Deuteronomy 2:30
in Deuteronomy 2But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as is the case this day.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him; for Jehovah thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as at this day.
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.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 2
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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.
This site's exposition
the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn
on Deuteronomy 2:30-31
The same act is said of Pharaoh at Exodus 4:21 and 7:3, and Joshua 11:20 says of the Canaanite kings that "it was of the LORD to harden their hearts". The offer of peace at verse 26 stands beside the hardening at verse 30, and readers divide over how the two agree. Calvin treats the hardening as God's own act, and Henry holds that the embassy left Sihon without excuse.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The Lord - hardened his spirit - See the notes on Exo 4:21, and Exo 9:15 (note), etc.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אָבָ֗ה | ʾavah | he was willing | H14 → | 54 times |
| סִיחֹן֙ | sichon | Sihon | H5511 → | 37 times |
| מֶ֣לֶךְ | melekh | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| חֶשְׁבּ֔וֹן | cheshbon | Heshbon | H2809 → | 38 times |
| הַעֲבִרֵ֖נוּ | haavirenu | to let pass us | H5674 → | 556 times |
| בּ֑וֹ | bo | in him | ||
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הִקְשָׁה֩ | hikshah | he had made stubborn | H7185 → | 28 times |
| יְהוָ֨ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| רוּח֗וֹ | rucho | spirit his | H7307 → | |
| וְאִמֵּץ֙ | veimetz | and he had made obstinate | H553 → | 41 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְבָב֔וֹ | levavo | heart his | H3824 → | 252 times |
| לְמַ֛עַן | lemaan | so as | H4616 → | 272 times |
| תִּתּ֥וֹ | tito | to give him | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| בְיָדְךָ֖ | veyadekha | in hand your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| כַּיּ֥וֹם | kaiyom | as the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ ס | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
אָבָ֗הhe was willing
ʾavahH14 →54 times
סִיחֹן֙Sihon
sichonH5511 →37 times
מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of
melekhH4428 →2525 times
חֶשְׁבּ֔וֹןHeshbon
cheshbonH2809 →38 times
הַעֲבִרֵ֖נוּto let pass us
haavirenuH5674 →556 times
בּ֑וֹin him
bo
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
הִקְשָׁה֩he had made stubborn
hikshahH7185 →28 times
יְהוָ֨הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
רוּח֗וֹspirit his
ruchoH7307 →
וְאִמֵּץ֙and he had made obstinate
veimetzH553 →41 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
לְבָב֔וֹheart his
levavoH3824 →252 times
לְמַ֛עַןso as
lemaanH4616 →272 times
תִּתּ֥וֹto give him
titoH5414 →2011 times
בְיָדְךָ֖in hand your
veyadekhaH3027 →1618 times
כַּיּ֥וֹםas the day
kaiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּֽה׃ ס<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 4:21The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that…
it leads to
- Romans 9:18
Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.
- Exodus 14:8
And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out defiantly.
- Isaiah 63:17
Why, O LORD, do You make us stray from Your ways and harden our hearts from fearing You? Return, for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage.
- Joshua 11:20
For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be set apart for destruction and would receive no mercy, being annihilated as the LORD…
- Exodus 9:12
But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said to Moses.
- Romans 9:18
Through
Exodus 11:10Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would not let the Israelites go out of his land.
it leads to
- Exodus 4:21
The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that…
- Exodus 10:20
But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.
- Exodus 4:21
Through
Numbers 21:23But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. Instead, he gathered his whole army and went out to confront Israel in the wilderness. When he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel.
it leads to
- Judges 11:20
But Sihon would not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So he gathered all his people, encamped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.
- Judges 11:20
About Deuteronomy

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
