Deuteronomy 2:19

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Deuteronomy 2:19 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “and when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, vex them not, nor contend with them; for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon for a possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

and when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, vex them not, nor contend with them; for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon for a possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.
Deuteronomy 2:19 — American Standard Version

Context — Deuteronomy 2

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
19and when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, vex them not, nor contend with them; for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon for a possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, etc.] Who dwelt near the Moabites, and were brethren, both descending from Lot, (<011937>Genesis 19:37,38) distress them not, nor meddle with them: lay no siege to any of their cities, nor provoke them to war, nor engage in battle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; that is, any part of it which was now in their hands; otherwise half their land was given to the tribe of Gad; but then that was what Sihon king of the Amorites had taken from them, and which Israel retook from him, and so possessed it not as the land of the Ammonites, but of the Amorites, one of the seven nations,…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them--The Ammonites, being kindred to the Moabites, were, from regard to the memory of their common ancestor, to remain undisturbed by the Israelites. The territory of this people had been directly north from that of Moab. It extended as far as the Jabbok, having been taken by them from a number of small Canaanitish tribes, namely, the Zamzummins, a bullying, presumptuous band of giants, as their name indicates; and the Avims, the aborigines of the district extending from Hazerim or Hazeroth (El Hudhera) even unto Azzah (Gaza), but of which they had been dispossessed by the Caphtorim (Philistines),…”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“2:19 Like the Moabites, the Ammonites were descendants of the incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughters (see study note on 2:9). Throughout most of their history, the Ammonites lived south and east of the Jabbok River. The nation’s capital was Rabbath Ammon (modern Amman, Jordan). David arranged for Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, to be slain in the siege of this city (2 Sam 11:1, 14-21).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Deu 2:5, Deu 2:9; Gen 19:36-38; Jdg 11:13-27; Ch2 20:10 Deuteronomy 2:20”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification