Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Deuteronomy
Chapter 2: Through the Lands of Kinsmen
Moses continues his review of the journey. God led Israel around the lands of Edom, Moab, and Ammon, and told them plainly not to meddle with these kinsmen, for He had given those lands to Esau and to the children of Lot. Woven in is a tender testimony: through forty years in the great wilderness, 'thou hast lacked nothing.' Then the tide turns; God delivers Sihon the Amorite into their hand and says, 'begin to possess.' It is a chapter about God's faithful provision, His sovereign rule over all nations, and the faith that lays hold of the inheritance.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Deuteronomy chapter 2. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. The chapter recounts Israel's passage around Edom, Moab, and Ammon, God's provision through the wilderness, and the beginning of the conquest with Sihon. It teaches God's faithful care, His sovereignty over the nations, and the faith that lays hold of what He has given. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Thou Hast Lacked Nothing
Through forty years in the great wilderness, God was with Israel, and they lacked nothing they needed.
Meddle Not with Them
Israel was to respect the lands God had given Esau and the children of Lot, and not seize them.
God Assigns the Nations
God had given Edom, Moab, and Ammon their possessions; He rules over all peoples, not Israel alone.
Begin to Possess
God delivered Sihon into Israel's hand and said, "begin to possess," and the conquest was underway.
Thou Hast Lacked Nothing (Deuteronomy 2:1-8)
God led Israel around the land of their kinsmen Esau, telling them not to meddle with it, and bore witness that through forty years in the wilderness they had lacked nothing.
These Forty Years the LORD Has Been with Thee
"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. And the LORD spake unto me, saying, Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward. 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: Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession. 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. 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. 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 Eziongaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab."
Hebrew Study
"knoweth," yada (יָדַע). To know, not merely with the mind but by close, personal acquaintance. God did not merely observe Israel's wandering from afar; He knew their walking through the great wilderness, intimately aware of every step, every hardship, every mile. To be known by God in this way is to be cared for by Him through the whole journey.
Explanation
After compassing Mount Seir "many days," God said, "Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward." As they passed by the land of "your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir," they were commanded, "Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession." They could even buy food and water from Edom, but not seize the land. And in the midst of these instructions comes a beautiful backward glance: "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." Even through the years of wandering under discipline, God had been present and provided; His people had wanted for nothing they truly needed.
Gospel Focus
"Thou hast lacked nothing" is one of the sweetest testimonies in the Bible. Through forty years in a barren wilderness, even years of discipline for their unbelief, God kept His people, and they lacked nothing they needed. He gave manna and water, and even their clothes did not wear out. It is the same faithfulness the believer rests in: "my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19), and with David we can say, "the LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1). Notice the ground of this care: God "knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness." He is intimately acquainted with our journey, present through every mile, and where He is present, His people lack nothing essential. There is comfort here for anyone in a hard and long season: God knows your walking, He has been with you all the way, and He will not fail to provide. Look back over your own wilderness years and you will find the same testimony written across them, the LORD has been with me; I have lacked nothing.
God Assigns the Nations Their Lands (Deuteronomy 2:9-23)
Israel was to leave Moab and Ammon in peace, for God had given those lands to the children of Lot, a reminder that He rules over all the nations and their boundaries.
Distress Not the Moabites
"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. The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims. 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. Now rise up, said I, and get you over the brook Zered. And we went over the brook Zered. And the space in which we came from Kadeshbarnea, 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. For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from among the host, until they were consumed. So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people, That the LORD spake unto me, saying, Thou art to pass over through Ar, the coast of Moab, this day: 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. (That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims; 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: 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: 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.) 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. 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. And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying, 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. 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; (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. 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."
Hebrew Study
Repeatedly God tells Israel, "Distress not the Moabites," nor the Ammonites, nor Edom — "for I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession." The God of Israel is the God of all nations' borders: He assigned lands to Moab, Ammon, and Edom (the kin of Abraham and Lot) just as truly as He gave Canaan to Israel. Paul draws out the same truth — God "hath determined... the bounds of their habitation" (Acts 17:26). Israel may not seize what the LORD has granted to another people.
Explanation
As with Edom, so with Moab and Ammon: "Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle... because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession," and likewise concerning Ammon, "distress them not, nor meddle with them... because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession." These nations descended from Lot, Abraham's nephew, and God had assigned them their territories, even driving out earlier peoples, the Emims, the Horims, the Zamzummims, to settle them there, just as He was doing for Israel. Israel was not to touch what God had given these kinsmen. The passage quietly reveals a God who is not the tribal deity of Israel only, but the sovereign LORD who apportions lands to all peoples, moving nations and setting their borders according to His own will.
Gospel Focus
This section unveils the sweeping sovereignty of God over all the nations. He gave Edom, Moab, and Ammon their lands as surely as He gave Canaan to Israel; He drives out peoples and settles others; the whole map of the world is in His hand. Paul preached this very truth to the philosophers of Athens: God "hath made of one blood all nations of men... and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation" (Acts 17:26). The rise and fall of nations, the drawing of their borders, is God's doing, and He is Lord of all peoples, not one only. There is also a practical lesson in the command "meddle not." Israel was to respect what God had given others and not covet or seize another's God-given portion. So we are to be content with our own inheritance and not reach for what God has assigned to another; envy and grasping have no place among those who trust the God who apportions all things. Honor the boundaries God has set, respect what He has given others, and rest in the sovereign Lord who rules every nation and every border.
Begin to Possess (Deuteronomy 2:24-37)
The season of passing by ended; God delivered Sihon the Amorite into Israel's hand and told them to begin to possess the inheritance He was giving them.
Begin to Possess
"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. Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz. And the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people. 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: Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took. 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: 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."
Hebrew Study
"possess," yarash (יָרַשׁ). To take possession, to inherit, and also to dispossess or drive out. The word joins gift and effort: the land was God's to give, yet Israel had to yarash, to go in and possess it. God gives the inheritance, and His people lay hold of it; the two are not at odds but joined in the one word.
Explanation
Now the tone changes. Concerning Sihon the Amorite, God says, "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." Unlike Edom and Moab, this land God was giving to Israel. Moses sent a peaceful request for passage, 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." When Sihon came out to fight, "the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote him," and Israel took his cities, "there was not one city too strong for us: the LORD our God delivered all unto us." God had said, "Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land," and so it came to pass. The long years of wandering gave way to the first taste of possessing the promise.
Gospel Focus
"I have given... begin to possess" holds the whole rhythm of faith. The land was God's gift, freely given, yet Israel had to rise up and lay hold of it; the giving and the possessing went together. So it is with the promises of God to us. They are freely given in Christ, yet we are to "lay hold on eternal life" (1 Timothy 6:12), to "possess" by faith and obedient action what grace has provided. God does not carry us passively into every blessing; He gives, and He calls us to go in and take. And notice His hand even over the enemy: God hardened Sihon's already obstinate heart to deliver him up, ruling over the very resistance of those set against His people, turning it to their good. The God who overruled Pharaoh and Sihon still works all things for the good of those who love Him. There is also a lesson in the timing: for years Israel was told to pass by and not fight, but now the word was "begin to possess." There is a time to wait and a time to advance; wisdom knows the difference and moves when God says move. When God says the inheritance is given and it is time to possess, rise up in faith and take hold of what He has already placed in your hand.
Chapter 2 in Review
Deuteronomy 2 recounts Israel's passage around the lands of their kinsmen. God led them by Edom, Moab, and Ammon, and told them not to meddle with those lands, for He had given them to Esau and to the children of Lot. In the midst comes the tender testimony that through forty years in the great wilderness, "thou hast lacked nothing." Then the season of passing by ended: God delivered Sihon the Amorite into Israel's hand and said, "begin to possess," and the conquest of the inheritance began.
For the Apostolic reader, the chapter is rich with comfort and instruction. "Thou hast lacked nothing" assures us that the God who knows our walking through the wilderness supplies all our need in Christ. His care for the lands of Edom, Moab, and Ammon reveals His sovereignty over all nations, who "hath determined... the bounds of their habitation," and calls us to respect what He has given others rather than covet it. And "begin to possess" joins God's free gift to our obedient faith: what He gives, we must rise up and lay hold of, while He rules even over the enemies that resist us. Rest in the God who has been with you and provided all the way, honor the boundaries He has set, and when He says the inheritance is given, rise up and possess it.
- Through forty years God provided; "thou hast lacked nothing," for He knows our walking (2:7; Philippians 4:19; Psalm 23:1).
- Israel was to respect the lands God gave others: "meddle not with them" (2:5, 2:9).
- God is sovereign over all nations, who "hath determined... the bounds of their habitation" (2:9-23; Acts 17:26).
- God's gift and our effort meet in one word: "begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit" (2:31; 1 Timothy 6:12).
- God rules even over the resistance of enemies, turning it to His people's good (2:30, 2:33).
Questions for Reflection
- Can you look back on your own wilderness years and say, "the LORD has been with me; I have lacked nothing"?
- Do you respect what God has given others, or are you tempted to covet and grasp for another's portion?
- Is there an inheritance God has given that you must now rise up in faith and "begin to possess"?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). The Hebrew terms are standard and can be checked in any Hebrew lexicon. Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- God's faithful provision through the wilderness: Deuteronomy 2:1-8; Philippians 4:19; Psalm 23:1.
- God's sovereignty over the nations and their boundaries: Deuteronomy 2:9-23; Acts 17:26.
- Beginning to possess the inheritance: Deuteronomy 2:24-37; 1 Timothy 6:12.