1Potom sme sa obrátili a odišli sme na púšť smerom k Červenému moru, ako mi povedal Hospodin. Dlhší čas sme obchádzali pohorie Seír. 2Vtedy mi Hospodin povedal: 3Už dosť dlho ste obchádzali toto pohorie, teraz sa obráťte na sever. 4Ľudu prikáž: Pôjdete cez územie svojich bratov Ézavovcov, ktorí obývajú Seír. Oni sa vás budú báť, no buďte nanajvýš ostražití. 5Nepodnecujte ich do boja, lebo z ich územia vám nedám ani piaď pôdy. Pohorie Seír som dal do vlastníctva Ézavovi. 6Za peniaze si budete od nich kupovať potravu, aby ste mali čo jesť. Aj vodu si budete u nich zaobstarávať za peniaze, aby ste mali čo piť. 7Veď Hospodin, tvoj Boh, ťa požehnával vo všetkom, čo si robil. Vie o tvojej ceste touto veľkou púšťou. Hospodin, tvoj Boh, je už štyridsať rokov s tebou, a nič ti nechýbalo. 8Prešli sme teda popri našich bratoch Ézavovcoch, ktorí obývajú Seír, stepnou cestou, ktorá vychádza z Élatu a Ecjón-Geberu. Potom sme sa obrátili a šli sme ďalej smerom k Moábskej púšti. 9Vtedy mi Hospodin povedal: Neútoč na Moábčanov a nepúšťaj sa s nimi do boja, lebo z ich územia ti nič nedám do vlastníctva. Ár som dal do vlastníctva Lótovým synom. 10Predtým tam bývali Émi, veľký a početný ľud vysokej postavy ako Anákovia. 11Aj Refáji sú pokladaní za Anákov, ale Moábčania ich nazývajú Émami. 12Predtým aj v Seíre bývali Chóri, ale Ézavovci ich vyhnali, vyhubili a usadili sa na ich mieste, ako to urobil Izrael v krajine, ktorú mu dal Hospodin. 13Teraz vstaňte a prejdite cez potok Zered. Prešli sme teda cez potok Zered. 14Naše putovanie z Kádeš-Barney až po prechod cez potok Zered trvalo tridsaťosem rokov, kým z tábora bojovníkov nevymrelo celé pokolenie, ako im prisahal Hospodin. 15Aj ruka Hospodina bola proti nim, aby ich hubila v tábore, kým celkom nevymreli. 16Keď spomedzi ľudu pomreli všetci bojovníci, 17Hospodin im povedal: 18Dnes prejdeš územím Moábčanov pri Áre 19a priblížiš sa k Amónčanom. Nenapádaj ich ani sa nepúšťaj s nimi do boja, lebo z ich územia ti nič nedám do vlastníctva, pretože som ho dal do vlastníctva Lótovým synom. 20Aj toto územie sa pokladalo za vlastníctvo Refájov. Refáji ho obývali predtým a Amónčania ich nazývali Zamzummčanmi. 21Bol to veľký a početný ľud vysokej postavy ako Anákovia. Hospodin ich vyhubil pred Amónčanmi, ktorí ich vyhnali. Usadili sa na ich mieste, 22ako to Hospodin urobil Ézavovcom, ktorí bývajú v Seíre, keď pred nimi vyhubil Chórov, takže ich vyhnali, a na ich mieste sú dodnes. 23Avvijcov, ktorí bývali v dedinách až po Gazu, vyhubili Kaftóri, ktorí prišli z Kaftóru a usadili sa na ich mieste. 24Vstaňte teda, vyjdite a prekročte potok Arnón! Pozri, vydal som ti do rúk Amorejčana, Síchončana, chešbónskeho kráľa aj jeho krajinu. Začni ju obsadzovať a bojuj s ním! 25Už dnes začnem naháňať hrôzu a strach pred tebou medzi národmi kdekoľvek pod nebom. Tie sa budú triasť a chvieť pred tebou, len čo sa dopočujú o tebe. 26Vtedy som vyslal poslov z púšte Kedemót k chešbónskemu kráľovi Síchonovi s mierovým návrhom: 27Dovoľ mi prejsť tvojou krajinou. Pôjdem len po ceste, neodbočím ani napravo, ani naľavo. 28Potravu mi predáš za peniaze, aby som mal čo jesť, a za peniaze mi dáš aj vodu, aby som mal čo piť. Chcem prejsť len peši. 29Tak mi to dovolili Ézavovci, ktorí bývajú v Seíre, a Moábčania, ktorí bývajú v Áre, kým neprejdem cez Jordán do krajiny, ktorú nám dáva Hospodin, náš Boh. 30Chešbónsky kráľ Síchon nám však nechcel dovoliť prechod cez svoju krajinu, lebo Hospodin, tvoj Boh, mu otupil ducha a zatvrdil srdce, aby ti ho vydal do rúk, ako je to dnes. 31Hospodin mi povedal: Pozri, začal som ti dávať do moci Síchona i jeho krajinu. Začni ju obsadzovať. 32Síchon vyšiel so všetkým svojím ľudom proti nám do boja k Jahacu. 33Hospodin, náš Boh, nám ho vydal a my sme porazili jeho, jeho synov a všetok jeho ľud. 34Vtedy sme dobyli všetky jeho mestá. Vykonali sme ničiacu kliatbu na každom meste, na mužoch, ženách i deťoch. Nikto nám nemohol ujsť. 35Len dobytok a ulúpené veci z obsadených miest sme si nechali ako korisť. 36Od Aróeru na brehu potoka Arnón a od mesta, ktoré je v údolí, až po Gileád, nebolo mesta, ktoré by sme nemohli dobyť. Hospodin, náš Boh, nám ich všetky vydal. 37Len ku krajine Amónčanov si sa nepriblížil, k celému pobrežiu potoka Jabbók, ani k mestám na pohorí či kdekoľvek inde, kde sa nám Hospodin, náš Boh, priblížiť zakázal.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE STORY IS CONTINUED. (Deu. 2:1-37)
Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea--After their unsuccessful attack upon the Canaanites, the Israelites broke up their encampment at Kadesh, and journeying southward over the west desert of Tih as well as through the great valley of the Ghor and Arabah, they extended their removals as far as the gulf of Akaba.
we compassed mount Seir many days--In these few words Moses comprised the whole of that wandering nomadic life through which they passed during thirty-eight years, shifting from place to place, and regulating their stations by the prospect of pasturage and water. Within the interval they went northward a second time to Kadesh, but being refused a passage through Edom and opposed by the Canaanites and Amalekites, they again had no alternative but to traverse once more the great Arabah southwards to the Red Sea, where turning to the left and crossing the long, lofty mountain chain to the eastward of Ezion-geber (
Num 21:4-
Num 21:5), they issued into the great and elevated plains, which are still traversed by the Syrian pilgrims in their way to Mecca. They appear to have followed northward nearly the same route, which is now taken by the Syrian hadji, along the western skirts of this great desert, near the mountains of Edom [ROBINSON]. It was on entering these plains they received the command, "Ye have compassed this mountain (this hilly tract, now Jebel Shera) long enough, turn ye northward" [
Deut 2:3].
4 the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir . . . shall be afraid of you--The same people who had haughtily repelled the approach of the Israelites from the western frontier were alarmed now that they had come round upon the weak side of their country.
5 Meddle not with them--that is, "which dwell in Seir" (
Deut 2:4) --for there was another branch of Esau's posterity, namely, the Amalekites, who were to be fought against and destroyed (
Gen 36:12;
Exod 17:14;
Deut 25:17). But the people of Edom were not to be injured, either in their persons or property. And although the approach of so vast a nomadic horde as the Israelites naturally created apprehension, they were to take no advantage of the prevailing terror to compel the Edomites to accept whatever terms they imposed. They were merely to pass "through" or along their border, and to buy meat and water of them for money (
Deut 2:6). The people, kinder than their king, did sell them bread, meat, fruits, and water in their passage along their border (
Deut 2:29), in the same manner as the Syrian caravan of Mecca is now supplied by the people of the same mountains, who meet the pilgrims as at a fair or market on the hadji route [ROBINSON]. Although the Israelites still enjoyed a daily supply of the manna, there was no prohibition against their eating other food when opportunity afforded. Only they were not to cherish an inordinate desire for it. Water is a scarce commodity and is often paid for by travellers in those parts. It was the more incumbent on the Israelites to do so, as, by the blessing of God, they possessed plenty of means to purchase, and the long-continued experience of the extraordinary goodness of God to them, should inspire such confidence in Him as would suppress the smallest thought of resorting to fraud or violence in supplying their wants.
8 we passed . . . through the way of the plain--the Arabah or great valley, from Elath ("trees") (the Ailah of the Greeks and Romans). The site of it is marked by extensive mounds of rubbish.
Ezion-geber--now Akaba, both were within the territory of Edom; and after making a circuit of its southeastern boundary, the Israelites reached the border of Moab on the southeast of the Salt Sea. They had been forbidden by divine command to molest the Moabites in any way; and this special honor was conferred on that people not on their own account, for they were very wicked, but in virtue of their descent from Lot. (See on
Deut 23:3). Their territory comprised the fine country on the south, and partly on the north of the Arnon. They had won it by their arms from the original inhabitants, the Emims, a race, terrible, as their name imports, for physical power and stature (
Gen 14:5), in like manner as the Edomites had obtained their settlement by the overthrow of the original occupiers of Seir, the Horims (
Gen 14:6), who were troglodytes, or dwellers in caves. Moses alluded to these circumstances to encourage his countrymen to believe that God would much more enable them to expel the wicked and accursed Canaanites. At that time, however, the Moabites, having lost the greater part of their possessions through the usurpations of Sihon, were reduced to the small but fertile region between the Zered and the Arnon.
13 Now rise up, and get you over the brook Zered--The southern border of Moab, Zered ("woody"), now Wady Ahsy, separates the modern district of Kerak from Jebal, and, indeed, forms a natural division of the country between the north and south. Ar, called in later times Rabbah, was the capital of Moab and situated twenty-five miles south of the Arnon on the banks of a small but shady stream, the Beni Hamed. It is here mentioned as representative of the country dependent on it, a rich and well-cultivated country, as appears from the numerous ruins of cities, as well as from the traces of tillage still visible on the fields.
16 all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people--The outbreak at Kadesh on the false report of the spies had been the occasion of the fatal decree by which God doomed the whole grown-up population to die in the wilderness [
Num 14:29]; but that outbreak only filled up the measure of their iniquities. For that generation, though not universally abandoned to heathenish and idolatrous practices, yet had all along displayed a fearful amount of ungodliness in the desert, which this history only hints at obscurely, but which is expressly asserted elsewhere (
Ezek 20:25-
Ezek 20:26;
Amos 5:25,
Amos 5:27;
Acts 7:42-
Acts 7:43).
19 when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them--The Ammonites, being kindred to the Moabites, were, from regard to the memory of their common ancestor, to remain undisturbed by the Israelites. The territory of this people had been directly north from that of Moab. It extended as far as the Jabbok, having been taken by them from a number of small Canaanitish tribes, namely, the Zamzummins, a bullying, presumptuous band of giants, as their name indicates; and the Avims, the aborigines of the district extending from Hazerim or Hazeroth (El Hudhera) even unto Azzah (Gaza), but of which they had been dispossessed by the Caphtorim (Philistines), who came out of Caphtor (Lower Egypt) and settled in the western coast of Palestine. The limits of the Ammonites were now compressed; but they still possessed the mountainous region beyond the Jabbok (
Josh 11:2). What a strange insight does this parenthesis of four verses give into the early history of Palestine! How many successive wars of conquest had swept over its early state--what changes of dynasty among the Canaanitish tribes had taken place long prior to the transactions recorded in this history!
24 Rise ye up . . . and pass over the river Arnon--At its mouth, this stream is eighty-two feet wide and four deep. It flows in a channel banked by perpendicular cliffs of sandstone. At the date of the Israelitish migration to the east of the Jordan, the whole of the fine country lying between the Arnon and the Jabbok including the mountainous tract of Gilead, had been seized by the Amorites, who, being one of the nations doomed to destruction (see
Deut 7:2;
Deut 20:16), were utterly exterminated. Their country fell by right of conquest into the hands of the Israelites. Moses, however, considering this doom as referring solely to the Amorite possessions west of Jordan, sent a pacific message to Sihon, requesting permission to go through his territories, which lay on the east of that river. It is always customary to send messengers before to prepare the way; but the rejection of Moses' request by Sihon and his opposition to the advance of the Israelites (
Num 21:23;
Judg 11:26) drew down on himself and his Amorite subjects the predicted doom on the first pitched battlefield with the Canaanites. It secured to Israel not only the possession of a fine and pastoral country, but, what was of more importance to them, a free access to the Jordan on the east.