Deuteronomy 2 33

Deuteronomy 2:33 kjv

And the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people.

Deuteronomy 2:33 nkjv

And the LORD our God delivered him over to us; so we defeated him, his sons, and all his people.

Deuteronomy 2:33 niv

the LORD our God delivered him over to us and we struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army.

Deuteronomy 2:33 esv

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

Deuteronomy 2:33 nlt

But the LORD our God handed him over to us, and we crushed him, his sons, and all his people.

Deuteronomy 2 verses

Deuteronomy 2 33 Meaning

Deuteronomy 2:33 describes the divine assistance provided to the Israelites in their conflict with Sihon, King of Heshbon. It reveals that the Almighty God actively delivered Sihon and his people into the hands of Israel, enabling them to completely vanquish their enemies. The verse underscores God's sovereignty and His fulfillment of His promise to fight for His people and give them possession of the land.

Deuteronomy 2 33 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 2 details the latter part of Israel's journey through the wilderness, leading up to the conquest of the Promised Land. Prior to verse 33, Moses recounts how God had specifically forbidden Israel from provoking or taking the land of the Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites because God had already allotted those lands to Abraham's descendants (Esau, Lot's sons). However, the narrative then shifts to the Amorite kingdom of Sihon, King of Heshbon. Here, God commands Israel to engage in conflict. Initially, Israel sends messengers offering peaceable passage, but Sihon defiantly refuses and gathers his army. Verse 30 reveals God's active role in hardening Sihon's spirit and making him obstinate, "in order to deliver him into your hand, as he is this day." Thus, verse 33 marks the culmination of this divinely ordained confrontation, serving as a powerful testament to God's intervention and fulfillment of His covenant promises to bring His people into their inheritance.

Deuteronomy 2 33 Word analysis

• And the LORD (וַיְהוָה - vayHVH): Refers to Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. The conjunction "And" connects this divine action to the preceding events. It signifies the primary mover and actor in this conquest, not Israel's independent might. This emphasizes divine initiative and power.
• delivered him over (נָתַן - natan): The verb "natan" means "to give, place, set, allow, deliver." In this context, it explicitly means that God actively surrendered Sihon to Israel. This is a sovereign act of transfer, underscoring that the victory was not earned by Israel's strategic prowess but by God's decree and empowerment.
• to us (לָנוּ - lanu): Implies Israel as the divinely appointed agent for carrying out this judgment. God delivers to His people, empowering them as instruments of His will, not as mere bystanders.
• and we struck him down (וַנַּכֵּהוּ - vannakkehu): From the verb נָכָה (nakah), "to strike, smite, kill." This signifies the actual military action carried out by Israel. While God delivered, Israel physically engaged and accomplished the task. It's an affirmation of human responsibility and participation within the divine plan.
• with his sons (וְאֶת־בָּנָיו - ve'et-banav): The inclusion of "sons" indicates the eradication of the king's lineage and any potential heirs. This detail reinforces the totality of the judgment against Sihon's dynasty.
• and all his people (וְאֶת־כָּל־עַמּוֹ - ve'et-kol-ammo): Signifies the entire populace under Sihon's rule. This aspect of destruction, sometimes termed herem (devotion to destruction), implies a comprehensive judgment on the Amorite nation, ensuring no lingering threat and cleansing the land of its pagan inhabitants, who had filled the measure of their iniquity (Gen 15:16).
• until there was no survivor left to him (עַד־בִּלְתִּי הִשְׁאִיר־לוֹ שָׂרִיד - `ad-bilti hish'ir-lo sarid): This emphatic phrase underscores the complete and utter annihilation. "Sarid" refers to a remnant or survivor. The "until there was no survivor" stresses the thoroughness and finality of the defeat, leaving no one to regroup or re-establish the kingdom. It communicates the devastating consequences of resisting God's purpose.

• "The LORD delivered him over to us": This phrase highlights God's sovereignty over nations and His active participation in the history of His people. The victory belongs to the LORD, who orchestrates events to fulfill His promises and judgments.
• "we struck him down, with his sons and all his people": This combined action reflects Israel's obedient participation in God's decreed judgment. It demonstrates the execution of the herem principle applied in specific divine commands, intended to purge the land of entrenched wickedness and remove pagan influence from Israel's midst.
• "until there was no survivor left to him": This final clause seals the completeness of God's judgment through Israel's hands. It communicates that God's plan for a pure, separated people in a cleansed land was meticulously carried out, reflecting the thoroughness of divine justice against a resisting and morally depraved society.

Deuteronomy 2 33 Bonus section

The destruction described in Deut 2:33, particularly the phrase "until there was no survivor left," points to the biblical concept of herem (חֵרֶם), often translated as "devotion to destruction" or "utter destruction." This was not a universal command for all Israelite warfare but a specific, limited command for certain peoples (like the Amorites here, and later the Canaanites), tied to their extreme depravity and the imperative to prevent idolatrous influence from corrupting God's people within the Promised Land. This form of judgment, divinely commanded and executed at a particular time in history, sets boundaries around Israel's land and spiritual purity. The command to utterly destroy served as a theological statement about the complete and decisive nature of divine judgment against sin, rather than a blueprint for all future military engagements or an endorsement of indiscriminate violence.

Deuteronomy 2 33 Commentary

Deuteronomy 2:33 is a powerful declaration of divine providence and active involvement in the affairs of His people. It reveals that the conquest of Sihon, King of Heshbon, was not merely a military triumph for Israel but a meticulously executed act by the LORD Himself. God delivered Sihon into Israel's hands, showcasing His sovereignty over nations and His unwavering commitment to His covenant promises. Israel, therefore, acted as God's instrument, carrying out His judgment. The thoroughness of the victory – annihilating Sihon, his sons, and all his people without a single survivor – underscores the severity of God's judgment against a wicked nation that stood in the way of His divine plan for Israel and had reached the full measure of its iniquity. This verse is foundational for understanding the theology of the conquest, portraying God as the Divine Warrior who fights for His people, ensuring their inheritance while meting out justice to those who defy Him.