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God leidt het volk

‘Vervolgens gingen wij via de woestijn terug in de richting van de Rietzee, want dat had de Here mij opgedragen. Wij zwierven een lange tijd rond in de omgeving van de berg Seïr. Eindelijk zei de Here: “U bent hier nu lang genoeg geweest. Trek in noordelijke richting. 4,5 Breng het volk ervan op de hoogte dat het door het land zal trekken dat aan zijn broeders, de Edomieten, de afstammelingen van Esau, die in Seïr wonen, behoort. De Edomieten zullen bang voor u worden, maar u mag geen vijandelijkheden uitlokken! Ik heb hun het land rond de berg Seïr in bezit gegeven. Betaal hun voor het water en voedsel dat u gebruikt. De Here, uw God, heeft u gezegend en beschermd gedurende de veertig jaar die u in de woestijn rondzwierf, Hij hielp u en in al die tijd bent u niets tekort gekomen.”

Zo trokken wij door Edom waar onze broeders woonden, kruisten de Arabah-weg, die naar Elat en Esjon-Geber in het zuiden voert, en trokken verder in noordelijke richting naar de woestijn Moab. Toen waarschuwde de Here ons: “Val de Moabieten niet aan, want ook van hun land krijgt u niets. Ik heb dat land aan de nakomelingen van Lot gegeven.” 10 De Emieten woonden vroeger in dat gebied. Het was een erg grote stam en de leden ervan waren net zo groot als de Enakieten. 11 De Emieten en de Enakieten werden vaak Refaïeten genoemd, maar de Moabieten noemden hen Emieten. 12 Vroeger woonden de Chorieten in Seïr, maar de Edomieten, nakomelingen van Esau, hadden hen verdreven en uitgeroeid en hebben zich daar gevestigd, net zoals de Israëlieten gedaan hebben in het land dat de Here hun had toegewezen. 13 “Steek nu de beek Zered over,” zei de Here. Dat deden wij. 14,15 Zo kostte het ons achtendertig jaar om vanuit Kades-Barnea de beek Zered over te steken! Want de Here had bepaald dat wij niet konden oversteken voordat alle mannen die achtendertig jaar geleden oud genoeg waren om in het leger te dienen, dood waren. Ja, de hand van de Here was tegen hen tot zij allen waren gestorven. 16 Toen deze mannen gestorven waren, 17 zei de Here tegen mij: 18 “Vandaag zal Israël de grens van Moab bij Ar overschrijden 19 en het land van de Ammonieten binnentrekken. Val hen echter niet aan, want Ik zal u niets van hun land geven. Ik heb het aan de nakomelingen van Lot gegeven.” 20 Ook dat gebied werd vroeger bewoond door de reuzen. De Ammonieten noemden hen Zamzummieten. 21 Zij waren een groot en sterk volk en de mannen waren even lang als de Enakieten. De Here vernietigde hen echter toen de Ammonieten binnentrokken en die namen hun gebied in. 22 De Here hielp de nakomelingen van Esau die bij de berg Seïr woonden, op dezelfde manier door de Chorieten die daar woonden, voor hen te vernietigen. 23 Hetzelfde gebeurde toen de Kaftorieten een inval deden in het gebied van de Awwieten, die in de dorpen leefden die op het platteland verspreid lagen tot bij Gaza. De stam van de Awwieten werd toen ook vernietigd. 24 Toen zei de Here: “Steek de rivier de Arnon over en trek het land binnen van de Amoriet Sichon, die koning van Chesbon is. Verover zijn gebied en trek tegen hem ten strijde. 25 Vanaf vandaag zullen de volken over de hele aarde beven van schrik wanneer over u wordt gesproken. Zij zullen angst hebben voor uw komst.” 26 Vanuit de woestijn Kedemoth stuurde ik boodschappers met een vreedzaam voorstel naar koning Sichon van Chesbon. 27 “Laat ons door uw land trekken,” zeiden wij. “Wij zullen op de hoofdweg blijven en de velden aan weerszijden van de weg niet betreden. 28 Wij zullen alles betalen wat wij eten en drinken. Het enige dat wij willen, is dat u ons door uw land laat trekken. 29 De Edomieten in Seïr en de Moabieten, die Ar als hoofdstad hebben, gaven ons ook toestemming door hun gebied te trekken. Wij zijn op weg naar het land aan de overkant van de Jordaan. Dat land heeft de Here, onze God, ons gegeven.”

30 Maar koning Sichon weigerde, omdat de Here hem koppig maakte, zodat Hij Sichon aan Israël kon uitleveren. Dat is ook gebeurd. 31 Toen zei de Here tegen mij: “Ik ben begonnen u het land van koning Sichon te geven, neem het in bezit.” 32 Koning Sichon verklaarde ons toen de oorlog en trok zijn troepen samen bij Jahas. 33,34 Maar de Here, onze God, leverde hem aan ons uit. Wij veroverden alle steden en lieten niemand in leven, ook de vrouwen en kinderen niet. 35,36 Het vee namen wij als buit mee en ook de goederen die wij buitmaakten bij de plundering van de veroverde steden. Wij veroverden alles van Aroër tot Gilead, aan de rand van het dal van de Arnon en alle steden in het dal. Geen stad kon tegen ons standhouden, want de Here, onze God, gaf ze ons in handen. 37 We bleven echter uit de buurt van de Ammonieten, de rivier de Jabbok en de steden in het bergland. Dat waren de plaatsen waarvan de Here, onze God, ons had verboden die binnen te trekken.’

Journey past Seir

“Then we turned back and headed for the wilderness by way of the Red Sea, as the Lord had told me, and we traveled around the hill country of Seir for many days. The Lord then said to me, ‘You’ve been traveling around this hill country long enough; turn north. Command the people: You are about to travel through the territory of your brothers, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, so you must be very careful. Don’t fight with them, for I will not give you any of their land, not even an inch of it,[a] because I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his possession. You may purchase food from them with silver, so that you may eat, and buy water from them to drink.(A) For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands.(B) He has watched over your journey through this immense wilderness. The Lord your God has been with you this past 40 years, and you have lacked nothing.’

Journey past Moab

“So we bypassed our brothers, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned away from the Arabah road and from Elath and Ezion-geber. We traveled along the road to the Wilderness of Moab. The Lord said to me, ‘Show no hostility toward Moab, and do not provoke them to battle, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, since I have given Ar as a possession to the descendants of Lot.’”(C)

10 The Emim, a great and numerous people as tall as the Anakim, had previously lived there. 11 They were also regarded as Rephaim,(D) like the Anakim, though the Moabites called them Emim.(E) 12 The Horites had previously lived in Seir, but the descendants of Esau drove them out, destroying them completely[b] and settling in their place, just as Israel did in the land of its possession the Lord gave them.

13 “The Lord said, ‘Now get up and cross the Zered Valley.’ So we crossed the Zered Valley.(F) 14 The time we spent traveling from Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the Zered Valley was 38 years until the entire generation of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them. 15 Indeed, the Lord’s hand was against them, to eliminate them from the camp until they had all perished.

Journey past Ammon

16 “When all the fighting men had died among the people, 17 the Lord spoke to me, 18 ‘Today you are going to cross the border of Moab at Ar. 19 When you get close to the Ammonites, don’t show any hostility to them or fight with them, for I will not give you any of the Ammonites’ land as a possession; I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot.’”(G)

20 This too used to be regarded as the land of the Rephaim. The Rephaim lived there previously, though the Ammonites called them Zamzummim, 21 a great and numerous people, tall as the Anakim. The Lord destroyed the Rephaim at the advance of the Ammonites, so that they drove them out and settled in their place. 22 This was just as He had done for the descendants of Esau who lived in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites before them; they drove them out and have lived in their place until now. 23 The Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor,[c] destroyed the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, and settled in their place.

Defeat of Sihon the Amorite

24 “The Lord also said, ‘Get up, move out, and cross the Arnon Valley. See, I have handed Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land over to you. Begin to take possession of it; engage him in battle. 25 Today I will begin to put the fear and dread of you on the peoples everywhere under heaven. They will hear the report about you, tremble, and be in anguish because of you.’

26 “So I sent messengers with an offer of peace to Sihon king of Heshbon from the Wilderness of Kedemoth, saying, 27 ‘Let us travel through your land; we will keep strictly to the highway. We will not turn to the right or the left.(H) 28 You can sell us food in exchange for silver so we may eat, and give us water for silver so we may drink. Only let us travel through on foot, 29 just as the descendants of Esau who live in Seir did for us, and the Moabites who live in Ar, until we cross the Jordan into the land the Lord our God is giving us.’ 30 But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us travel through his land, for the Lord your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to hand him over to you, as has now taken place.

31 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land to you. Begin to take possession of it.’ 32 So Sihon and his whole army came out against us for battle at Jahaz. 33 The Lord our God handed him over to us, and we defeated him, his sons, and his whole army. 34 At that time we captured all his cities and completely destroyed the people of every city, including the women and children. We left no survivors. 35 We took only the livestock and the spoil from the cities we captured as plunder for ourselves. 36 There was no city that was inaccessible to[d] us, from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the valley, even as far as Gilead.(I) The Lord our God gave everything to us. 37 But you did not go near the Ammonites’ land, all along the bank of the Jabbok River,(J) the cities of the hill country, or any place that the Lord our God had forbidden.(K)

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 2:5 Lit land as far as the width of a sole of a foot
  2. Deuteronomy 2:12 Lit them before them
  3. Deuteronomy 2:23 Probably Crete
  4. Deuteronomy 2:36 Or was too high for

Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea, as the Lord directed me; and for many days we journeyed around Mount Seir.

And the Lord spoke to me [Moses], saying,

You have roamed around this mountain country long enough; turn northward.

And command the Israelites, You are to pass through the territory of your kinsmen the sons of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So watch yourselves carefully.

Do not provoke or stir them up, for I will not give you of their land, no, not enough for the sole of your foot to tread on, for I have given Mount Seir to Esau for a possession.

You shall buy food from them for money, that you may eat, and you shall also buy water from them for money, that you may drink.

For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your walking through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.

So we passed on from our brethren the sons of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, away from the Arabah (wilderness), and from Elath and from Ezion-geber. We turned and went by the way of the wilderness of Moab.

And the Lord said to me, Do not trouble or assault Moab or contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot for a possession.

10 (The Emim dwelt there in times past, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim.

11 These also are known as Rephaim [of giant stature], as are the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim.

12 The Horites also formerly lived in Seir, but the sons of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and dwelt in their stead, as Israel did to the land of their possession which the Lord gave to them.)

13 Now rise up and go over the brook Zered. So we went over the brook Zered.

14 And the time from our leaving Kadesh-barnea until we had come over the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until the whole generation of the men of war had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them.

15 Moreover the hand of the Lord was against them to exterminate them from the midst of the camp, until they were all gone.

16 So when all the men of war had died from among the people,

17 The Lord spoke to me [Moses], saying,

18 You are this day to pass through Ar, the border of Moab.

19 But when you come near the territory of the sons of Ammon, do not trouble or assault them or provoke or stir them up, for I will not give you any of the land of the Ammonites for a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession.

20 (That also is known as a land of Rephaim [of giant stature]; Rephaim dwelt there formerly, but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim,

21 A people great and many, and tall as the Anakim. But the Lord destroyed them before [Ammon], and they dispossessed them and settled in their stead,

22 As He did for the sons of Esau, who dwell in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them, and they dispossessed them and settled in their stead even to this day.

23 As for the Avvim who dwelt in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim who came from Caphtor destroyed them and dwelt in their stead.)

24 Rise up, take your journey, and pass over the Valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land; begin to possess it and contend with him in battle.

25 This day will I begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples who are under the whole heavens, who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.

26 So I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying,

27 Let me pass through your land. I will go only by the road, turning aside neither to the right nor to the left.

28 You shall sell me food to eat and sell me water to drink; only let me walk through,

29 As the sons of Esau, who dwell in Seir, and the Moabites, who dwell in Ar, [a]did for me, until I go over the Jordan into the land which the Lord our God gives us.

30 But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him; for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might give him into your hand, as at this day.

31 And the Lord said to me [Moses], Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to take possession, that you may succeed him and occupy his land.

32 Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz.

33 And the Lord our God gave him over to us, and we defeated him and his sons and all his people.

34 At the same time we took all his cities and utterly destroyed every city—men, women, and children. We left none to remain.

35 Only the cattle we took as booty for ourselves and the spoil of the cities which we had captured.

36 From Aroer, which is on the edge of the Arnon Valley, and from the city that is in the valley, as far as Gilead, there was no city too high and strong for us; the Lord our God delivered all to us.

37 Only you did not go near the land of the Ammonites, that is, to any bank of the river Jabbok and the cities of the hill country, and wherever the Lord our God had forbidden us.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 2:29 All that is said here is that the Edomites and Moabites sold Israel bread and water. There is no denial, expressed or implied, of their hostility to Israel and their desire for her destruction. The passage is in entire harmony with Num. 20:17, 21, and Deut. 23:3, 4 (J.P. Lange, A Commentary).