Albert Barnes

This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and then at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth.

“Astaroth - On this place compare Gen 14:5 and note. In Edrei - These words should, to render the sense clear, come next after “slain.” The battle in which Sihon and Og were defeated took place at Edrei.”

On the east side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying:

“In the land of Moab - This district had formerly been occupied by the Moabites, and retained its name from them: but had been conquered by the Amorites. Compare Num 21:25, note; Num 22:5, note. Declare - Render, explain the Law already declared.”

Resume your journey and go to the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the hill country, in the foothills, in the…

“To the mount of the Amorites - i. e. to the mountain district occupied by the Amorites, reaching into the Negeb, and part of the territory assigned to the tribe of Judah.”

At that time I said to you, “I cannot carry the burden for you alone.

“This appointment of the “captains” (compare Exo 18:21 ff) must not be confounded with that of the elders in Num 11:16 ff. The former would number 78,600; the latter were 70 only.”

And just as the LORD our God had commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites, through all the vast and terrifying…

“That great and terrible wilderness - Compare Deu 8:15. This language is such as people would employ after having passed with toil and suffering through the worst part of it, the southern half of the Arabah (see Num 21:4 note); and more especially when they…”

Then all of you approached me and said, “Let us send men ahead of us to search out the land and bring us word of what route to follow and…

“The plan of sending the spies originated with the people; and, as in itself a reasonable one, it approved itself to Moses; it was submitted to God, sanctioned by Him, and carried out under special divine direction.”

The LORD was also angry with me on your account, and He said, “Not even you shall enter the land.

“The sentence on Moses was not passed when the people rebelled during their first encampment at Kadesh, but some 37 years later, when they had re-assembled in the same neighborhood at Meribah (see the Num 20:13 note).”

“We have sinned against the LORD,” you replied. “We will go up and fight, as the LORD our God has commanded us.”

“Ye were ready to go up into the hill - Rather, perhaps, “ye made light of going up;” i. e. “ye were ready to attempt it as a trifling undertaking.” Deu 1:43 shows the issue of this spirit in action; compare marginal references.”

Then the Amorites who lived in the hills came out against you and chased you like a swarm of bees. They routed you from Seir all the way to Hormah.

“The Amorites - In Num 14:45, it is “the Amalekites and the Canaanites” who are said to have discomfited them. The Amorites, as the most powerful nation of Canaan, lend their name here, as in other passages (eg. Deu 1:7) to the Canaanite tribes generally.”

Then we turned back and headed for the wilderness by way of the Red Sea, as the LORD had instructed me, and for many days we wandered around Mount Seir.

“Deu 2:1 seems to refer in general terms to the long years of wandering, the details of which were not for Moses’ present purpose.”

and command the people: ‘You will pass through the territory of your brothers, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir.

“Compare the marginal reference. Though the Edomites resisted the passage through the midst of their land, they did not, and probably could not, oppose the “passing through the coast” or along their eastern frontier.”

Do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, not even a footprint, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as his possession.

“I have given mount Seir to Esau - Though the descendants of Esau were conquered by David 2Sa 8:14, yet they were not dispossessed of their land, and in the reign of Jehoshaphat they regained their independence 2Ki 8:20-22.”

So we passed by our brothers, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir.

“Elath (Akaba) is at the northern extremity of the eastern arm of the Red Sea, and gives to that arm the name of the Elanitic Gulf. The name means “trees;” and is still justified by the grove of palm-trees at Akaba.”

Then the LORD said to me, “Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, because I have given…

“The Moabites and the Ammonites Deu 2:19 being descended from Lot, the nephew of Abraham Gen 19:30-38, were, like the Edomites, kinsmen of the Israelites.”

“Now arise and cross over the Brook of Zered.” So we crossed over the Brook of Zered.

“The words, “said I,” are not in the Hebrew. The words “rise up, and get you over the brook Zered” (Num 21:12 note) connect themselves with Deu 2:9, and form the conclusion of what God said to Moses.”

So from the Wilderness of Kedemoth I sent messengers with an offer of peace to Sihon king of Heshbon, saying,

“Kedemoth - literally, “Easternmost parts;” the name of a town afterward assigned to the Reubenites, and given out of that tribe to the Levites. Compare Jos 13:18; 1Ch 6:79.”

At that time we captured all his cities and devoted to destruction the people of every city, including women and children. We left no survivors.

“Utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city - Render, laid under ban (compare Lev 27:28 note) every inhabited city, both women and children: these last words being added by way of fuller explanation.”

From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the valley, even as far as Gilead, not one city had walls too high for us.

“Aroer, which is by the brink of the river of Arnon - Aroer stood on the north bank of the river, and was assigned Jos 13:9, Jos 13:16 to the tribe of Reuben, of which it formed the most southerly city.”

All these cities were fortified with high walls and gates and bars, and there were many more unwalled villages.

“Gates, and bars - literally, “Double gates and a bar.” The stone doors of Bashan, their height pointing to a race of great stature, and the numerous cities (deserted) exist to illustrate the statements of these verses.”

which the Sidonians call Sirion but the Amorites call Senir—

“Hermon, the southern and culminating point of the range of Lebanon, was also the religious center of primaeval Syria. Its Baal sanctuaries not only existed but gave it a name before the Exodus.”

all the cities of the plateau, all of Gilead, and all of Bashan as far as the cities of Salecah and Edrei in the kingdom of Og.

“Salchah - Compare Jos 12:5; 1Ch 5:11, where it is named as belonging to the tribe of Gad. It lies seven hours’ journey to the southeast of Bostra or Bozrah of Moab.”

(For only Og king of Bashan had remained of the remnant of the Rephaim.

“Giants - Or Rephaim: see the marginal reference note. A bedstead of iron - The “iron” was probably the black basalt of the country, which not only contains a large proportion, about 20 percent, of iron, but was actually called “iron,” and is still so…”

Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took the whole region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites.

“These Geshurites held territory adjoining, if not included within, Bashan. They are not to be confounded with those mentioned in Jos 13:2, who were neighbors of the Philistines 1Sa 17:8.”

and to the Reubenites and Gadites I gave the territory from Gilead to the Arnon Valley (the middle of the valley was the border) and up to the Jabbok River…

“The sense is that the Reubenites and Gadites were to possess the district from the Jabbok on the north to the Arnon on the south, including the middle part of the valley of the Arnon, and the territory (“coast” or “border”) thereto pertaining.”

Please let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that pleasant hill country as well as Lebanon!”

“That goodly mountain - i. e., that mountainous district. The fiat districts of the East are generally scorched, destitute of water, and therefore sterile: the hilly ones, on the contrary, are of more tempered climate, and fertilized by the streams from the high grounds.”