Focused Passage

Deuteronomy 2:16-23

The Wilderness Years End and the March Begins

From forty years of wilderness wandering (v. 1) through guarded transit past Edom, Moab, and Ammon (vv. 2-23) to the decisive command to begin the conquest at the Arnon (vv. 24-25) and the total defeat of Sihon (vv. 26-37) — the chapter turns the page from judgment to advance, from restraint to war.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

16 Now when all the fighting men among the people had died,

17 the LORD said to me,

18 “Today you are going to cross the border of Moab at Ar.

19 But when you get close to the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them, for I will not give you any of the land of the Ammonites. I have given it to the descendants of Lot as their possession.”

20 (That too was regarded as the land of the Rephaim, who used to live there, though the Ammonites called them Zamzummites.

21 They were a people great and many, as tall as the Anakites. But the LORD destroyed them from before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place,

22 just as He had done for the descendants of Esau who lived in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them. They drove them out and have lived in their place to this day.

23 And the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, were destroyed by the Caphtorites, who came out of Caphtor and settled in their place.)

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 16

Original words

Now וַיְהִ֨י H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular when כַאֲשֶׁר־ H834 Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative . . . תַּ֜מּוּ H8552 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the fighting הַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה H4421 Article | Noun - feminine singular men אַנְשֵׁ֧י H582 Noun - masculine plural construct among מִקֶּ֥רֶב H7130 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct the people הָעָֽם׃ס H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular had died לָמ֖וּת H4191 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Verse 17

Original words

the LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular said וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר H1696 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to me אֵלַ֥י H413 Preposition | first person common singular . . . לֵאמֹֽר׃ H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Verse 18

Original words

Today הַיּ֛וֹם H3117 Article | Noun - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker you אַתָּ֨ה H859 Pronoun - second person masculine singular are going to cross עֹבֵ֥ר H5674 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular the border גְּב֥וּל H1366 Noun - masculine singular construct of Moab מוֹאָ֖ב H4124 Noun - proper - feminine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker at Ar עָֽר׃ H6144 Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 19

Original words

But when you get close וְקָרַבְתָּ֗ H7126 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular to מ֚וּל H4136 Preposition the Ammonites בְּנֵ֣י H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct . . . עַמּ֔וֹן H5983 Noun - proper - masculine singular do not אַל־ H408 Adverb harass them תְּצֻרֵ֖ם H6696 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural . . . וְאַל־ H408 Conjunctive waw | Adverb or provoke תִּתְגָּ֣ר H1624 Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singular them בָּ֑ם Preposition | third person masculine plural for כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction I will not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle give אֶ֠תֵּן H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular you לְךָ֙ Preposition | second person masculine singular any of the land מֵאֶ֨רֶץ H776 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct of the Ammonites בְּנֵי־ H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct . . . עַמּ֤וֹן H5983 Noun - proper - masculine singular - יְרֻשָּׁ֔ה H3425 Noun - feminine singular - כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction I have given it נְתַתִּ֥יהָ H5414 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singular to the descendants לִבְנֵי־ H1121 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct of Lot ל֖וֹט H3876 Noun - proper - masculine singular as [their] possession יְרֻשָּֽׁה׃ H3425 Noun - feminine singular
Verse 20

Original words

That too אַף־ H637 Conjunction הִ֑וא הִ֑וא H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular was regarded תֵּחָשֵׁ֖ב H2803 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular as the land אֶֽרֶץ־ H776 Noun - feminine singular construct of the Rephaim רְפָאִ֥ים H7497 Noun - proper - masculine plural [who] רְפָאִ֤ים H7497 Noun - proper - masculine plural used to live יָֽשְׁבוּ־ H3427 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural there בָהּ֙ Preposition | third person feminine singular . . . לְפָנִ֔ים H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural though the Ammonites וְהָֽעַמֹּנִ֔ים H5984 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural called יִקְרְא֥וּ H7121 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural them לָהֶ֖ם Preposition | third person masculine plural Zamzummites זַמְזֻמִּֽים׃ H2157 Noun - proper - masculine plural
Verse 21

Original words

[They were] a people עַ֣ם H5971 Noun - masculine singular great גָּד֥וֹל H1419 Adjective - masculine singular and many וְרַ֛ב H7227 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular as tall וָרָ֖ם H7311 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular as the Anakites כָּעֲנָקִ֑ים H6062 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural But the LORD יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular destroyed them וַיַּשְׁמִידֵ֤ם H8045 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural from before [the Ammonites] מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם H6440 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural who drove them out וַיִּירָשֻׁ֖ם H3423 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural and settled וַיֵּשְׁב֥וּ H3427 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural in their place תַחְתָּֽם׃ H8478 Preposition | third person masculine plural
Verse 22

Original words

just as כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר H834 Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative He had done עָשָׂה֙ H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular for the descendants לִבְנֵ֣י H1121 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct of Esau עֵשָׂ֔ו H6215 Noun - proper - masculine singular who lived הַיֹּשְׁבִ֖ים H3427 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural in Seir בְּשֵׂעִ֑יר H8165 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular when אֲשֶׁ֨ר H834 Pronoun - relative He destroyed הִשְׁמִ֤יד H8045 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the Horites הַחֹרִי֙ H2752 Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular from before them מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם H6440 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural They drove them out וַיִּֽירָשֻׁם֙ H3423 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural and have lived וַיֵּשְׁב֣וּ H3427 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural in their place תַחְתָּ֔ם H8478 Preposition | third person masculine plural to עַ֖ד H5704 Preposition this הַזֶּֽה׃ H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular day הַיּ֥וֹם H3117 Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 23

Original words

And the Avvim וְהָֽעַוִּ֛ים H5761 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural who lived הַיֹּשְׁבִ֥ים H3427 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural in villages בַּחֲצֵרִ֖ים H2691 Preposition-b | Noun - common plural as עַד־ H5704 Preposition far as Gaza עַזָּ֑ה H5804 Noun - proper - feminine singular were destroyed by הִשְׁמִידֻ֖ם H8045 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural | third person masculine plural the Caphtorites כַּפְתֹּרִים֙ H3732 Noun - proper - masculine plural who came הַיֹּצְאִ֣ים H3318 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural out of Caphtor מִכַּפְתּ֔וֹר H3731 Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singular and settled וַיֵּשְׁב֥וּ H3427 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural in their place תַחְתָּֽם׃ H8478 Preposition | third person masculine plural

BSB notes

  • That is, Crete

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.