Deuteronomy 2 17

Deuteronomy 2:17 kjv

That the LORD spake unto me, saying,

Deuteronomy 2:17 nkjv

that the LORD spoke to me, saying:

Deuteronomy 2:17 niv

the LORD said to me,

Deuteronomy 2:17 esv

the LORD said to me,

Deuteronomy 2:17 nlt

the LORD said to me,

Deuteronomy 2 verses

Deuteronomy 2 17 Meaning

Deuteronomy 2:17 records a direct command from the LORD to Moses, instructing the Israelites not to initiate any form of harassment, distress, or military conflict against the people of Moab. The explicit reason given is that the land occupied by Moab, specifically mentioning the region around Ar, had already been divinely allotted by God to the descendants of Lot as their possession, and therefore, Israel was not to receive any part of it as their own inheritance.

Deuteronomy 2 17 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 2 describes Israel's continued journey through the wilderness towards the Promised Land. After spending 38 years wandering due to disobedience, the new generation is poised to enter Canaan. This chapter details Moses' recounting of God's specific instructions regarding various peoples they encountered along the way: Edom, Moab, and Ammon. God commanded Israel to pass peacefully through Edomite territory, similarly, the instruction not to harass Moab (and later Ammon) underscores a crucial aspect of God's covenant with Israel: while Israel was promised specific land, God, as the sovereign ruler of all creation, had also previously designated territories for other peoples based on His divine prerogative. This selective prohibition stands in stark contrast to the commands given to utterly destroy certain Canaanite nations once Israel entered their designated land, highlighting God's just and differentiated approach to all peoples.

Deuteronomy 2 17 Word analysis

• that the LORD (וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה - vayyo'mer Yahweh):

  • the LORD (יְהוָה - Yahweh): The covenant name of God, signifying His eternal, self-existent nature and His active involvement in human history, particularly in fulfilling His promises to Israel. This emphasizes the divine origin and absolute authority of the command.

• said to me (אֵלָי - elay):

  • Refers directly to Moses, signifying a specific, personal, and authoritative revelation from God to His appointed leader for Israel. Moses serves as the mediator of this divine will to the people.

• 'You shall not harass Moab (לֹא-תָצַר מוֹאָב - lo'-tatzar Mo'av):

  • not (לֹא - lo'): An emphatic negation, forbidding any such action.
  • harass (תָצַר - tatzar, from צָרַר - tsarar): Literally means "to press," "to besiege," "to confine," or "to put into distress." This term goes beyond simple aggression; it prohibits any action that would create hardship, pressure, or surround them with hostile intent, encompassing psychological and economic pressure as well as military encirclement.
  • Moab (מוֹאָב - Mo'av): Descendants of Lot, Abraham's nephew, through an incestuous relationship (Gen 19:37). Their lineage connects them distantly to Abraham and thus provides a basis for God's differentiated treatment of them compared to the Canaanites.

• or contend with them in battle, (וְלֹא-תִתְגָּר בָּהֶם מִלְחָמָה - vlo'-titgar bahem milchamah):

  • contend (תִּתְגָּר - titg`ar, from גָּרָה - garah): To stir oneself up, provoke, incite conflict, or engage in hostilities. This specifies military engagement, ensuring that "harass" is understood comprehensively and includes outright war.
  • in battle (מִלְחָמָה - milchamah): War, fight, conflict. Reinforces the absolute prohibition on military aggression.

• for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, (כִּי לֹא-אֶתֵּן לְךָ מֵאַרְצָם יְרֻשָּׁה - ki lo'-etten leka me'artzam yerushah):

  • for (כִּי - ki): Introduces the divine rationale or justification for the command.
  • I will not give (לֹא-אֶתֵּן - lo'-etten): Emphatic negative statement from God, clearly withholding this land. God alone determines inheritance.
  • possession (יְרֻשָּׁה - yerushah): An inherited property or estate, something permanently obtained and passed down. This emphasizes that Israel's claims to land derived entirely from God's grant, not their own strength or conquest.

• because I have given Ar to the people of Lot as a possession. (כִּי לִבְנֵי-לוֹט נָתַתִּי אֶת-עָר יְרֻשָּׁה - ki livnei-Lot natatti et-Ar yerushah):

  • because (כִּי - ki): Provides the ultimate, pre-existing reason for God's current command.
  • I have given (נָתַתִּי - natatti): Perfect tense verb, indicating a past, completed, and settled action. God's prior allocation is irreversible.
  • Ar (עָר - Ar): A prominent city or region often identified as the capital or a key location within Moabite territory. Its specific mention grounds the divine allocation in tangible geography.
  • to the people of Lot (לִבְנֵי-לוֹט - livnei-Lot): Explicitly linking the possession to the descendants of Lot, underscoring God's providential care and pre-established boundaries for all nations.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "You shall not harass Moab or contend with them in battle": This double negation with two strong verbs highlights the absolute nature of the prohibition against any form of aggression, both direct military and more subtle oppressive actions. It reveals God's meticulous instructions regarding His people's interactions with others.
  • "for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the people of Lot as a possession": This two-part divine explanation emphasizes God's ultimate sovereignty over land distribution. Israel's inheritance is strictly what God allocates, and He has already designated other lands for other peoples, thereby upholding His universal justice and faithfulness even outside the Abrahamic covenant. It demonstrates that Israel's claims were not based on mere power or territorial ambition, but solely on divine decree.

Deuteronomy 2 17 Bonus section

This passage serves as an early example of God respecting and maintaining prior "divine land deeds" to other nations, showcasing His ordered creation and sovereign oversight of global demography long before Israel's exodus. It presents a divine paradigm where not all peoples were to be indiscriminately conquered, differentiating the unique divine mandate against the idolatrous Canaanites from His general providence over other nations. This instruction reflects God's meticulous nature and His demand for precision in obedience, requiring Israel to know and honor these ancient divine allocations. It also subtly rebukes any potential presumption that Israel, as God's chosen people, had a limitless claim to any territory they desired. God's word, and His prior dealings, defined the boundaries.

Deuteronomy 2 17 Commentary

Deuteronomy 2:17 profoundly illustrates God's sovereign prerogative over the distribution of the entire earth, not just the land promised to Israel. This verse stands as a crucial qualifier to the general command for Israel to conquer and possess the land of Canaan. It demonstrates that God, long before Israel's appearance, established boundaries and gave possessions to other nations, including the descendants of Lot. This particular instruction to leave Moab untouched, along with Edom and Ammon (Deut 2:4-5, 2:19), emphasizes God's comprehensive and just plan for all humanity (Acts 17:26-27). It reveals that the covenant with Israel, while unique, operates within a broader framework of God's universal governance. The prohibition is not merely strategic; it's theological, rooted in God's prior bestowal of "Ar to the people of Lot." This underscores that Israel's right to the Promised Land was a divine grant, not a conquest based on a blanket divine mandate to dispossess all surrounding peoples. It also teaches Israel, and us, that true faithfulness involves adhering to God's specific instructions, even when they seem counterintuitive to a nation engaged in expansion.