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

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

17the LORD said to me,

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

19But 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.

21They 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,

22just 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.

23And 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

Nowוַיְהִ֨יH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularwhenכַאֲשֶׁר־H834Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative. . .תַּ֜מּוּH8552Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralallכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructthe fightingהַמִּלְחָמָ֛הH4421Article | Noun - feminine singularmenאַנְשֵׁ֧יH582Noun - masculine plural constructamongמִקֶּ֥רֶבH7130Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular constructthe peopleהָעָֽם׃סH5971Article | Noun - masculine singularhad diedלָמ֖וּתH4191Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Verse 17

Original words

the LORDיְהוָ֖הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularsaidוַיְדַבֵּ֥רH1696Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularto meאֵלַ֥יH413Preposition | first person common singular. . .לֵאמֹֽר׃H559Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Verse 18

Original words

Todayהַיּ֛וֹםH3117Article | Noun - masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markeryouאַתָּ֨הH859Pronoun - second person masculine singularare going to crossעֹבֵ֥רH5674Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularthe borderגְּב֥וּלH1366Noun - masculine singular constructof Moabמוֹאָ֖בH4124Noun - proper - feminine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerat Arעָֽר׃H6144Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 19

Original words

But when you get closeוְקָרַבְתָּ֗H7126Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singulartoמ֚וּלH4136Prepositionthe Ammonitesבְּנֵ֣יH1121Noun - masculine plural construct. . .עַמּ֔וֹןH5983Noun - proper - masculine singulardo notאַל־H408Adverbharass themתְּצֻרֵ֖םH6696Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural. . .וְאַל־H408Conjunctive waw | Adverbor provokeתִּתְגָּ֣רH1624Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singularthemבָּ֑םPreposition | third person masculine pluralforכִּ֣יH3588ConjunctionI will notלֹֽא־H3808Adverb - Negative particlegiveאֶ֠תֵּןH5414Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularyouלְךָ֙Preposition | second person masculine singularany of the landמֵאֶ֨רֶץH776Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular constructof the Ammonitesבְּנֵי־H1121Noun - masculine plural construct. . .עַמּ֤וֹןH5983Noun - proper - masculine singular-יְרֻשָּׁ֔הH3425Noun - feminine singular-כִּ֥יH3588ConjunctionI have given itנְתַתִּ֥יהָH5414Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singularto the descendantsלִבְנֵי־H1121Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural constructof Lotל֖וֹטH3876Noun - proper - masculine singularas [their] possessionיְרֻשָּֽׁה׃H3425Noun - feminine singular
Verse 20

Original words

That tooאַף־H637Conjunctionהִ֑ואהִ֑ואH1931Pronoun - third person feminine singularwas regardedתֵּחָשֵׁ֖בH2803Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularas the landאֶֽרֶץ־H776Noun - feminine singular constructof the Rephaimרְפָאִ֥יםH7497Noun - proper - masculine plural[who]רְפָאִ֤יםH7497Noun - proper - masculine pluralused to liveיָֽשְׁבוּ־H3427Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralthereבָהּ֙Preposition | third person feminine singular. . .לְפָנִ֔יםH6440Preposition-l | Noun - masculine pluralthough the Ammonitesוְהָֽעַמֹּנִ֔יםH5984Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine pluralcalledיִקְרְא֥וּH7121Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralthemלָהֶ֖םPreposition | third person masculine pluralZamzummitesזַמְזֻמִּֽים׃H2157Noun - proper - masculine plural
Verse 21

Original words

[They were] a peopleעַ֣םH5971Noun - masculine singulargreatגָּד֥וֹלH1419Adjective - masculine singularand manyוְרַ֛בH7227Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singularas tallוָרָ֖םH7311Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularas the Anakitesכָּעֲנָקִ֑יםH6062Preposition-k, Article | Noun - proper - masculine pluralBut the LORDיְהוָה֙H3068Noun - proper - masculine singulardestroyed themוַיַּשְׁמִידֵ֤םH8045Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine pluralfrom before [the Ammonites]מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔םH6440Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralwho drove them outוַיִּירָשֻׁ֖םH3423Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine pluraland settledוַיֵּשְׁב֥וּH3427Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralin their placeתַחְתָּֽם׃H8478Preposition | third person masculine plural
Verse 22

Original words

just asכַּאֲשֶׁ֤רH834Preposition-k | Pronoun - relativeHe had doneעָשָׂה֙H6213Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularfor the descendantsלִבְנֵ֣יH1121Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural constructof Esauעֵשָׂ֔וH6215Noun - proper - masculine singularwho livedהַיֹּשְׁבִ֖יםH3427Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralin Seirבְּשֵׂעִ֑ירH8165Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singularwhenאֲשֶׁ֨רH834Pronoun - relativeHe destroyedהִשְׁמִ֤ידH8045Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe Horitesהַחֹרִי֙H2752Article | Noun - proper - masculine singularfrom before themמִפְּנֵיהֶ֔םH6440Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralThey drove them outוַיִּֽירָשֻׁם֙H3423Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine pluraland have livedוַיֵּשְׁב֣וּH3427Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralin their placeתַחְתָּ֔םH8478Preposition | third person masculine pluraltoעַ֖דH5704Prepositionthisהַזֶּֽה׃H2088Article | Pronoun - masculine singulardayהַיּ֥וֹםH3117Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 23

Original words

And the Avvimוְהָֽעַוִּ֛יםH5761Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine pluralwho livedהַיֹּשְׁבִ֥יםH3427Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralin villagesבַּחֲצֵרִ֖יםH2691Preposition-b | Noun - common pluralasעַד־H5704Prepositionfar as Gazaעַזָּ֑הH5804Noun - proper - feminine singularwere destroyed byהִשְׁמִידֻ֖םH8045Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural | third person masculine pluralthe Caphtoritesכַּפְתֹּרִים֙H3732Noun - proper - masculine pluralwho cameהַיֹּצְאִ֣יםH3318Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralout of Caphtorמִכַּפְתּ֔וֹרH3731Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singularand settledוַיֵּשְׁב֥וּH3427Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralin their placeתַחְתָּֽם׃H8478Preposition | 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.