21 " Then we turned and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red e Sea , as the Lord spoke to me, and circled Mount Seir for many days . 2 "And the Lord spoke to me, saying , 3 'You have circled this mountain long enough . Now turn north , 4 and command the people , saying , "You will pass through the territory of your brothers the sons of Esau who live in Seir ; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful ; 5 do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land , even as little as a footstep e e because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Deuteronomy 2:1-5
Commentary on Deuteronomy 2:1-7
(Read Deuteronomy 2:1-7)
Only a short account of the long stay of Israel in the wilderness is given. God not only chastised them for their murmuring and unbelief, but prepared them for Canaan; by humbling them for sin, teaching them to mortify their lusts, to follow God, and to comfort themselves in him. Though Israel may be long kept waiting for deliverance and enlargement, it will come at last. Before God brought Israel to destroy their enemies in Canaan, he taught them to forgive their enemies in Edom. They must not, under pretence of God's covenant and conduct, think to seize all they could lay hands on. Dominion is not founded in grace. God's Israel shall be well placed, but must not expect to be placed alone in the midst of the earth. Religion must never be made a cloak for injustice. Scorn to be beholden to Edomites, when thou hast an all-sufficient God to depend upon. Use what thou hast, use it cheerfully. Thou hast experienced the care of the Divine providence, never use any crooked methods for thy supply. All this is equally to be applied to the experience of the believer.