions: al tatsar ('do not harass/distress') from tsarar and al titgar ('do not engage/provoke') from garah. Moab is protected as benei Lot ('children of Lot') — Abraham's nephew, making the Moabites distant relatives of Israel. The city of Ar (the capital region of Moab) was divinely allocated to Lot's line just as Canaan was allocated to Abraham's. God's land-distribution extends beyond the Abrahamic covenant to include other peoples in His sovereign plan.
The Emim had formerly lived there — a people as large, numerous, and tall as the Anakim.
KJV The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims;
Notes & Key Terms
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Key Terms
אֵמִיםEmim
"Emim"—Emim, the terrors, the frightful ones
An ancient people of great stature who previously inhabited Moab; the name may derive from emah ('terror, dread'), reflecting their fearsome reputation.
Translator Notes
This parenthetical antiquarian note explains that the Emim (ha-Emim — possibly meaning 'the fearsome ones' or 'the terrors') were the previous inhabitants of Moab. They are compared to the Anaqim in being gadol v'rav v'ram ('great, numerous, and tall'). The subtext is reassuring: if the Moabites could displace giant inhabitants, then Israel can certainly overcome the Canaanites with God's help.
A term with dual usage in the Hebrew Bible: it refers both to an ancient race of tall people and to departed spirits in Sheol. Here it designates the pre-Israelite giant inhabitants of Transjordan.
Translator Notes
The Repha'im ('shades' or 'healers') is the broader category for pre-Israelite giant peoples. The verb yechashevu ('they were reckoned/considered') indicates a classificatory system — different nations used different names for the same population. The Moabites' local term Emim coexisted with the more widely known Repha'im designation. This ethnographic note demonstrates Moses's awareness of regional naming conventions.
The Horites had formerly lived in Seir, but the descendants of Esau dispossessed them, destroying them and settling in their place — just as Israel did with the land of their possession that the LORD gave them.
KJV The Horims also dwelt in Seir beforetime; but the children of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; as Israel did unto the land of his possession, which the LORD gave unto them.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The Chorim ('Horites' — cave-dwellers or Hurrians) were the original inhabitants of Seir. The verb yirashu ('they dispossessed') is the same verb used for Israel's conquest — the parallel is explicit. The phrase ka'asher asah Yisra'el ('just as Israel did') refers proleptically to Israel's future conquest of Canaan, or retrospectively to the Transjordanian conquests. The point: God empowered Esau to displace the Horites just as He empowers Israel to displace the Canaanites.
'Now get up and cross the Wadi Zered.' So we crossed the Wadi Zered.
KJV Now rise up, said I, and get you over the brook Zered. And we went over the brook Zered.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The Nachal Zered ('Wadi Zered') marks the boundary between Edomite and Moabite territory. The abrupt command-and-compliance structure — qumu v'ivru ('rise and cross'), va-na'avor ('and we crossed') — contrasts sharply with the rebellion narratives of chapter 1. This new generation obeys immediately. The wadi crossing functions as a geographical marker of transition from the old era of wandering to the new era of purposeful advance.
The time from when we left Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the Wadi Zered was thirty-eight years — until the entire generation of fighting men had perished from the camp, just as the LORD had sworn would happen to them.
KJV And the space in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the LORD sware unto them.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The precise count — shloshim u-shmoneh shanah ('thirty-eight years') — combined with the eleven-day journey of 1:2 accounts for the full forty years. The phrase ad tom kol ha-dor anshei ha-milchamah ('until the completion of the entire generation of men of war') specifies that the military-age males who refused to fight at Kadesh had to die before Israel could advance. The oath fulfillment (ka'asher nishba YHWH — 'as the LORD swore') closes the circle on the judgment of 1:34-35.
Indeed, the hand of the LORD was against them, working to eliminate them from the camp until they were all gone.
KJV For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from among the host, until they were consumed.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The phrase yad YHWH hayetah bam ('the hand of the LORD was against them') describes active divine judgment, not merely natural attrition. The verb le-humam ('to confound, to destroy, to throw into panic') from hamam suggests God used disruption and turmoil — perhaps disease, conflict, or other calamities — to ensure the doomed generation perished within the wilderness. The repetition ad tummam ('until their completion') echoes the finality of divine judgment.
When the last of the fighting men had finally died out from among the people,
KJV So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people,
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The phrase tammu kol anshei ha-milchamah lamut ('all the men of war finished dying') marks the end of the judgment era. The verb tammu ('they were finished, completed, consumed') from tamam conveys total completion — not one survived from the condemned generation. This verse is the hinge point of the narrative: the old generation's sentence is fully served, and the new generation can now move forward.
Deuteronomy 2:17
וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃
the LORD spoke to me, saying:
KJV That the LORD spake unto me, saying,
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The speech formula va-yedabber YHWH elai ('the LORD spoke to me') resumes after the narrative parenthesis of verses 10-16. God speaks directly to Moses again, marking a new phase of the journey. The connection to verse 16 is immediate: the moment the last condemned man dies, God's word comes with new instructions.
'Today you are crossing the border of Moab at Ar.'
KJV Thou art to pass over through Ar, the coast of Moab, this day:
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The word ha-yom ('today') signals urgency and immediacy — the long waiting is over. Crossing gevul Mo'av ('the border of Moab') at Ar means passing through the Moabite capital region. The participle over ('crossing') in the present tense conveys that the action is already underway — God announces what He is already bringing about.
'When you approach the territory of the Ammonites, do not harass them and do not provoke them, because I will not give you any of the Ammonites' land as a possession — I have given it to the descendants of Lot as their inheritance.'
KJV And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The Ammonites receive the same protection as Moab and Edom — al tetsurem ('do not besiege/harass them') and al titgar bam ('do not provoke them'). Like the Moabites, the Ammonites are benei Lot ('children of Lot'), making them distant relatives through Abraham's family. The threefold restriction — Edom (v. 5), Moab (v. 9), Ammon (v. 19) — establishes that God's land-distribution plan is comprehensive and respects the territorial rights of related peoples.
The Ammonite designation for the Rephaim giants who previously inhabited their territory; the name may be onomatopoeic or derived from zamam ('to plan/plot').
Translator Notes
Another antiquarian note: the Ammonite territory was also erets Repha'im ('land of the Rephaim'). The Ammonites' local name for these people — Zamzummim — may derive from zamam ('to plan, to devise') or may be onomatopoeic, suggesting murmuring or buzzing speech. Each nation had its own designation for the same pre-Israelite giant population: Emim (Moab), Horites (Edom), Zamzummim (Ammon), Anakim (Canaan).
a people as large, numerous, and tall as the Anakim. But the LORD destroyed them before the Ammonites, who dispossessed them and settled in their place —
KJV 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:
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The repeated formula — gadol v'rav v'ram ka-Anaqim ('great, numerous, and tall like the Anakim') — and the pattern of divine destruction (va-yashmidem YHWH — 'the LORD destroyed them') followed by dispossession (va-yirashu — 'they dispossessed') drives home the lesson: giants are not invincible when God fights for a people. The implicit argument is that Israel's fear of the Anakim at Kadesh was groundless.
just as He did for the descendants of Esau who live in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites before them so they could dispossess them and settle in their place — as it remains to this day.
KJV 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:
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The phrase ad ha-yom ha-zeh ('to this day') anchors the ancient precedent in the audience's present experience — the Edomites still occupy Seir, confirming that God's land allocations endure. The repetitive pattern (God destroys previous inhabitants, new nation takes their place) establishes a theological template: land transfer is divinely managed, not humanly achieved. What God did for Esau, He will do for Israel.
And the Avvim, who had lived in settlements as far as Gaza — the Caphtorites, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and settled in their place.)
KJV 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.)
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
This parenthetical note adds a fourth example of population displacement. The Avvim (a pre-Philistine people living ba-chatserim — 'in settlements/villages' near Gaza) were destroyed by the Kaphtorim ('Caphtorites'), generally identified as the Philistines originating from Kaphtor (Crete or a broader Aegean region). This example involves non-Israelite, non-Abrahamic peoples — demonstrating that God orchestrates population movements universally, not only for covenant peoples.
'Get moving! Set out and cross the Arnon Gorge. Look — I have handed Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land over to you. Begin the conquest! Engage him in battle.'
KJV 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: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle.
Notes & Key Terms
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Key Terms
הָחֵל רָשׁhachel rash
"begin the conquest"—begin to possess, start dispossessing, commence taking over
The combination of chalal ('to begin') and yarash ('to possess/dispossess') marks the formal start of Israel's military campaign — everything before was preparatory; now active conquest begins.
Translator Notes
Three imperatives open the command: qumu ('rise'), se'u ('travel'), v'ivru ('cross'). The Nachal Arnon ('Arnon Gorge') is the boundary between Moab and Amorite territory — crossing it enters the combat zone. Unlike the prohibitions regarding Edom, Moab, and Ammon, God now commands engagement: hachel rash ('begin possessing') and hitgar bo milchamah ('engage him in battle'). The perfect tense natati ('I have given') again declares the outcome settled before the battle begins.
'Starting today I will begin placing dread and fear of you upon the peoples under all the heavens. When they hear reports about you, they will tremble and writhe in anguish before you.'
KJV 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.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
God promises to project pachdekha v'yir'atekha ('your dread and your fear') upon ha-amim tachat kol ha-shamayim ('the peoples under all the heavens'). Two fear responses describe the reaction: ragzu ('they will tremble/quake') and chalu ('they will writhe in pain/anguish') — the second verb is used for birth pangs, suggesting overwhelming, involuntary terror. The phrase ha-yom ha-zeh achel ('this day I begin') marks the inauguration of Israel's fearsome reputation among the nations.
I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with a peace proposal, saying:
KJV And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying,
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Despite the divine guarantee of victory, Moses first extends divrei shalom ('words of peace') — a diplomatic overture offering the possibility of peaceful passage. The midbar Qedemot ('wilderness of Kedemoth') is in Moabite border territory. This approach follows the protocol of Deuteronomy 20:10, which requires offering peace terms before attacking. Moses demonstrates that Israel is not a reckless aggressor but follows divine rules of engagement.
'Let me pass through your land. I will stay on the road — strictly on the road. I will not turn right or left.'
KJV 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.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The repeated ba-derekh ba-derekh ('on the road, on the road') is emphatic — strict adherence to the highway with no deviation. The pledge lo asur yamin u-semol ('I will not turn right or left') guarantees Israel will not encroach on Sihon's territory. The request mirrors the earlier passage through Edom, but Sihon's response will differ dramatically from Edom's cautious tolerance.
'Sell me food for silver so I can eat, and provide me water for silver so I can drink. Just let me pass through on foot —'
KJV 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;
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The offer is purely commercial: okhel ba-kesef tashbireni ('food for silver you shall sell me') and mayim ba-kesef titten li ('water for silver you shall give me'). Israel proposes paying fair market value for provisions — no plundering, no foraging, no resource extraction. The final clause raq ev'rah be-raglai ('only let me pass through on my feet') emphasizes the minimal, non-threatening nature of the request.
'just as the descendants of Esau living in Seir and the Moabites living in Ar allowed me to do — until I cross the Jordan into the land that the LORD our God is giving us.'
KJV (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.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Moses cites precedent: the Edomites (benei Esav — 'children of Esau') and Moabites permitted peaceful passage and trade. The reference to crossing ha-Yarden ('the Jordan') to reach the land YHWH Eloheinu noten lanu ('the LORD our God is giving us') clarifies Israel's ultimate destination — they are not interested in Sihon's territory per se but simply need transit rights. However, God's larger plan will unfold differently.
But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through, because the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart unyielding, in order to hand him over to you — as has now happened.
KJV 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.
Notes & Key Terms
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Key Terms
הִקְשָׁהhiqshah
"made stubborn"—to harden, to make stiff, to make difficult, to make obstinate
Divine hardening of a foreign king's spirit — the same theological pattern as Pharaoh's hardened heart in Exodus, where God uses a ruler's existing disposition to accomplish His purposes.
Translator Notes
The divine hardening — hiqshah YHWH et rucho ('the LORD hardened his spirit') and immets et levavo ('made obstinate his heart') — recalls the hardening of Pharaoh. The verbs qashah ('to be hard, stiff') and amats ('to be strong, firm, obstinate') together describe complete inflexibility. The purpose clause lema'an titto be-yadekha ('in order to give him into your hand') reveals that Sihon's refusal was divinely orchestrated to create the conditions for Israel's first Transjordanian conquest.
The LORD said to me, 'Look — I have already begun handing Sihon and his land over to you. Start taking possession so you may inherit his land.'
KJV 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.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The verb hachiloti ('I have begun') from chalal indicates the process is already underway from God's perspective. The double command — hachel rash lareshet ('begin possessing to possess') — uses both the imperative and infinitive of yarash to emphasize urgency and totality. God's initiative precedes human action: He has already begun; Israel must now participate in what God is accomplishing.
Sihon marched out against us with his entire army to fight at Jahaz.
KJV Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Sihon initiates the battle — va-yetse liqratenu ('he came out to meet us') hu v'khol ammo ('he and all his people') — giving Israel the legal and moral justification for the war: they offered peace (vv. 26-29), he refused (v. 30), and then he attacked. The battle at Yahtsah ('Jahaz') — a site east of the Dead Sea — becomes the first engagement in Israel's conquest. Sihon's full mobilization (kol ammo — 'all his people') leads to total defeat.
The LORD our God handed him over to us. We struck down him, his sons, and all his forces.
KJV And the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The verb va-yittenhu ('He gave him') from natan places God as the primary agent of victory — YHWH Eloheinu ('the LORD our God') delivers, then Israel acts. The verb va-nakk ('we struck') from nakah describes the military defeat. The inclusion of banav ('his sons') indicates the end of Sihon's dynasty — no heir survived to reclaim the throne or rally a resistance.
We captured all his cities at that time and devoted every city to destruction — the men, the women, and the children. We left no survivor.
KJV And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain:
Notes & Key Terms
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Key Terms
נַחֲרֵםnacharim
"devoted to destruction"—to devote to destruction, to put under the ban, to utterly destroy, to consecrate by destroying
The cherem was a form of total consecration through destruction — removing captured people and property from human use and dedicating them entirely to God. It represents the most extreme form of divine judgment executed through human agents.
Translator Notes
The verb va-nacharim ('we devoted to destruction') from charam is the key term for total warfare in the Hebrew Bible — the cherem ('ban, devotion to destruction'). This practice dedicated everything to God by destroying it completely. The phrase lo hish'arnu sarid ('we did not leave a survivor') indicates total destruction. The cherem was specific to certain divinely commanded military operations and is not presented as a general model for warfare.
Only the livestock we took as plunder for ourselves, along with the spoil from the cities we had captured.
KJV Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The exception raq ha-behemah ('only the livestock') indicates that the cherem (ban of total destruction) applied to the human population but not to animals and movable property. The shlal ha-arim ('spoil of the cities') — material goods, supplies, valuables — was available as bazaznu lanu ('we plundered for ourselves'). This distinction between devoted persons and permitted plunder follows the warfare regulations that will be codified later in Deuteronomy.
From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, including the city in the gorge itself, all the way to Gilead — not a single city was too fortified for us. The LORD our God gave us everything.
KJV 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:
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The geographical sweep — me-Aro'er ('from Aroer') on the sfat nachal Arnon ('rim of the Arnon Gorge') to ha-Gil'ad ('Gilead') — describes the full extent of conquered territory. The assessment lo hayetah qiryah asher sagvah mimmenu ('there was not a city that was too high/fortified for us') directly answers the fearful complaint of 1:28 about cities betsurot ba-shamayim ('fortified to the heavens'). What seemed impossible through human eyes proved achievable through divine power.
But the territory of the Ammonites you did not approach — neither the banks of the Jabbok River, nor the cities in the highlands, nor anywhere else the LORD our God had forbidden us.
KJV Only unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not, nor unto any place of the river Jabbok, nor unto the cities in the mountains, nor unto whatsoever the LORD our God forbad us.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The chapter's final verse returns to the theme of divinely mandated restraint: raq el erets benei Ammon lo qaravta ('only the land of the Ammonites you did not approach'). Israel's obedience was selective in the right way — they conquered where God commanded and refrained where God prohibited. The mention of nachal Yabboq ('the Jabbok River') and arei ha-har ('cities of the highlands') specifies the off-limits zones. The closing phrase v'khol asher tsivah YHWH Eloheinu ('everything the LORD our God commanded') frames Israel's entire conduct as covenant obedience.