Deuteronômio 2

Deuteronômio 2

Wiersbe explains God hardened - As with Pharaoh, the process of hardening involved Sihon’s personal response to God’s will. The Lord doesn’t assault people and force them to act against their own will. The news of Israel’s march had reached Sihon long before the Jews arrived on the scene, and the king had already decided to declare war. As he resisted God’s Word, he experienced a hardening of his heart. (Be Equipped) This recalls God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart in Exodus - Nine times in Exodus the hardening of the pharaoh’s heart is ascribed to God (Ex 4:21; 7:3; 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:4, 8) and another nine times pharaoh is said to have hardened his own heart (Ex 7:13–14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 34–35). The pharaoh alone was the agent of the hardening in each of the first five plagues and it was not until the sixth plague that God confirm the pharaoh’s willful action (Ex 9:12), as he had told Moses he would do in Ex 4:21. Related Resource: Why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart? | GotQuestions.org Hardened (07185)(qashah) means to be hard, to be hardened, to be stiff-necked. Also refers to something hard (difficult) to do as in Dt 1:17, Dt 15:18. Coppes writes that"The root qāshî apparently arose from an agricultural milieu. It emphasizes, first, the subjective effect exerted by an overly heavy yoke, which is hard to bear, and secondarily, the rebellious resistance of oxen to the yoke." (TWOT) Qashah thus refers to something difficult, heart, severe - severe labor (Ge 35:16, 17); cruel wrath (Ge 49:7), hardened spirit (Dt 2:30); neck (not to be) stiff (Dt 10:16); severe hand (1 Sa 5:7); harsh words (2 Sa 19:43); heavy yoke (1 Ki 12:4, 2 Chr 10:4); stiffened (hardened) neck (2 Ki 17:14, 2 Chr 30:8, 36:13, Jer 7:26, 17:23, 19:15); hardened heart (Ps 95:8; Pr 28:14, cf hardened neck - Pr 29:1); hard-pressed (Isa 8:21). Qashah refers to the nation of Israel which often stiffened their neck to Yahweh or His prophets - "Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck; they did more evil than their fathers." (Jer 7:26). Same verb qashah is used in Dt 10:16+ “So circumcise (KJV - "foreskin of") your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer." Comment - Note Who does the "spiritual" surgery (Dt 30:6+). See Excursus on Circumcision Make...obstinate (0553) amets means to be stout, to be strong (Ge 25:23), to be bold, to be alert. Be determined. In short it means to be strong and courageous. (2 Chr 13:18). It means to make strong or cause to grow strong (Pr 8:28; 31:17; Isa. 44:14) of inanimate objects. It is used of human activity in repairing or strengthening a house or building (2 Chr. 24:13). Metaphorically, amets means to harden one's attitude or heart - God "made his heart obstinate" (Dt. 2:30). To harden one's heart (Dt 15:7; 2 Chr. 36:13). It is usually used in a positive sense (cf. Deut. 3:28; 31:6, 7, 23). Deuteronomy 15:7 “If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; In order to (term of purpose) deliver him into your hand, as he is today - Deliver is nathan (used over 1800x in OT) which in this context meaning to give and in this idiom (into your hand) signifies into your power and authority. The Septuagint translates give with paradidomi which means to give one over to the power of another. Deuteronomy 2:31 "The LORD said to me, 'See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to occupy, that you may possess his land.' deliver Sihon: De 2:24 Dt 1:8 Deuteronomy 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passage: Deuteronomy 1:8 See, I have placed the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them.’ The LORD said to me, 'See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his land over to you - Repeats three of the commands in Dt 2:24. Yahweh began by hardening Sihon to refuse Moses' offer of peace. Begin to occupy, (Now begin to conquer) that you may possess his land - Occupy and possess are the same verb yarash. and are translated with only one verb kleronomeo in the Septuagint. Deuteronomy 2:32 "Then Sihon with all his people came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz. Nu 21:23-30 Judges 11:20-23 Ne 9:22 Ps 120:7 135:11 136:19 Israel Defeats Og and Sihon (ESV Study Bible) (Click to Enlarge) SIHON MEETS ISRAEL AT JAHAZ Then Sihon with all his people came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz - Jahaz (was probably only a few miles north of Kedemoth (Dt 2:26+) (map) What is in a man's heart shows in his behavior. So despite the fact that God had placed dread and fear of Israel in the peoples, Sihon was determined to go to battle. Notice he does not remain n his fortified cities which would theoretically have been to his advantage, but in his arrogance, he chooses to come out in the open to meet Israel. Big mistake! NET Note - Jahaz (see map). This is probably Khirbet el-Medeiyineh. Deuteronomy 2:33 "The LORD our God delivered him over to us, and we defeated him with his sons and all his people. the Lord: De 3:2,3 7:2 20:16 Ge 14:20 Jos 21:44 Jud 1:4 7:2 we defeated: De 29:7,8 Nu 21:24 Jos 10:30-42 Deuteronomy 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SIHON DIVINELY DELIVERED AND HUMANLY DEFEATED The LORD our God delivered him over to us - This is exactly what God had begun to do in Dt 2:31 and now He brings it to fruition. And we defeated him with his sons and all his people - NET = "we struck him down, along with his sons and everyone else." As we have repeatedly seen here again we have juxtaposition of God's sovereignty and Man's responsibility. THOUGHT - This episode is often referred to as a reminder to Israel of what God had done for them and became a source of encouragement to them (SEE SIHON BELOW). God is showing them that He is with them and will keep His promises to them. As you know, the Lord does that for many of us today. He permits us to have a difficult experience, maybe a sad one, to prepare us for life -- or to prepare us to be helpful to others/ (J. Vernon McGee) Sihon - 34v - Num. 21:21; Num. 21:23; Num. 21:26; Num. 21:27; Num. 21:28; Num. 21:29; Num. 21:34; Num. 32:33; Deut. 1:4; Deut. 2:24; Deut. 2:26; Deut. 2:30; Deut. 2:31; Deut. 2:32; Deut. 3:2; Deut. 3:6; Deut. 4:46; Deut. 29:7; Deut. 31:4; Jos. 2:10; Jos. 9:10; Jos. 12:2; Jos. 12:5; Jos. 13:10; Jos. 13:21; Jos. 13:27; Jdg. 11:19; Jdg. 11:20; Jdg. 11:21; 1 Ki. 4:19; Neh. 9:22; Ps. 135:11; Ps. 136:19; Jer. 48:45 Deuteronomy 2:34 "So we captured all his cities at that time and utterly destroyed the men, women and children of every city. We left no survivor. utterly destroyed: De 7:2,26 20:16-18 Lev 27:28,29 Nu 21:2,3 Jos 7:11 8:25,26 9:24 Jos 11:14 1Sa 15:3,8,9 Deuteronomy 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Psalm 135:10-12 He smote many nations And slew mighty kings, 11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, And Og, king of Bashan, And all the kingdoms of Canaan; 12 And He gave their land as a heritage, A heritage to Israel His people. Psalm 136:17-22 To Him who smote great kings, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, 18 And slew mighty kings, For His lovingkindness is everlasting: 19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, 20 And Og, king of Bashan, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, 21 And gave their land as a heritage, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, 22 Even a heritage to Israel His servant, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Deuteronomy 3:6+ (OG OF BASHAN) - We utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women and children of every city. So we captured all his cities at that time and (placed under the ban or devoted) utterly destroyed the men, women and children of every city. We left no survivor - The idea of utterly destroyed is rendered in NET as "put every one of them under divine judgment." NLT adds "Not a single person was spared." Israel literally exterminated this people. The Septuagint renders it with the verb exolothreuo which means to utterly destroy, root out, completely cut off, to eliminate by destruction, all indicative of a serious action. The word never means cessation of existence or extinction but a change in state which involves judgment! THOUGHT - Israel obeyed and conquered Canaan but neglected to totally annihilate the godless, utterly depraved Canaanites, and this proved to be a snare that continued to defeat them. That which opposes God and godliness in our lives must be completely overcome lest it prove to be a snare and cause our spiritual defeat! One is reminded of 2 Cor 6:14-16, 2 Cor 7:1+. Why were these pagans to be utterly destroyed? Who would be moving in to the conquered land? Israel a people who were (to be) holy to the LORD (cf Ex 19:6+) and to not allow themselves to be contaminated with the godless, idolatrous practices of the pagans they conquered. Any pagan idol worshippers left alive would have been a potential snare for Israel. And so we read in Deuteronomy 20:16-18+ "“Only in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes. 17 “But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the LORD your God has commanded you, 18 so that (HERE IS THE CLEAR PURPOSE FOR THE DESTRUCTION) they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the LORD your God. " A second reason (alluded to above) is given in Ge 15:16+ which says that the iniquity of the Amorite was not yet complete. Now, some 400 years later the iniquity of the Amorite (Sihon was king of the Amorites - Dt 2:24) was complete and thus God carried out the hardening as an act of divine judgement. Wiersbe - Liberal critics of the Bible express concern at the way Israel destroyed entire nations, killed “innocent people,” and confiscated their cities and their lands. But how “innocent” were these people? The critics of Scripture (and God) may not realize that the nations Israel encountered east of the Jordan and in Canaan itself were indescribably wicked. They were brutal people who sacrificed their own children to the false gods that they worshiped. Male and female prostitutes served in their temples and sexual intercourse was an important part of the Canaanite religion. These people were not left without a witness from God in creation (Rom. 1:18ff) as well as through the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who had lived in Canaan. Furthermore, the news of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the plagues of Egypt, and Israel’s deliverance through the Red Sea (Josh. 2:8–11) came to the ears of these people and bore witness that Jehovah alone is the true God. God had been long-suffering with these wicked nations even in Abraham’s day, but now their time had run out and their judgment had come (Gen. 15:16). If these evil civilizations had not been exterminated, Israel would have been in constant danger of being tempted by pagan idolatry. In fact, that’s what did happen during the Period of the Judges, and God had to chasten His people to bring them back to the true God. Israel had important work to do on earth in producing the written Scriptures and bringing the Savior into the world, and imitating the pagan nations would have polluted Israel and threatened God’s great plan of salvation for mankind. (Be Equipped) Utterly destroyed (destroyed completely)(02763)(charam) to destroy, to doom, to devote, to ban. It designates a special act of consecration. It involves consecration of something or someone as a permanent and definitive offering for the sanctuary; or in war, the consecration of a city and its inhabitants to destruction and the carrying out of this destruction. The vb. denotes also the total annihilation of a population in war.This word is most commonly associated with the Israelites destroying the Canaanites upon their entry into the Promised Land (Deut. 7:2; Josh. 11:20). Walter Kaiser says the idea is that it is "something devoted to God; however, it is not a voluntary but an involuntary dedication. It is now set apart to be banned from the earth and will totally come back to God." In the Moabite Mesha inscription King Mesha uses the hi. of the vb., consecrate to destruction, to explain that he slaughtered all the inhabitants of Nebo because he made the city a devoted city to his god Chemosh. Deuteronomy 3:6 “We utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women and children of every city. Deuteronomy 7:2 and when the LORD your God delivers them before you and you defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them. Deuteronomy 13:15 you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it and all that is in it and its cattle with the edge of the sword. Deuteronomy 20:17 But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the LORD your God has commanded you, NET Note - Divine judgment refers to God’s designation of certain persons, places, and things as objects of his special wrath and judgment because, in his omniscience, he knows them to be impure and hopelessly unrepentant. QUESTION - Why did God condone such terrible violence in the Old Testament? ANSWER - The fact that God commanded the killing of entire nations in the Old Testament has been the subject of harsh criticism from opponents of Christianity for some time. That there was violence in the Old Testament is indisputable. The question is whether Old Testament violence is justifiable and condoned by God. In his bestselling book The God Delusion, atheist Richard Dawkins refers to the God of the Old Testament as “a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser.” Journalist Christopher Hitchens complains that the Old Testament contains a warrant for “indiscriminate massacre.” Other critics of Christianity have leveled similar charges, accusing Yahweh of “crimes against humanity.” But are these criticisms valid? Is the God of the Old Testament a “moral monster” who arbitrarily commands genocide against innocent men, women, and children? Was His reaction to the sins of the Canaanites and the Amalekites a vicious form of “ethnic cleansing”? Or is it possible that God could have had morally sufficient reasons for ordering the destruction of these nations? A basic knowledge of Canaanite culture reveals its inherent moral wickedness. The Canaanites were a brutal, aggressive people who engaged in bestiality, incest, and even child sacrifice. Deviant sexual acts were the norm. The Canaanites’ sin was so repellent that God said, “The land vomited out its inhabitants” (Leviticus 18:25). Even so, the destruction was directed more at the Canaanite religion (Deuteronomy 7:3–5; 12:2–3) than at the Canaanite people per se. The judgment was not ethnically motivated. Individual Canaanites, like Rahab in Jericho, could still find that mercy follows repentance (Joshua 2). God’s desire is that the wicked turn from their sin rather than die (Ezekiel 18:31–32; 33:11). Besides dealing with national sins, God used the conquest of Canaan to create a religious/historical context in which He could eventually introduce the Messiah to the world. This Messiah would bring salvation not only to Israel, but also to Israel’s enemies, including Canaan (Psalm 87:4–6; Mark 7:25–30). It must be remembered that God gave the Canaanite people more than sufficient time to repent of their evil ways—over 400 years! The book of Hebrews tells us that the Canaanites were “disobedient,” which implies moral culpability on their part (Hebrews 11:31). The Canaanites were aware of God’s power (Joshua 2:10–11; 9:9) and could have sought repentance. Except in rare instances, they continued their rebellion against God until the bitter end. But didn’t God also command the Israelites to kill non-combatants? The biblical record is clear that He did. Here again, we must remember that, while it is true the Canaanite women did not fight, this in no way means they were innocent, as their seductive behavior in Numbers 25 indicates (Numbers 25:1–3). However, the question still remains: what about the children? This is not an easy question to answer, but we must keep several things in mind. First, no human person (including infants) is truly innocent. The Scripture teaches that we are all born in sin (Psalm 51:5; 58:3). This implies that all people are morally culpable for Adam’s sin in some way. Infants are just as condemned from sin as adults are. Second, God is sovereign over all of life and can take it whenever He sees fit. God and God alone can give life, and God alone has the right to take it whenever He so chooses. In fact, He ultimately takes every person’s life at death. It is not our life to begin with but God’s. While it is wrong for us to take a life, except in instances of capital punishment, war, and self-defense, this does not mean that it is wrong for God to do so. We intuitively recognize this when we accuse some person or authority who takes human life as “playing God.” God is under no obligation to extend anyone’s life for even another day. How and when we die is completely up to Him. Third, an argument could be made that it would have been cruel for God to take the lives of all the Canaanites except the infants and children. Without the protection and support of their parents, the infants and small children were likely to face death anyway due to starvation. The chances of survival for an orphan in the ancient Near East were not good. Finally, the children of Canaan would have likely grown up sympathetic to the evil religions their parents had practiced. It was time for the culture of idolatry and perversion to end in Canaan, and God wanted to use Israel to end it. Also, the orphaned children of Canaan would naturally have grown up resentful of the Israelites. Likely, some would have later sought to avenge the “unjust” treatment of their parents and return Canaan to paganism. It’s also worth considering the eternal state of those infants killed in Canaan. If God took them before the age of moral accountability, then they went straight to heaven (as we believe). Those children are in a far better place than if they had lived into adulthood as Canaanites. Surely, the issue of God commanding violence in the Old Testament is difficult. However, we must remember that God sees things from an eternal perspective, and His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8–9). The apostle Paul tells us that God is both kind and severe (Romans 11:22). While it is true that God’s holy character demands that sin be punished, His grace and mercy remain extended to those who are willing to repent and be saved. The Canaanite destruction provides us with a sober reminder that, while our God is gracious and merciful, He is also a God of holiness and wrath.GotQuestions.org Related Resources: Why did God command the Israelites to completely destroy the Midianites in Numbers 31:17? | GotQuestions.org (Speaks to rationale for total destruction). What does it mean that “the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure” (Genesis 15:16)? | GotQuestions.org Deuteronomy 2:35 "We took only the animals as our booty and the spoil of the cities which we had captured. De 20:14 Nu 31:9-11 Jos 8:27 Deuteronomy 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries We took only the animals as our booty and the spoil of the cities which we had captured - No material things were taken, including no idols. Utley on booty and the spoil - Here is an example of a limited ban (e.g., 3:6–7; Josh. 8:2, 27; 11:14). They could take some spoils after they destroyed the people. This was a part of the OT concept of holy war. The battle belonged to YHWH and so, too, the spoils (e.g., Jericho, Joshua 7:1-26). BOOTY boot’ i (בַּז, 0962). Booty occurs exclusively in the OT, usually tr. from baz, but also from malkoah, shalal, and meshissah. Booty was the proportionate share of spoils suitable for personal service to the captor, both soldier and civilian, after a proportion was reserved for the Levites and for “a tribute unto the Lord.” It comprised cattle, sheep, camels, asses, women, children, clothing, armor, jewelry, and money; but often silver, gold, and vessels of brass were placed in the house of the Lord. The earliest mention of booty is in Numbers 31 with reference to Moses’ instruction concerning “The booty remaining of the spoil” which the Israelite warriors took in victory over the Midianites. The precedent Moses set in equitable distribution (Num 31:27) was followed by Joshua in the conquest of Canaan (Deut 2:35; 3:7; Josh 8:2, 27; 11:14) and by David in the defeat of the Amalekite raiders (1 Sam 30:24). (Cf. Jer 49:32; Nah 3:1; Hab 2:7.) Spoil (07998) (shalal from verb shalal = to spoil or plunder) means literally means "prey," which an animal tracks down, kills, and eats (Ge 49:27), but came to mean spoil, loot, plunder, booty. Booty is the wealth of a person which is seized by another and includes anything and everything a soldier or army captures from an enemy and carries off. In the Hebrew Bible, the only context in which this act is allowed is in the context of war and was the main compensation for most soldiers in armies throughout history. Shalal may also represent "private gain" (Pr 31:11) The Lord will make the nations plunder for His people in Zion (Zech. 2:9; Zech 14:1). Note that spoil was not allowed when the Lord required a strict following of the herem principle (see note below) (under the ban, devoted to the LORD, to total destruction; cf. the story of Achan in Josh 7:1-26 and Saul in 1 Sa 15:1-35). Persons were acceptable booty (Deut. 20:14; 2 Chr. 28:8; Jer. 45:5, 50:10; Zech. 2:9). Livestock and clothing were common types of booty (Judg. 5:30; 1 Sam. 14:32; Jer. 49:32). The rest of the objects of booty are covered under the nebulous rubric, "the booty of the city" (Josh. 8:2). Booty probably consisted of any moveable property which the individual could carry. Expositor's Bible Commentary – The herem principle--‏חֶרֶם‎ ("a devoted thing," and, consequently, a thing to be destroyed)--was an ancient Near Eastern practice that in its complete application required the extermination of everyone and everything that could be destroyed. Things metallic that could not be destroyed, Israel put in a place under the Lord's protection. This destruction kept captured people and things from the people but put them into the hands of God. The practice, however, was sometimes limited by the Lord's decree, as here, where the livestock and other valuable plunder were kept by the Israelites. A variation in application of herem can be seen in the rules for war in 20:10-18. This was one of the means used to bring destruction on the sinful inhabitants of Canaan and to isolate the Israelites from them and their wicked practices. The verb ‏חָרַם‎ (haram) sometimes carries the sense of "devote." Someone or something is devoted to the Lord; i.e., it is given altogether to the Lord. From this stems the practice of destroying whoever or whatever is devoted, for then it goes to God and cannot be used by the giver. (The Expositor's Bible Commentary – Volume 3: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel) Related Resource: What did it mean to be devoted to destruction? | GotQuestions.org Shalal - 65v = booty(11), gain(1), plunder(3), possessions(1), spoil(57), spoiler(1). Gen. 49:27; Exod. 15:9; Num. 31:11; Num. 31:12; Deut. 2:35; Deut. 3:7; Deut. 13:16; Deut. 20:14; Jos. 7:21; Jos. 8:2; Jos. 8:27; Jos. 11:14; Jos. 22:8; Jdg. 5:30; Jdg. 8:24; Jdg. 8:25; 1 Sam. 14:30; 1 Sam. 14:32; 1 Sam. 15:19; 1 Sam. 15:21; 1 Sam. 30:16; 1 Sam. 30:19; 1 Sam. 30:20; 1 Sam. 30:22; 1 Sam. 30:26; 2 Sam. 3:22; 2 Sam. 8:12; 2 Sam. 12:30; 2 Ki. 3:23; 1 Chr. 20:2; 1 Chr. 26:27; 2 Chr. 14:13; 2 Chr. 15:11; 2 Chr. 20:25; 2 Chr. 24:23; 2 Chr. 28:8; 2 Chr. 28:15; Est. 3:13; Est. 8:11; Ps. 68:12; Ps. 119:162; Prov. 1:13; Prov. 16:19; Prov. 31:11; Isa. 8:1; Isa. 8:4; Isa. 9:3; Isa. 10:2; Isa. 10:6; Isa. 33:4; Isa. 33:23; Isa. 53:12; Jer. 21:9; Jer. 38:2; Jer. 39:18; Jer. 45:5; Jer. 49:32; Jer. 50:10; Ezek. 7:21; Ezek. 29:19; Ezek. 38:12; Ezek. 38:13; Dan. 11:24; Zech. 2:9; Zech. 14:1 Deuteronomy 2:36 "From Aroer which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon and from the city which is in the valley, even to Gilead, there was no city that was too high for us; the LORD our God delivered all over to us. Aroer: De 3:12 4:48 Jos 13:9 Isa 17:2 Jer 48:19 not: Jos 1:5 Ps 44:3 Isa 41:15,16 Ro 8:31 Deuteronomy 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries NO WALL TOO HIGH TO CLIMB WHEN EMPOWERED BY GOD From Aroer which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon (see picture) and from the city which is in the valley, even to Gilead, there was no city that was too high for us - The fact that there was there was no city that was too high for us recalls the faithless declaration of 10 (of the 12) spies who said "the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there." (Nu 13:28+). Summed up - Walls too tall. People too tall! This description of the cities is amplified in Dt 1:28+ adding that they were "fortified (or walled) to heaven." This was clearly a declaration reflecting the unbelief of the first generation. In stark contrast, the declaration of the new generation is one of belief. Stated another way, the second generation believed God and therefore obeyed God. Faith that is genuine is faith that obeys. See Relationship of faith and obedience and Obedience of faith (phrase in Ro 1:5 and Ro 16:26+). The message is that we are to walk by faith, not by sight. The LORD our God delivered all over to us - Divine deliverance is a key thought in this section (Dt 2:30, 31, 33). As Proverbs 21:31 says "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the LORD." Delivered is nathan which the Septuagint translates with paradidomi meaning to give one over to the power of another. God gave Israel a "special delivery" so to speak and Israel received it in faith and hence received the blessing of the land as their possession. Obedience to God is always the road to the blessing of God. NET Note - Aroer. Now known as ʿAraʾir on the northern edge of the Arnon river, Aroer marked the southern limit of Moab and, later, of the allotment of the tribe of Reuben (Josh 13:9, 16). Aroer - City on north rim of Arnon Gorge (see map above) east of Dead Sea on southern boundary of territory Israel claimed east of the Jordan River (Joshua 13:9). It figured in territorial claims of Reuben (Joshua 13:16), though the tribe of Gad originally built it (Nu 32:34). Compare Deuteronomy 3:12 . Sihon, king of the Amorites, ruled it prior to Israel's conquest (Deut 4:48; Joshua 12:2). Israel claimed a three hundred year history in the area (Judges 11:26 ). Jehu's sins brought God's punishment on Israel, including the loss of Aroer to Hazael of Damascus (about 840 B.C.) (2 Kings 10:33 ). Compare Isaiah 17:2 . Jeremiah asked Aroer to witness God's coming judgment on Moab (Jeremiah 48:19 ). The Moabites had gained control of Aroer under King Mesha, as his inscription on the Moabite Stone witnesses (about 850 B.C.). Spanish excavations show Aroer to have been more a border fortress than a major city. It is located at Khirbet Arair two and one-half miles east of the highway along the Arnon River. Aroer - 16x - Num. 32:34; Deut. 2:36; Deut. 3:12; Deut. 4:48; Jos. 12:2; Jos. 13:9; Jos. 13:16; Jos. 13:25; Jdg. 11:26; Jdg. 11:33; 1 Sam. 30:28; 2 Sam. 24:5; 2 Ki. 10:33; 1 Chr. 5:8; Isa. 17:2; Jer. 48:19 Deuteronomy 2:37 "Only you did not go near to the land of the sons of Ammon, all along the river Jabbok and the cities of the hill country, and wherever the LORD our God had commanded us. go near to the land De 2:5,9,19 3:16 Jud 11:15 Jabbok (map): Ge 32:22 Nu 21:24 Jos 12:2 Deuteronomy 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Deuteronomy 2:4-5+ Command the people, saying, “You will pass through the territory of your brothers the sons of Esau who live in Seir (EDOM); and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful; 5 do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, even as little as a footstep because I have given Mount Seir to Esau (BROTHER OF JACOB/ISRAEL) as a possession. Deuteronomy 2:9+ “Then the LORD said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab, nor provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot (MOAB AND AMMON) as a possession.’ Deuteronomy 2:19+ ‘When you come opposite the sons of Ammon, do not harass them nor provoke them, for I will not give you any of the land of the sons of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot MOAB AND AMMON) as a possession.’ Land of Ammon (click to enlarge) Only you did not go near to the land of the sons of Ammon, all along the river Jabbok (map): and the cities of the hill country, and wherever the LORD our God had commanded us - The second generation were off to an excellent start because they had obeyed Yahweh's commands to sack Sihon and spare Edom, Moab and Ammon (see passages above). But as time would prove, a good beginning does not guarantee a good ending.