What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 2:29? Just as the descendants of Esau who live in Seir • Moses recalls that when Israel skirted Edom, the territory of Esau’s descendants, they were granted peaceful passage and even traded for provisions (Numbers 20:17–19; Deuteronomy 2:4–6). • This sets a precedent: if blood relatives who do not share Israel’s covenant could show courtesy, surely Sihon the Amorite (vv. 26–30) should do the same. • The reference reinforces God’s earlier promise to Jacob’s brother Esau that he, too, would become a nation with land of his own (Genesis 36:8). Israel honors that divine allotment by not seizing Seir (Deuteronomy 2:5). And the Moabites who live in Ar did for us • Israel’s journey next brushed the border of Moab, and again God forbade aggression (Deuteronomy 2:9). • The Moabites “did for us” what Edom had done: allowed safe passage and commerce (Numbers 21:13, 26). • These examples highlight God’s orderly distribution of territories: Edom for Esau, Ar for Moab, Canaan for Israel. Respecting those borders underscores obedience and trust in God’s timetable (Acts 17:26). Until we cross the Jordan • The phrase puts a firm time limit on Israel’s dependence on foreign hospitality. Their wilderness detours were temporary; God’s goal always pointed east-to-west across the Jordan (Joshua 1:2). • It also reminds the listeners—now poised at the Jordan—that God’s promises outlast delays (Hebrews 10:36). The same Lord who provided passage through Edom and Moab will open the river itself (Joshua 3:14-17). Into the land that the LORD our God is giving us • The verb “is giving” is present tense, stressing certainty. God is not merely planning but actively transferring ownership (Exodus 6:8). • By tying the promised land to His own name, “the LORD our God,” He binds the gift to His covenant character—unchanging, faithful, and sovereign (Psalm 105:8-11). • The contrast is clear: Edom and Moab already possess their inheritance; Israel is on the brink of receiving hers. Their obedience in respecting others’ allotments is a prerequisite for enjoying their own (Matthew 5:5). summary Deuteronomy 2:29 reminds Israel that just as Edom and Moab honored God’s territorial assignments and gave Israel safe passage, so the Amorites should have done. The verse underscores God’s faithfulness in guiding His people step by step, honoring promises to all nations, and moving Israel steadily toward the land He is even now handing over to them. |
    |