Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

2:1 Red Sea. This probably includes the Gulf of Aqaba, the northeastern arm of the Red Sea. Mount Seir is south of the Dead Sea, in the land of Edom (see 1:2).

2:2-4 the Lord said to me. This expression occurs seven times in chs. 1-3, giving Moses a prophetic role (i.e., as God's authorized spokesman). long enough. See also 1:6. This formally announces the end of the 40-year wilderness wandering. your brothers. The nation of Edom was descended from Jacob's twin brother, Esau (Gen. 25:30; 32:3; 36:1). Deuteronomy does not call the nation "Edom," instead referring either to Seir or Esau, perhaps to stress the blood relationship. The Israelites need to be very careful not to provoke Edom against them (see Num. 20:18-21).

2:5 as a possession. This rare expression also occurs in vv. 9, 19 with respect to Moab and Ammon (and in v. 12 with respect to Israel's future possession). God has given land to Edom, Moab, and Ammon and forbids Israel to attempt taking that land, presumably because of the blood relationships through Esau and Lot. The point is God's ability to give and protect land, thus encouraging Israel to trust him.

2:6-7 Israel is not to be indebted to anyone other than God. This is a frequent theme in Deuteronomy (see 14:29; 15:10; 16:15; 24:19; 30:9). Israel lacked nothing, for God provided food and water when they ran short (Exodus 16-17; Numbers 11).

2:8 Elath and Ezion-geber were seaports on the Red Sea at the Gulf of Aqaba (see v. 1). The Arabah road ran from these towns northward to the Dead Sea. Israel is now heading in a northeasterly direction.

2:9 Moab, like Ammon (v. 19), was descended from Lot, Abraham's nephew (Gen. 19:37).

2:10-12 This section, like vv. 20-23, is very important in Moses' argument. The people whom God dispossessed in order to give Moab its land included the Anakim (also v. 21), the very people Israel feared (see 1:28). The point is that Israel has no reason to fear them. God is more powerful. Rephaim, like Anakim, were so tall that the people of Israel thought of them as "giants" (cf. Num. 13:32-33; see also Deut. 2:20; 3:11, 13). Both Emim and Rephaim are mentioned in Gen. 14:5. Edom's possession is a model to encourage Israel. The land of their possession may refer only to the Transjordanian land Israel possessed already (Deut. 2:24-3:17). Horites. See Gen. 14:6; 36:20-30.

2:13-15 The wadi (or brook) Zered (a wadi is a river that usually flows only after rain) was the border between Edom and Moab. thirty-eight years. God's decree after the spies incident, that the adult generation of Israel then living would die in the wilderness (Num. 14:22-23, 35), has been fulfilled. The hand of the Lord suggests pestilence (e.g., Ex. 9:3, 15; 1 Sam. 5:6-11).

2:20-23 See note on vv. 10-12. The Zamzummim are probably the same as the Zuzim (Gen. 14:5). Avvim. See Josh. 13:3 and 18:23. Caphtorim. See Gen. 10:14 and Jer. 47:4. Possibly Caphtor was Crete, the original home of the Philistines.