Deuteronomy 2:5
in Deuteronomy 2Do 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
contend not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 2
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
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.
This site's exposition
You will pass through the territory of your brothers
on Deuteronomy 2:4-6
Mount Seir is Esau's by the same kind of grant that gives Canaan to Israel, so there Israel may take "not even a footprint". Numbers 20:14-21 has Edom refusing passage "with a large army", while here Israel passes by and buys food and water.
This site's exposition
not even a footprint
Seir is Esau's by God's gift, which held through later history. Barnes notes David conquered Edom without taking its land, and Edom later regained its independence at 2 Kings 8:20-22. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown limit the order to Seir's Edomites, since Amalek, also of Esau's line, was to be fought.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Contend not with them in battle, nor provoke them to it: for I will not give you of their land, no not so much as a foot breadth; or as the sole of a man's foot can tread on, signifying that they should not have the least part of it, not any at all.
(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.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Meddle not with them--that is, "which dwell in Seir" (De 2:4) --for there was another branch of Esau's posterity, namely, the Amalekites, who were to be fought against and destroyed (Ge 36:12;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Meddle not with them - That is, the Edomites. See on Num 20:14-21 (note).
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּתְגָּר֣וּ | titgaru | you engage in strife | H1624 → | 14 times |
| בָ֔ם | vam | with them | ||
| כִּ֠י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אֶתֵּ֤ן | ʾeten | I will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָכֶם֙ | lakhem | to you | ||
| מֵֽאַרְצָ֔ם | meartzam | any of land their | H776 → | 2504 times |
| עַ֖ד | ʾad | up to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| מִדְרַ֣ךְ | midrakh | a treading place of | H4096 → | |
| כַּף־ | kaf- | [the] sole of | H3709 → | 192 times |
| רָ֑גֶל | ragel | a foot | H7272 → | 247 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יְרֻשָּׁ֣ה | yerushah | a possession | H3425 → | 14 times |
| לְעֵשָׂ֔ו | leesav | to Esau | H6215 → | 97 times |
| נָתַ֖תִּי | natati | I have given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַ֥ר | har | [the] hill country of | H2022 → | 546 times |
| שֵׂעִֽיר׃ | seir | Seir | H8165 → | 39 times |
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תִּתְגָּר֣וּyou engage in strife
titgaruH1624 →14 times
בָ֔םwith them
vam
כִּ֠יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
אֶתֵּ֤ןI will give
ʾetenH5414 →2011 times
לָכֶם֙to you
lakhem
מֵֽאַרְצָ֔םany of land their
meartzamH776 →2504 times
עַ֖דup to
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
מִדְרַ֣ךְa treading place of
midrakhH4096 →
כַּף־[the] sole of
kaf-H3709 →192 times
רָ֑גֶלa foot
ragelH7272 →247 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יְרֻשָּׁ֣הa possession
yerushahH3425 →14 times
לְעֵשָׂ֔וto Esau
leesavH6215 →97 times
נָתַ֖תִּיI have given
natatiH5414 →2011 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַ֥ר[the] hill country of
harH2022 →546 times
שֵׂעִֽיר׃Seir
seirH8165 →39 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
Daniel 4:25You will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. You will feed on grass like an ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven,…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 27:5
By My great power and outstretched arm, I made the earth and the men and beasts on the face of it, and I give it to whom I please.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Daniel 4:17
This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it…
- Psalms 83:18
May they know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, are Most High over all the earth.
- Daniel 2:21
He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
- Psalms 106:20
They exchanged their Glory for the image of a grass-eating ox.
- Jeremiah 27:5
Through
Genesis 36:8So Esau (that is, Edom) settled in the area of Mount Seir.
it leads to
- Genesis 32:3
Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 32:3
Through
Daniel 4:32You will be driven away from mankind to live with the beasts of the field, and you will feed on grass like an ox. And seven times will pass you by, until you acknowledge…
it leads to
- Daniel 5:21
He was driven away from mankind, and his mind was like that of a beast. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the…
- Daniel 5:21
Through
Joshua 24:4and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau Mount Seir to possess, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.
it leads to
- Genesis 36:8
So Esau (that is, Edom) settled in the area of Mount Seir.
- Genesis 36:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies12
About Deuteronomy
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.