2:2–8a The Israelites are instructed to make their way north from the area of their wandering after the death of that entire generation. This requires them to pass through the areas of Edom and Moab on the east side of the Jordan rather than entering from Kadesh-barnea as originally intended. The earliest references to the land and people of Edom come from Egyptian texts. One of the Amarna Letters of Egypt mentions the “lands of Seir.”22 Egyptian papyri report that Shasu tribes23 of Mount Seir crossed the border into Egypt during the reigns of Seti II (1214–1208 BC) and Rameses III (1198–1166). During this time Edom appears to be a territory of tribal chieftains, nondynastic leaders as in the days of the judges in Israel, and the time of Edomite chiefs is remembered in the genealogies of Esau (Gen. 36:40–43; 1 Chron. 1:51–54). The armies of Israel during the exodus would have been an inherent threat to Edomite tribes, which explains the warning to maintain peace with them.

Israel is warned not to engage in battle with their brothers in Edom because they will not inherit so much as a footstep of their land. Kings ruled Edom before the time of Saul (Gen. 36:31–39; 1 Chron. 1:43–50). When Israel became a kingdom, the words of Isaac’s blessing to Esau began to materialize: “You shall serve your brother” (Gen. 27:40). David reduced Edom to vassalage (2 Sam. 8:13–14), ending its royal house and placing garrisons in the land. This fulfilled the ancient prophecy to Rebekah that “the older shall serve the younger” (Gen. 25:23). Edom became bitter rivals with Israel, but it was never forgotten that Edom was a brother and that the territory of Seir was divinely ordained for Edom.

Much of the exodus journey is not known. Numbers 20:14–21 recounts the request of Moses at Kadesh to pass through the land of Edom to reach the territory of Jordan for entrance into the Promised Land. The request was refused, so Israel was forced to detour. The time of this journey from Kadesh is given only as “the first month” (Num. 20:1). This would seem to be in the fortieth year, because the detailed itinerary of the wilderness march places Kadesh before the stop at which Aaron died in the fifth month (Num. 33:36–39).24 Deuteronomy makes no reference to a return to Kadesh, assuming this is the same place as Kadesh-barnea. In Numbers the journey continues to Wadi Zered at the border of Moab on the southeast end of the Dead Sea, passing through the north side of Edom (Num. 21:10–12). There is insufficient geographical or chronological information to know how these traditions relate to each other. Numbers 20–21 is written to show that, despite the continual murmuring of the Israelites in the new generation, God provided Israel with water, healing, and victory. The two chapters illustrate the rebellion of the leaders and the people, respectively (Num. 20:9–11; 21:5). This topical arrangement integrates several events.

2:8b–12 The next stage of the journey took the Israelites across the highlands east of the Dead Sea. The territory of Moab at this time consisted of the area from Wadi Zered to Wadi Arnon. A wadi (Hb. nahal) is a ravine between steep slopes such as those surrounding the Dead Sea. These geographical features are well known for flash flooding, and many maintain steady streams during the rainy season. Wadi Zered is a perennial stream, about 35 miles (56 km) long, falling about 3,900 feet (1,200 m) into the Dead Sea. The Wadi Arnon is also a perennial stream whose tributaries drain much of the Moabite Plateau. The plateau is drained by Wadi Heidan to the north and modern Wadi Mujib (biblical Arnon) to the south. The southern stream flows northwest about 15 miles (24 km), then runs an equal distance west, emptying into the midpoint of the Dead Sea. The outflow of the Arnon is greatly increased by Wadi Heidan, which merges with it about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Dead Sea. The depth of the Arnon Valley varies from 1,300 feet (400 m) to 2,300 feet (700 m). Its length and depth made travel difficult, forcing the King’s Highway far inland to bypass the western edge of the escarpment and the deep gorges descending to the Dead Sea.

God had given “Ar” to the “people of Lot for a possession.” Ar was either a territory or a city in Moab, and it represents the whole country (Deut. 2:18, 29). It was burned by Sihon (Num. 21:28), and it was possibly the capital city of Moab (Isa. 15:1). It is likely to be identified with the “city of Moab” (‘ir moab) on the Arnon, the northern border (Num. 22:36). ʻAr, ʻir, and kir are all terms that mean “city.”

Several times Moses describes the previous history of the lands Israel must pass by (Deut. 2:20–23; 3:9–11). The purpose of these historical asides is to assure Israel of the reliability of God’s promise to grant Israel victory over the inhabitants of the land of Canaan. The factual nature of this description gives it the appearance of a parenthetical note (2:10–12). The indigenous people of the Transjordan are already given in the account of the wars of Abraham (Gen. 14:5–6). The Emim were given their name by the Moabites, who found them fearful (ʾemah = “dread” or “terror”). In Genesis they are said to dwell in Shaveh-kiriathaim, to the north of the Arnon (Gen. 14:5). They were of extraordinary size, like the Anakim or the Rephaim. The Anakim were the autochthonous people of Canaan (Deut. 1:28; cf. comment on 1:26–28). Rephaim has two meanings in the OT: (1) shades or ghosts in the place of the dead (Prov. 2:18; Ps. 88:11) and (2) ancient inhabitants of Canaan. The derivation of these meanings can only be inferred. An Ugaritic psalm names Rapha as a god over the capital cities of Og in Bashan.25 In other texts, Rephaim constitute an elite warrior guild of giant soldiers associated with the Jordan valley. In Ugaritic writings the term rupʼm describes the privileged dead or royal ancestors who live in the underworld, but sometimes a living ruler is among their number. It seems devotees of the god Rapha were famous warriors who once held territory in the region of Bashan. Such hero ancestors become the Rephaim of the netherworld, but they are encountered as the giant peoples of Canaan.

The previous inhabitants of Seir were the Horites (Gen. 14:6), a name often identified with the Hurrians. These were a non-Semitic people who emerge in history in the third millennium BC in the northern part of Mesopotamia. They gradually spread throughout the Levant, leaving a lasting cultural legacy. The Egyptians in the time of Moses refer to Canaan as the “land of Hurru.” However, it is unlikely that biblical Horites were Hurrians. Horites never appear in the pre-Israelite peoples of Canaan, and they are never located west of the Jordan. In the Bible they are related to Seir (Gen. 36:20–21).

2:13–15 Moses again directly addresses the people with the command to cross the Zered. The crossing of the Zered was the transition to a new era. The oath of God at Kadesh-barnea was now fulfilled (Deut. 1:35). Every individual that had rebelled in refusing to trust God to enter the land had died. It is repeatedly emphasized that the rebels “had perished.” In some cases the judgment of the Lord was direct: “to destroy them from the camp.” Entrance into Moab was to exit the wilderness of judgment in the environs of Mount Seir.