8 "So we passed beyond e our brothers the sons of Esau , who live in Seir , away from the Arabah road , away from Elath and from Ezion-geber . And we turned and passed through by the way of the wilderness of Moab . 9 "Then the Lord said to me, 'Do not harass Moab , nor provoke them to war , for I will not give you any of their land as a possession , because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot as a possession . 10 (The Emim lived there formerly , a people as great , numerous , and tall as the Anakim . 11 Like the Anakim , they are also regarded as Rephaim , but the Moabites call them Emim . 12 The Horites formerly lived in Seir , but the sons of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and settled in their place , just as Israel did to the land of their possession which the Lord gave to them.) 13 'Now arise and cross over the brook Zered yourselves.' So we crossed over the brook Zered . 14 "Now the time that it took for us to come from Kadesh-barnea until e we crossed over the brook Zered was thirty-eight e years , until all the generation of the men of war perished from within the camp , as the Lord had sworn to them. 15 " Moreover the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from within the camp until they all perished . 16 "So it came about when all the men of war had finally perished e from among the people , 17 that the Lord spoke to me, saying , 18 'Today you shall cross over Ar , the border of Moab . 19 'When you come opposite the sons of Ammon , do not harass them nor provoke them, for I will not give you any of the land of the sons of Ammon as a possession , because I have given it to the sons of Lot as a possession .' 20 (It is also regarded as the land of the Rephaim , for Rephaim formerly lived in it, but the Ammonites call them Zamzummin , 21 a people as great , numerous , and tall as the Anakim , but the Lord destroyed them before them. And they dispossessed them and settled in their place , 22 just as He did for the sons of Esau , who live in Seir , when He destroyed the Horites from before them; they dispossessed them and settled in their place even to this day . 23 And the Avvim , who lived in villages as far as Gaza , the Caphtorim who came from Caphtor , destroyed them and lived in their place .)
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Deuteronomy 2:8-23
Commentary on Deuteronomy 2:8-23
(Read Deuteronomy 2:8-23)
We have the origin of the Moabites, Edomites, and Ammonites. Moses also gives an instance older than any of these; the Caphtorims drove the Avims out of their country. These revolutions show what uncertain things wordly possessions are. It was so of old, and ever will be so. Families decline, and from them estates are transferred to families that increase; so little continuance is there in these things. This is recorded to encourage the children of Israel. If the providence of God has done this for Moabites and Ammonites, much more would his promise do it for Israel, his peculiar people. Cautions are given not to meddle with Moabites and Ammonites. Even wicked men must not be wronged. God gives and preserves outward blessings to wicked men; these are not the best things, he has better in store for his own children.