Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Deuteronomy 2:4
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And command thou the people, etc.] Give them a strict charge: saying, ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children or Esau: not through the midst of their country, for that the king of Edom would not admit of, but by or on the border of it: and they shall be afraid of you; lest such a numerous body of people as Israel were should seize upon their country, and dispossess them of it, they having been so long, wanderers in a wilderness near them: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore; that they did not take any advantage of their fears, and fall upon them, and do them mischief, or that they did not provoke them to battle and overcome them. Ver. 5 Meddle not with them, etc.] Contend not with them in battle, nor provoke them to it: for I will not give you of their land, no not so much as a foot breadth; or as the sole of a man’s foot can tread on, signifying that they should not have the least part of it, not any at all. Jarchi makes mention of an exposition of theirs, that he would give them nothing of it until should come the day of the treading of the sole of the foot in the mount of Olives, (<381404>Zechariah 14:4), meaning not till the days of the Messiah, when Edom should be a possession of Israel; (see <042418>Numbers 24:18), (Obidiah 1:19) because I have given Mount Seir unto Esau for a possession; and therefore not to be taken away from them; they have a right of inheritance of it; (see <013608> Genesis 36:8 <062404>Joshua 24:4). Ver. 6 Ye shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat, etc.] That is, if they would, as Aben Ezra observes; for though they had manna daily, yet if they would they might buy other food when they had an opportunity, as they would now have of Edom; but then they were not to take it by force or stealth, but pay for it, which they were able to do. The same writer observes, that some read the words with an interrogation, “shall ye buy meat?” no, there is no need of it; for the Lord had blessed them with a sufficiency of it: and ye shall also buy water of them for money; that ye may drink; which was usual in those hot countries; (see Gill on “<042019>Numbers 20:19”) or dig water f23 that is, pay for digging of wells for water, or buy water out of wells dug in the land of Edom. Jarchi says in maritime places they express buying by this word, and so it is used in the Arabic language; (see Gill on “<280302>Hosea 3:2”).
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