DISCERNMENT IN DEALING WITH OTHERS In the first chapter, the prophet Moses presented the iniquities of the people, and what they earned as fruit of their rebellion. Now, having reached the gates of the land of Canaan; in them the divine promise to their father Abraham, held fast along the generations, will be realized; if they adopt the spirit of discernment in their behavior, and their relationships with the nations. Although God, in His love for His people, dwells among them, grants them the Promised Land, and fights several nations on their behalf; yet, He wished them to walk according to His plan, with discernment and wisdom. He commanded them not to attack the children of Esau (Deut. 2:1-8), their brothers (Esau and Jacob were brothers); who have already got a divine promise to get the Mount of Seir as an inheritance (Genesis 36:8). He commanded them as well, not to fight against Moab and Ammon (Deut. 2:9, 18), being the children of Lot. But He commanded them to fight against Sihon, king of the Amorites (Deut. 2:24), who hardened his heart and did not let them pass through his land; and promised to grant them conquest over him; and all the cities of Sihon would be theirs (Deut. 2:26-36). God, who grants them victory in their battles, does not want them to turn into a people that love to make war and to take possession, for its own sake, but, if they make war, it should be in the Lord; and if they take possession, it should be as a divine gift. That is why He designated limits and goals for their wars. 1- Their journey into the wilderness 1–3. 2- A divine command not to fight against the Edomites 4–8. 3- A divine command not to fight against the Moabites 9–19. 4- A divine command to fight against Sihon and Og 20–37. 1. THE JOURNEY INTO THEWILDERNESS: “After you had stayed at Kadesh as many days as you did, we journeyed back into the wilderness, in the direction of the Red Sea, as the Lord had told me, and skirted Mount Seir for many days. Then the Lord said to me. ‘You have been skirting this hill country long enough; head north” (Deut. 2:1-3). Verse 1 refers in a concise way to the maze journey as a whole, as the listeners were not in need of hearing its details. The two verses 2 and 3 came to refer to the command concerning the stage from Kadesh to the Mount of Hur (Numbers 20:22; 33:27); and directing the people to go south from the Mount of Seir, around the land of Edom (Numbers 21:4); then north toward Arnon, namely, on the way to the wilderness of Moab.” The word ‘Seir’ means “with dense hair,” a land dwelt by the Horites (Genesis 14:6); then seized by Esau and his descendants (Genesis 32:3); was called ‘the Mount of Seir,’ because it was a mountainous land on the eastern side of the Arabian wilderness; where one of its summits, that of Mount Hur, reached a height of 1600 meters. The Israelites had to go around it in a circle, through a very rough terrain, because the Edomites refused to let them cross through their land. In the last chapter, God’s command was not to be slothful: “You have stayed long enough in this mountain” (Deut. 1:6). Here, He also commands them: “You have been skirting this hill country long enough; Head north” (Deut. 2:3). Except for Caleb and Joshua, all the generation that came out of the land of Egypt have died; those are who refused to enter the Promised Land, according to God’s command; and Moses was about to die. That is why God said that they have 7 stayed long enough in that mountain. Of the fruits of sin, is that man becomes slothful, and reluctant to move; and when he does, he goes as though in a closed circuit. The devil at first, strikes man with the sin of laziness and slothfulness; then provokes him to move and to act with no goal; to corrupt and waste his energy. The believer is in need of the spirit of heavenly wisdom and discernment, to keep on going; yet along the royal way, and with no diversion. St. John Cassian 2. A DIVINE COMMAND NOT TO FIGHT AGAINST THE EDOMITES Although Jacob acquired both the blessing and firstborn status, God granted his brother Esau and his descendants to possess Mount Seir. Now, God, warns His people against approaching or attacking Mount Seir; as He had given it to their brothers, anticipating their return to Him, to enter into the new land, the heavenly Canaan, through faith in the Messiah, the Savior of the world. God, the Philanthropic, asks everybody not to overpass the boundaries of others. And as the apostle Paul says: “He has made from one blood every nation to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation” (Acts 17:26). “ And charge the people as follows: ‘You are about to pass through the territory of your kindred, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, so, be very careful not to engage in battle with them, for I will not give you even so much as a foot’s length of their land, since I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession” (Deut. 1:3-5). He gave them the right to pass through the boundaries of their brothers; gave them awe in their sights; yet they should not abuse those rights. He warns them “to be very careful;” not for any possibility that the children of Esau might defeat them, but in order not to lose the spirit of justice, and not to fall in the sin of not keeping the divine commandment. Although a man of God is so much feared, yet he should be careful not to think much of himself, lest he would lose the spirit of humility before God; and, instead of honor, he would be humiliated. In this chapter, it is to be noticed that God, although He is the Creator of everything, and the Lord of all, yet, He always offers a clarification of His command; We see Him repeating the word, “for I….” (Deut. 2:5, 9, 19). He is an amazing Father, who likes to speak to His children, not with the sense of giving orders and commands, but with the spirit of understanding, to let them comprehend the secrets behind every action of His. He wishes to speak to us, the way He did to Moses; being said: “The Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11). He gave them this commandment – honoring the possession of others – warning them against approaching Mount Seir, of which He would not give them even so much as a foot’s length (Deut. 2:5). As we may start by a foot’s length; then would take more and more, of what is not our right to have, that is why the commandment confirms: “Don’t touch; don’t taste;” Keep away altogether! When God gave the Ten Commandments, He did not give an explanation for each commandment. Saying, “Don’t steal,” He did not say why so; because He gave it, as though to little children, unable to realize the spiritual concept of the commandment. But He soon provided the explanation; saying that the commandment not to steal, is not just for the sake of obedience by the commandment; as we may 8 even steal with our mind and our heart, if not with our hand. He said: “Be holy, for Your Father is Holy;” namely, be perfect, for your Father is perfect. Holiness and perfection’ namely, being like God, is the cause behind our refrain from stealing. That is why He gives us the commandment and then follows it by a divine proclamation. The descendants of Esau or Edom expelled the Horites and dwelt in their land (12). The rulers of Edom, at the beginning, were chiefs or princes of tribes (Genesis 36:15-19) and then became kings later on (Genesis 36:31-39), before the setting of the kingdom of Israel. The Edomite was considered like a brother of the Hebrew; that the third generation of whoever becomes attached to them, would be counted as a Hebrew (Deuteronomy 23:7, 8). King David conquered them (2 Samuel 8:14); yet he let them stay in their land, after appointing guards over them. Then, they regained their independence in the days of Jehoshaphat (2 kings 8:20-22). The Edomites rejoiced when Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem, captivated and sold those who escaped as slaves (Obadiah). “You shall purchase food from them for money, so that you may eat; and you shall also buy water from them for money, so that you can drink. Surely the Lord your God has blessed you in all your undertakings; He knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing” (Deut. 2:6, 7). Although God allowed for their wandering along forty years, because of their rebellion and murmuring, yet He was as though walking with them in that long journey, caring for all their needs, and did not let them lack anything of the necessities of life. In the course of our chastisement, He does not forsake us, but attaches Himself to us, and provides us with all our needs. He wounds and He heals! Although the manna did not completely cease to come down over them, until their first celebration of Passover in Canaan under the leadership of Joshua (Joshua 5:10-12); we, for the first time, see the people in need of purchasing food and water for money. For as long as forty years, God sustained them for free, but He started to train them to purchase, before they come to enter the Promised Land, where they are committed to agriculture and trade. God probably allowed them to purchase food and water, while at the same time, continued to rain the manna over them, to confirm to them that He does not intend to deprive them of what He has granted them. He proclaims His love and exalted care for them. What He actually abhors is lust and greed. Those words reveal God’s exalted love, care, and planning for His people. He could have brought them over from the land of Egypt to Canaan in few days; yet, by a divine plan, He let them wander forty years in that great wilderness, to enjoy the blessing of His hands, His walking with them for a longer period; and His realization of their needs, even those of little material importance. This is God’s goodness that turns even the fruit of our sins to our own good. Man, within few hours, can make a big ladder; yet he needs several years to get a great tree laden with fruits. So God did not wish to make a big ladder out of His people, but a fruitful tree; that He planted in Egypt, watered and cared for it along 40 years; to enjoy entering into Canaan, the symbol of heaven; as a natural fruit of God’s work in their life. We often hasten to get fruition; wish in few moments to bear the fruit of the Spirit; But God, in His great love for us, works quietly and with no haste; in order to let us perceive His work, realize its secrets, and experience the intimate fellowship with Him. He walks with us amid the great wilderness for so many years. During those many long years, He did not present His people with lectures in 9 theology, but offered them Himself, walked with them in the wilderness, and fulfilled all their needs; to let them taste His love, and experience its sweetness. “So we passed by our kin, the descendants of Esau who live in Seir; leaving behind the route of the Arabah, and leaving behind Elath and Ezion Geber” (Deut. 2:8). ‘Elah’ or ‘Elath’: is a Hebrew name meaning “trees.” The region of ‘Aqaba’ is still rich in palm trees. ‘Elah’ is a town at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba (the eastern arm of the Red Sea); close to ‘Ezion Geber.’ It was an important maritime port, and a center of caravans; that king David took over from the Edomites (2 Samuel 8:14); and was used by king Solomon as a port for his trade fleet. After the Edomites retook it, it was taken again, and rebuilt by Uzziah king of Judah (2 kings 14:22); then taken by Rezin king of Aram; and the Edomites returned to it (2 kings 16:6). ‘Ezion Geber’: was located west of the port of ‘Elath;’ the last of the stops of the children of Israel in their journey in the wilderness, before they reach the wilderness of Zin (Numbers 33:35); thought to be ‘Tel-El-Khalifah, 500 feet from the Red Sea shore. The new excavations testify that it has been a great trade center; especially for the trade of iron and bronze. It has been of prominent importance in the days of king Solomon, where he built his fleet; By Ezion Geber, he could dominate the sea and land trade with the Arabian Peninsula. Then it lost its stance, and was taken over by Amaziah, who built a port in the region (2 kings 14:22; 2 Chronicles 26). 3. A DIVINE COMMAND NOT TO FIGHT AGAINST THE MOABITES: “The Lord said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab or engage them in battle, for I will not give you any of its land as a possession, since I have given Ar as a possession to the descendants of ‘Lot’” (Deut. 2:9). God has given them the promise to enjoy the Promised Land, and granted them the possibility to conquer, but He set for them certain limits. It was not their right to violate what God gave to the Moabites. By that, God intended to confirm to them, that despite His great love and generosity; they had to realize that God set limits for every nation, tribe, family, and individual; that the believer has no right to violate. That is why He commanded them to refrain from harassing the Moabites; although the Moabites intended to harass them. Why didn’t God allow for the destruction of the Ammonites and the Moabites? a. Because they were the descendants of ‘Lot,’ the righteous man who was tortured by the deeds of the evil people of Sodom. It is as though God intended to pay ‘Lot’s righteousness, back to his great grandchildren. He did not acquit them, judged by their personal sins; but granted them certain temporal blessings, for the sake of Lot’s righteousness, with the hope that they might return to God and follow the lead of their grandfather. b. Because the land that the Ammonites possess was promised to them by Him, and was not included in the land He promised to give His people. It is also the right of the wicked to possess on earth; as the tares have their place together with the wheat; until the time of harvest comes, when the tares would be cast in fire. God let the wicked have abundant goods on earth, with the hope that when they realize that it is not for their best; they would seek the heavenly blessings. When the people did not trust that God is capable of granting them conquest over those kingdoms, He forsook them until all the men of war perished (16); so that 10 when they do conquer, they would then realize that it is from God, and not because of their might. God wishes to use all our energies for edification. Yet, if we depend on them, disregarding the hand of God, we would be denied His blessings. When we realize that, without Him we are nothing; then He would start to work in us, and by us. As the men of war of Israel, those of the generation that was denied the entry into the Promised Land, died; and God’s hand was no more against His people; He instructed them to cross over the Zered Valley, located at the southern end of the Dead Sea from the east; then to cross ‘Arnon’ (24), to enter into the domain of the Amorites. “’The Emim – a large and numerous people, as tall as the Anakim – had formerly inhabited it. Like the Anakim, they are usually reckoned as Rephaim, though the Moabites call them Emim. Moreover, the Horim had formerly inhabited Seir, but the descendants of Esau dispossessed them, destroying them and settling in their place, as Israel has done in the land that the Lord gave them as a possession. Now then, proceed to cross over the Valley of Zered.’So we crossed over the Valley of Zered; and the length of time we had traveled from Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the Valley of Zered was thirty-eight years, until the entire generation of warriors had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn concerning them. Indeed the Lord’s own hand was against them, to root them out from the camp, until all had perished” (Deut. 2:10-15). Origin of the nations they encountered1 The prophet Moses presents to us a concise account of the nations he mentions here; namely, the Moabites, the Edomites, and the Ammonites; saying that those were not the original inhabitants of the land. The Moabites inhabited a region that belonged to a race of Anakim called ‘Emim’ (10); meaning, “the horrible;” as tall as the ‘Anakim,’ and are probably more fierce (10-11). They were roaming around, threatening everybody there. The Emim, the ancient inhabitants of the region east of the Jordan, were one day a strong and numerous people; and were called the ‘Rephaim.’ Calmet believes that the Emim were destroyed in a war against ‘Chedorlaomer’ and his allies (Genesis 14:5)2; and that ‘Lot’ headed there after the devastation of Sodom and Gomorrah. Some believe that the ‘Emim,’ the ‘Anakim.’, and the Rephaim,’ were most probably one and the same people bearing different names in different regions; and some believe that all the nomadic tribes of Anakim, were called ‘Rephaim.’ That was the atmosphere seen by the spies who were sent by Moses, and on whom they presented their gloomy report (Numbers 13:33). By the same way, the ‘Edomites’ replaced the ‘Horites’ in Mount Seir (Deut. 2:12, 23); who were called ‘the Sons of Seir’ (Genesis 36:20, 21). They were defeated by ‘Chdorlaomar’ and his allies; then were destroyed and replaced by the children of Esau (2, 22). The ‘Horites’ were non-Semite mountain people; who immigrated after the year 2000 BC, to the north and northeast of Mesopotamia; spread afterwards all over the Law fertile region of Mesopotamia and Syria; and reached to Palestine and Egypt; preceding the Hebrews in Palestine. The Middle Euphrates was one of the centers of their culture, and the kingdom of ‘Metano or Haingalbat’ on the higher Euphrates was Horite, although its rulers were formerly Arians, the Hetites. The early Assyrian culture inherited and succeeded the Horite culture; and the Noso-Assyrians 1 Matthew Henry Commentary. 2 Adam Clarke Commentary, 2. 11 destroyed the Horites about the year 1400 BC. The Ammonites likewise have occupied lands formerly inhabited by the ‘Zamzummim’ (20, 21); some wicked Semite people, their name meaning the “murmurers or the noise makers;” tall and mighty men, who inhabited the land east of the Jordan and the Dead Sea; also called the ‘Rephaim.’ Those, also known as the ‘Zuzim’ (Genesis 14:5), were attacked and conquered by ‘Chedorlaomar;’ and then were expelled by the Ammonites. The prophet Moses mentions all that for the following reasons: a. When certain regions became crowded after the great flood, the tribe that grew in number, expelled another of less number, and replaced it. b. It is not necessary that the stronger always prevailed. The Anakim were expelled from their cities by ordinary people, probably because the Anakim were as wicked as those before the great flood (Genesis 6:4); so deserved the divine chastisement to be expelled from their land with no resistance on their part. c. To confirm the unsteady and non-permanent nature of this world. A nation that assumes to be strong and great, would soon collapse and become replaced by another, thought to be weaker and more helpless. d. To encourage Israel at that time to possess Canaan, disregarding the might and military possibilities of its inhabitants. If God’s will did that with the Moabites and the Ammonites; what would He do to fulfill His promise to them. As all set their faces toward the land of Canaan, in anticipation that the long awaited divine promise was about to be realized; all realized the following facts: a. Thirty-eight years in the wilderness were lost because of rebellion. Their fathers could have otherwise inherited the land, and the current generation could have been born in the Promised Land itself. Sin corrupts man’s time, energies, capabilities, and goals. b. All the warriors who came out of Egypt died, those who learned the skills of war from the Egyptians – although they did not practice them there. Now, no man of war, of those who were trained by human hand will enter into the land of Canaan to fight; but those who were born in the wilderness, and were as though trained by God Himself, will do. Out of the old generation, no one entered except Joshua and Caleb; who, although born in Egypt, yet ,because they submitted to the Lord from the beginning; and realized that they will possess by the arm of the Lord, and not by the arm of man, they were worthy of entering together with the new generation. c. They were all young; except for Joshua and Caleb, who although old, yet not spiritually old; as God renewed their youth like eagles. No one who is spiritually old, with the spirit of despair and weakness of faith, will enter the Kingdom of heaven. We are in need of continuous renewal of the spirit, in order to live in perpetual youth, until we cross over to eternity, and enter into heaven, where no slothful or despairing man would be. They were commanded to proceed to cross over the Valley (Wadi) of Zered (13), (See Numbers 21:12). The word ‘Wadi’ here is ‘Nahal,’ meaning a mountain river channel, that becomes full in the rain season, and may dry up in other times; which is normal in the Jordan region. The Hebrew name ‘Zered’ means “flourishing.” It is a water channel that comes from ‘Mount Abarim,’ and flows down to the southeast section of the Sea of Lot (the Dead Sea). It is the natural boundary between Edom and Moab; and was one of the last obstacles on the way of the Hebrews from Egypt to Canaan; known nowadays as ‘Wadi-el-Hasa.’ With bitterness, the prophet Moses says: “… until the entire generation of warriors perished from the camp; as the Lord had sworn concerning them. Indeed 12 the Lord’s own hand was against them, to root them out from the camp, until all had perished” (Deut. 2:14, 15). How difficult it is on the soul of that great leader, to find himself left alone in the camp! The whole wilderness turned into a cemetery where all the warriors were buried. If they happened to die in a noble battle, it would be an honor that would give comfort to their leader. But to see that the Lord’s hand was upon them, because of their rebellion and mutiny; that would create bitterness in his heart. Why did God allow for that great army to perish? As they despised God’s commandment, and lost His holiness and righteousness, God intended to confirm to all generations, that, although capable to do and consummate His will without an army and with no preachers, yet He does not work in men who devoid His holiness and righteousness. It is sufficient, by only two - Joshua and Caleb - who bear obedience to God and faith in His promises; left out of the rebellious hundreds of thousands who came out of Egypt; for God to bring the whole new generation over to the land of Canaan. Here is God’s mercy and His righteousness; that He does not seek the great number or the strength of body; but He seeks the righteousness and holiness. “Just as soon as the warriors had died off from among the people, the Lord spoke to me, saying, ‘Today you are going to cross the boundary of Moab at ‘Ar.’ When you approach the frontier of the Ammonites, do not harass them or engage them in battle, for I will not give the land of the Ammonites to you as a possession, because I have given it to the descendants of Lot.’” (Deut. 2:16-19) ‘Ar,’ a Semite name meaning “a city,” one of the great cities of Moab, on its northern frontier by the rim of ‘Valley of Arnon;’ was called ‘Ariopolis’ by the Greeks, referring to ‘Aris’ their god of war. and ‘Rabat Moab’ by the Jews. Nowadays it is ‘Kherbet-el-rabah,’ 14 miles south of the River Arnon; namely, Wadi Mojib. 4. A DIVINE COMMAND TO FIGHT AGAINST SIHON AND OG God, who commanded His people to control themselves, and refrain from fighting against Moab and Ammon, despite their richness and small number compared to His people; presented to them all what Sihon possessed, as a gift and a pay back for their obedience to Him. “It also is usually reckoned as a land of Rephaim. Rephaim formerly inhabited it; though the Ammonites call them ‘Zamzummim,’ a strong and numerous people, as tall as the Anakim. But the Lord destroyed them from before the Ammonites, so that they could dispossess them and settle in their place. He did the same for the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir, by destroying the Horim before them, so they could dispossess them and settle in their place even to this day. As for the Avvim, who had lived in settlements in the vicinity of Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and settled in their place. Proceed on your journey and cross the Wadi Arnon. See, I have handed over to you king Sihon the Ammorite of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to take possession by engaging him in battle. This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under heaven, when they hear report of you, they will tremble and be in anguish because of you” (Deut. 2:20-25). Although He gave them the possessions of king Sihon; yet they are not to acquire them in their sleep, but should engage the enemy in a battle, which symbolizes the spiritual strife, in which God Himself will fight for them and give them conquest. Firstly, the enemy opposing the truth would collapse. Secondly, God would transfigure with His presence in the midst of His children; and finally those who strive, would be granted the spirit of conquest; and be glorified, dreaded, and 13 dignified by all; a gift from God Himself (Exodus 15:14). Now, the region from Og’s Arnon in the south, to Sihon and the frontier of Og in Gilead in the north; From the higher reaches of the River Yabok in the east, to the Jordan in the west; all this region has fallen in the hands of the children of Israel. Yet, they did not possess any land of the Ammonites, according to God’s command (19). ‘The Zamzummim’: were probably the ‘Zumzim’ (Genesis 14:5); of those ancient peoples, we know very little. The word ‘Gaza’ here, or ‘Azzah,’ derived from the Hebrew word ‘Hazarim,’ is not the name of a certain city; but means “villages.” The ‘Avins,’ after being invaded by the ‘Caphtorim,’ became dispersed on several ruined locations (Genesis 10:14) that reveal their condition as a helpless people. ‘Caphtor’ is an island or a seaside coast from where the Philistines first came (Jeremiah 47:4; Amos 9:7). One of the theories, supported by the Septuagint version, says that the name ‘Caphtor’ was given to the region west and south of Asia Minor; from Lydia to Cilicia; In this version, translated ‘Caphtor’ is translated as ‘Capadokiah’ (Deut. 2:23; Amos 97). The two Egyptian words, ‘Caphteo’ and ‘Caphtor’ were used to refer to the island of ‘Crete.’ And as this theory, likewise, was not without difficulties, the name ‘Caphtor’ was given, not only to ‘Crete,’ but to all the islands around it, beside Asia Minor as well. It should be noticed that the word ‘Cretans,’ synonymous to the word ‘Philistines,’ mentioned in (Ezekiel 25:16; Zephaniah 2:5), was translated in the Septuagint version, as the ‘Cretans.’ In (Genesis 10:14) it came that the ‘Caphtorim’ were descendants of ‘Mezraim.’ Although the Lord says that He delivered Sihon to Israel (24), yet Moses sent messengers to him to ask for permission to cross over peacefully through his land. Sihon, because of his hard heart, rejected the demand, and engaged the Israelites in battle. Moses demand to cross the land of Sihon in peace; does not imply disobedience to God, who promised to give him the land of Sihon; but shows how much he is a man of peace; and reveals that, what will befall Sihon is a fruit of his violent and evil nature. What befell the Amorites was not because they are enemies to Israel, but is a realization of divine justice. ‘Og,’ as well, was defeated before the people of God, despite his following capabilities and possibilities: a. ‘Og’ was a strong descendant of the ‘Anakim’ (11); his giant body is revealed by his abnormally huge bed (Deut. 3:11). b. He was brave and bold; was not intimidated by the defeat of Sihon before Israel, but engaged them in battle. He rejected the offered peace; so his evil came upon his head. Although Moses was not in need of a new confirmation from God, to spare him from fearing ‘Og,’ yet God gave that confirmation not for his own sake, but for that of the people. ‘Bashan’ fell into the hand of Israel; and the whole fruitful region in the east came into their possession. That opened the gate of hope before the people of God; that, as He gave them the land east of the Jordan, He will also give them that west of it. Although Moses was denied crossing over the Jordan, and entering into the land of Canaan, yet he saw by his own eyes, the beginning and the advance payment of inheritance, by what his people got in the east of the Jordan. So, through our strife on earth, we would come to enjoy a heavenly advance payment, an inheritance that opens our eyes to hope, after crossing over from this world, to enjoy the heavenly Canaan. Because the Amorites, under the leadership of Sihon, have confiscated a 14 section of the land of Moab, God allowed His people to take possession of it. “So I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to king Sihon of Heshbon with the following terms of peace: ‘If you let me pass through your land, I will travel only along the road; I will turn aside neither to the right nor to the left. You shall sell me food for money, so that I may eat; and supply me water for money, so that I may drink. Only allow me to pass through on foot – such as the descendants of Esau who live in Seir have done for me and likewise the Moabites who live in Ar – until I cross the Jordan into the land that the Lord is giving us.’ But king Sihon of Heshbon was not willing to let us pass through, for the Lord your God had hardened his spirit and made his heart defiant in order to hand him over to you, as He has done. The Lord said to me, ‘See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin now to take possession of his land.’ So when Sihon came out against us, he and all his people for battle at Jahaz, the Lord our God gave him over to us; and we struck him down, along with his offspring and all his people. At that time we captured all his towns, and in each town we utterly destroyed men, women, and children. We left not a single survivor. Only the livestock we kept as spoil for ourselves, as well as the plunder of the towns that we had captured. From Aroer on the edge of the Wadi Arnon (including the town that is in the Wadi itself) as far as Gilead, there was no citadel too high for us. The Lord our God gave everything to us. You did not encroach, however, on the land of the Ammonites, avoiding the whole upper region of the Wadi Jabbok, as well as the towns of the hill country, just as the Lord our God had charged” (Deut. 2:26-37). ‘Kedemoth’: A Hebrew name meaning “eastern locations;” It is a town in the province, east of the Sea of Lot, within the higher Wadi Arnon, taken over by the prophet Moses, and from which he sent messengers to king Sihon. Some believe that it is ‘Kasr-el-Zaafran,’ two and a half miles north of the city. It was at first given to the tribe of Reuben (Joshua 13:18); then to the Levite of Merari (Joshua 21:37; 1 Chronicles 6:79). ‘Jahaz’ or ‘Jahza’ (Joshua 13:18; 21:36): A Moabite name meaning “a treaded on location.” A Moabite city close to the desert, where the Hebrews fought and defeated king Sihon; and took over the land between Arnon and Jabbok. But it seems that the Moabites have taken it over back later on. It is thought to be located one mile south of ‘Zarka Moen,’ and 12 miles east of the Dead Sea, or said to be the village of ‘Um-el-Mawalid’ or ‘Kherbet Eskander.’ It became a portion for the tribe of Reuben. ‘Aroer’: A Moabite and a Hebrew name meaning “naked or nakedness,” a city north of the Wadi Arnon in Moab, south of the Amorite kingdom of Sihon, known nowadays as ‘Ar.’ It is 12 miles east of the Dead Sea; a little south of ‘Zeban.’ It became a portion for the tribe of Reuben then taken over by Hazael the king of Syria, after it was taken over and fortified by the Gadites, and by Mesha the king of Moab. It was affiliated to Moab in the days of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 48:19). ‘Arnon’: A Hebrew word meaning ‘Zaerah;’ a name of a river called nowadays ‘Wadi-el-Mojib’ in the modern Hashemite kingdom of Jordan; formed of ‘Wadi Walah,’ to the north east, ‘Wady Enkeileh’ to the east; and ‘Seil es-Sa`ideh’ to the south. The River Arnon flows in a deep trough, until it reaches the Dead Sea at a point a little distance from the middle of its eastern bank. ‘Arnon’ in the days of the prophet Moses has been the separating line between the Moabites in the south, and the Amorites in the north (Numbers 21:13, 26). In the days of the judges, ‘Arnon’ was the southern boundary of the tribe of Reuben that separated them from Moab (Joshua 13:16). The city of ‘Aroer’ is located on its northern coast; and close to it there was an 15 ancient crossing point, probably the one called ‘the fords of Arnon’ (Isaiah 16:2). ‘Jabbok’: meaning “luxuriant river;” a river known nowadays as the River of Zerka, “the blue river"”, that springs close to Amman, Jordan; winds eastwards then northwards, to pass by the city of ‘Zerka,’ that was called after it; then winds westwards, to flow into the River Jordan at a point 13 miles south of the Lake of Galilee; and 23 miles north of the Dead Sea. Jacob crossed this river, and there, wrestled with an angel (Genesis 32:23-30). ‘Jabbok’ was a natural separating boundary between Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan. The Hebrews took over the land located on its lower part. ‘Caphtor’ (22): May be ‘Crete.’ The Cephtorim are the Philistines who came from the southern coasts of Philistine at about the time of the Exodus (Compare Joshua 13:3; Amos 9:7). This nomination reveals that this book was written in an early time. The person or the thing to be “utterly destroyed” (34), was usually designated for the worship of foreign gods; something abominable as sin itself; corrupted and corrupting, like a dress contaminated by a disease, and fit only for burning; lest the curse will fall upon those who let him live. ‘The hill country’: That region, located at the springs of Jabbok, was inhabited by the Ammonites, east of the plain “flat land” (Deut. 3:10), as described by an eyewitness. 16 AN INSPIRATION FROM THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY (Chapter 2) I HAVE SKIRTED THIS MOUNTAIN LONG ENOUGH In Your exalted love you cry out to me: “You have been skirting this hill country long enough” My heart was attached to the dangerous mountain of the ‘ego.’ As a fool, I became lazy and slothful, for the sake of the comfort of my body. And if I move, I go around myself. Seeing myself as the center of the world! My heart becomes closed before all, for my own ego. Grant me the spirit of wisdom and discernment; that my soul would set forth with love. I long to walk along Your royal way, the way of humility, with the giving love. Your gifts are abundant for my brethren and me. I thank You for what You have given me. And in love, I honor the rights of my brethren. I will never encroach on the land of my brethren; not even so much as a foot’s length! I will never become slothful in my commitments toward You, and toward my brethren! Grant me the spirit of discernment; O You, who are wholly Wisdom!
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