DEU 2

Deuteronomy 2:3

WEB

“You have encircled this mountain long enough. Turn northward.

BSB

“You have been wandering around this hill country long enough; turn to the north

KJV

Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward.

Matthew Henry

Verses 1–7

Deuteronomy 2:1–7

Here is, I. A short account of the long stay of Israel in the wilderness: We compassed Mount Seir many days, Deu 2:1. Nearly thirty-eight years they wandered in the deserts of Seir; probably in some of their rests they staid several years, and never stirred; God by this not only chastised them for their murmuring and unbelief, but, 1. Prepared them for Canaan, by humbling them for sin, teaching them to mortify their lusts, to follow God, and to comfort themselves in him. It is a work of time to make souls meet for heaven, and it must be done by a long train of exercises. 2. He prepared the Canaanites for destruction. All this time the measure of their iniquity was filling up; and, though it might have been improved by them as a space to repent in, it was abused by them to the hardening of their hearts. Now that the host of Israel was once repulsed, and after that was so long entangled and seemingly lost in the wilderness, they were secure, and thought the danger was over from that quarter, which would make the next attempt of Israel upon them the more dreadful.

II. Orders given them to turn towards Canaan. Though God contend long, he will not contend for ever. Though Israel may be long kept waiting for deliverance or enlargement, it will come at last: The vision is for an appointed time, and at the end it shall speak, and not lie.

III. A charge given them not to annoy the Edomites.

1. They must not offer any hostility to them as enemies: Meddle not with them, Deu 2:4, Deu 2:5. (1.) They must not improve the advantage they had against them, by the fright they would be put into upon Israel's approach: "They shall be afraid of you, knowing your strength and numbers, and the power of God engaged for you; but think not that, because their fears make them an easy prey, you may therefore prey upon them; no, take heed to yourselves." There is need of great caution and a strict government of our own spirits, to keep ourselves from injuring those against whom we have an advantage. Or this caution is given to the princes; they must not only not meddle with the Edomites themselves, but not permit any of the soldiers to meddle with them. (2.) They must not avenge upon the Edomites the affront they gave them in refusing them passage through their country, Num 20:21. Thus, before God brought Israel to destroy their enemies in Canaan, he taught them to forgive their enemies in Edom. (3.) They must not expect to have any part of their land given them for a possession: Mount Seir was already settled upon the Edomites, and they must not, under pretence of God's covenant and conduct, think to seize for themselves all they could lay hands on. Dominion is not founded in grace. God's Israel shall be well placed, but must not expect to be placed alone in the midst of the earth, Isa 5:8.

2. They must trade with them as neighbours, buy meat and water of them, and pay for what they bought, Deu 2:6. Religion must never be made a cloak for injustice. The reason given (Deu 2:7), is, "God hath blessed thee, and hitherto thou hast lacked nothing; and therefore," (1.) "Thou needest not beg; scorn to be beholden to Edomites, when thou hast a God all-sufficient to depend upon. Thou hast wherewithal to pay for what thou callest for (thanks to the divine blessing!); use therefore what thou hast, use it cheerfully, and do not sponge upon the Edomites." (2.) "Therefore thou must not steal. Thou hast experienced the care of the divine providence concerning thee, in confidence of which for the future, and in a firm belief of its sufficiency, never use any indirect methods for thy supply. Live by the faith and not by thy sword."

Cross-references: Deut 2:1 · Deut 2:4 · Deut 2:5 · Num 20:21 · Isa 5:8 · Deut 2:6 · Deut 2:7

Hebrew interlinear

לָכֶ֕םlakhemprep + suffix · pronominal · 2nd · masc · plur
לָכֶ֖םlakhemprep + suffix · pronominal · 2nd · masc · plur

H7227

רַבrab/rab/

a n-m — abundant

Derivation: by contracted from 7231;

abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)

KJV: (in) abound(-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great(-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, (time)), (do, have) many(-ifold, things, a time), (ship-)master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply(-tude), officer, often(-times), plenteous, populous, prince, process (of time), suffice(-lent).

רַב

n.m — chief

רַב 49 n.m. chief

רַב

adj — much

רַב 429 adj. much, many, great

1. (oft. opp. מְעַט)

a.

(1). much: of substances

(2). esp. of collectives, numerous

b. pl. many

c. רַב as subst. coll. pers.

d. cstr. = abounding in

e. מִן comp. = more numerous than

f. רַב = abundant, enough

g. as adv. much, exceedingly

2. less oft. great

H5437

סָבַבçâbab/saw-bab'/

v — revolve, surround, border

Derivation: a primitive root;

to revolve, surround, or border; used in various applications, literally and figuratively

KJV: bring, cast, fetch, lead, make, walk, × whirl, × round about, be about on every side, apply, avoid, beset (about), besiege, bring again, carry (about), change, cause to come about, × circuit, (fetch a) compass (about, round), drive, environ, × on every side, beset (close, come, compass, go, stand) round about, inclose, remove, return, set, sit down, turn (self) (about, aside, away, back).

סָבַב

vb — turn about

סָבַב vb. turn about, go around, surround

Qal

1. turn, intrans.

2.

a. march, or walk, around

b. go partly round, circle, skirt

c. make a round, or circuit, go about to

d. surround, encompass

Niph.

1.

a. turn oneself against, close round upon

b. turn round (from a direct course)

c. esp. of boundary: turn round from, toward

2. pass. be turned over to, into the power of

Pi. to change, transform, the aspect of the matter

Po‛.

1. encompass (with protection)

2. come about, assemble round

3. march or go about

4. enclose, envelop

Hiph.

1.

a. turn (trans.), cause to turn

b. bring over (i.e. to allegiance)

c. turn into, of changing name

d. = bring round, of changing name

2.

a. cause to go around

b. surround with (acc.) wall

c. perh. also encompass (as foe)

Hoph.

1. be turned, of cart wheel

2. surrounded, i.e. set, of jewels

H853

אֵתʼêth/ayth/

prt — self, even, namely

Derivation: apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity;

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

KJV: [as such unrepresented in English].

אֵת

mark of the accusative

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

H2022

הַרhar/har/

n-m — mountain, range

Derivation: a shortened form of 2042;

a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)

KJV: hill (country), mount(-ain), × promotion.

הַר

n.m — mountain

הַר 568 n.m. mountain, hill, hill-country

1. mountain, hill

2. hill-country, mountain-region

H2088

זֶהzeh/zeh/

d — this, that

Derivation: a primitive word;

the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that

KJV: he, × hence, × here, it(-self), × now, × of him, the one...the other, × than the other, (× out of) the (self) same, such (a one) that, these, this (hath, man), on this side...on that side, × thus, very, which. Compare 2063, 2090, 2097, 2098.

זֶה

demonstr.pron — this

זֶה demonstr.pron. and adv.; fem. זֹאת, once זֹאתָה; this, here

1. standing alone

2. In appos. to subst.

3. More oft. as pred.

4. It is attached enclitically, almost as an adv., to certain words, esp. interrog. pronouns, to impart, in a manner often not reproducible in Engl. idiom, directness and force, bringing the question or statement made into close relation with the speaker.

5. In poetry, as a relative pron. (rare)

6. With prefixes (in special senses)

H6437

פָּנָהpânâh/paw-naw'/

v — turn, face, appear, look

Derivation: a primitive root;

to turn; by implication, to face, i.e. appear, look, etc.

KJV: appear, at (even-) tide, behold, cast out, come on, × corner, dawning, empty, go away, lie, look, mark, pass away, prepare, regard, (have) respect (to), (re-) turn (aside, away, back, face, self), × right (early).

פָּנָה

vb — turn

פָּנָה 135 vb. turn

Qal 117

1.

a. turn toward

b. turn from

c. turn and do a thing

d. turn, decline

e. turn toward, approach

2.

a. turn and look, look

b. of inanimate things, face

c. esp. fig. look at, regard

d. look for = expect

e. fig. look at = consider

Hiph.

1. turn

2. make a turn, shew (signs of) turning

Hoph. be ye turned back!

H6828

צָפוֹןtsâphôwn/tsaw-fone'/

n-f — hidden, dark, north

Derivation: or צָפֹן; from 6845;

properly, hidden, i.e. dark; used only of the north as a quarter (gloomy and unknown)

KJV: north(-ern, side, -ward, wind).

צָפוֹן

n.f — north

צָפוֹן 153 n.f. north (as the hidden, dark)

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