Deuteronomy 2:1-4

The Journey from Kadesh Barnea to Moab

2:1 Then we turned and set out toward the desert land on the way to the Red Sea ¹  just as the Lord told me to do, detouring around Mount Seir for a long time. 2:2 At this point the Lord said to me, 2:3 “You have circled around this mountain long enough; now turn north. 2:4 Instruct ²  these people as follows: ‘You are about to cross the border of your relatives ³  the descendants of Esau, ⁴  who inhabit Seir. They will be afraid of you, so watch yourselves carefully.

Deuteronomy 2:27

2:27 “Let me pass through your land; I will keep strictly to the roadway. ⁵  I will not turn aside to the right or the left.

Deuteronomy 2:29

2:29 just as the descendants of Esau who live at Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me, until I cross the Jordan to the land the Lord our God is giving us.”

[2:1]  ¹ tn Heb “Reed Sea.” See note on the term “Red Sea” in Deut 1:40.

[2:4]  ² tn Heb “command” (so KJV, NASB); NRSV “charge the people as follows.”

[2:4]  ³ tn Heb “brothers”; NAB “your kinsmen.”

[2:4]  ⁴ sn The descendants of Esau (Heb “sons of Esau”; the phrase also occurs in 2:8, 12, 22, 29). These are the inhabitants of the land otherwise known as Edom, south and east of the Dead Sea. Jacob’s brother Esau had settled there after his bitter strife with Jacob (Gen 36:1-8). “Edom” means “reddish,” probably because of the red sandstone of the region, but also by popular etymology because Esau, at birth, was reddish (Gen 25:25).

[2:27]  ⁵ tn Heb “in the way in the way” (בַּדֶּרֶךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ, baderekh baderekh). The repetition lays great stress on the idea of resolute determination to stick to the path. IBHS 116 §7.2.3c.