What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 2:26? So from the Wilderness of Kedemoth “So from the Wilderness of Kedemoth I sent messengers…” (Deuteronomy 2:26) • Israel has just skirted Edom, Moab, and Ammon in obedience to the Lord’s “Do not provoke them” instructions (Deuteronomy 2:4–19). • The camp now sits at Kedemoth, a barren plateau east of the Arnon Gorge later given to the Levites (Joshua 13:18; 21:37). • The setting matters: Israel stands on territory not promised to Moab or Ammon, yet still outside Canaan. God is guiding every footstep (Deuteronomy 2:7). I sent messengers • Moses again uses diplomacy before drawing a sword, just as he had with Edom (Numbers 20:14–17). • This practice models the broader divine principle: “When you approach a city to fight against it, you are to offer it terms of peace” (Deuteronomy 20:10). • By recording his initiative, Moses shows that war with Sihon is not driven by Israelite aggression but by Sihon’s response and God’s larger plan (compare Deuteronomy 2:30). with an offer of peace • The offered terms are spelled out in verses 27–29: stay on the King’s Highway, buy food and water, pass through quickly. • Similar peaceful arrangements had already worked with the descendants of Esau (Deuteronomy 2:6) and were suggested to Edom (Numbers 20:17, 19). • Israel is prepared to pay its way, illustrating a respect for property and sovereignty that springs from covenant faithfulness. to Sihon king of Heshbon • Sihon rules the Amorites, an aggressive people occupying land north of the Arnon (Numbers 21:24). • His capital, Heshbon, guards the main north–south trade route. Letting Israel pass would threaten his toll revenue and sense of control. • Yet God has already decreed, “I have begun to deliver Sihon and his land over to you” (Deuteronomy 2:31). Sihon’s refusal will become the means by which the Lord keeps His promise to give Abraham’s descendants the land (Genesis 15:18–21). saying Verses 27–29 detail Moses’ exact words, but the single verb “saying” here signals that the initiative is respectful and transparent: • Clear route: “Let me pass through your land on the road.” • Fair payment: “I will pay you in silver for the food I eat and the water I drink.” • Temporary stay: “Allow me only to pass through on foot.” The request is reasonable; Sihon’s rejection therefore leaves him without excuse (Deuteronomy 2:30, 34). summary Deuteronomy 2:26 spotlights a pivotal moment: Israel, camped at Kedemoth, chooses peace first, sending envoys to Sihon with fair terms. This reveals God’s orderly guidance, Moses’ obedience to divine protocol, and the just foundation for the conflict that follows. When Sihon refuses, the Lord’s promise and Israel’s destiny move forward unhindered, proving again that God’s word is both righteous and sure. |
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