--- title: "Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible · Volume 1: Genesis to Jeremiah" author: "Adam Clarke" languages: [en] shelf: "Commentaries" section: 188 of 914 url: https://scriptura.si/works/adam-clarke-commentary-volume-1-genesis-to-jeremiah/188/ cite: "Adam Clarke, Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible · Volume 1: Genesis to Jeremiah, section 188. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/adam-clarke-commentary-volume-1-genesis-to-jeremiah/188/" --- # Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible · Volume 1: Genesis to Jeremiah *Adam Clarke* Clarke's learned notes on the Hebrew and Greek, verse by verse, from Genesis to Revelation: volume 1 of 2. ## 188. Deuteronomy · 3 of 29 Source: https://scriptura.si/works/adam-clarke-commentary-volume-1-genesis-to-jeremiah/188/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/adam-clarke-commentary-volume-1-genesis-to-jeremiah/188/#p-N ### Verse 30 [¶1] The Lord - shall fight for you - In the Targum of Onkelos, it is, the Word of the Lord shall fight for you. In a great number of places the Targums or Chaldee paraphrases use the term מימרא דיי meimera dayeya or Yehovah, the Word of the Lord, exactly in the same way in which St. John uses the term Λογος Logos in the first chapter of his Gospel. Many instances of this have already occurred. ### Verse 34 [¶3] The Lord - was wroth - That is, his justice was incensed, and he evidenced his displeasure against you; and he could not have been a just God if he had not done so. ### Verse 36 [¶5] Caleb - wholly followed the Lord - See on [Num 14:24] (note). ### Verse 37 [¶7] The Lord was angry with me - See on [Num 20:12] (note), etc., where a particular account is given of the sin of Moses. ### Verse 44 [¶9] The Amorites - chased you - See the note on [Num 14:40] : as bees do - by irresistible numbers. ### Verse 46 [¶11] According unto the days that ye abode there - They had been a long time at this place, see [Num 13:27]; [Num 20:1], [Num 20:14], [Num 20:21]. And some think that the words mean, "Ye abode as long at Kadesh, when you came to it the second time, as ye did at the first." Or, according to others, "While ye were in that part of the desert, ye encamped at Kadesh." [¶12] 1. As one grand object of the law of God was to instruct the people in those things which were calculated to promote their peace and insure their prosperity; and as they were apt to lose sight of their spiritual interests, without a due attention to which their secular interest could not be promoted; Moses, not only in this chapter, but through the whole book, calls upon them to recollect their former miserable situation, in which they held neither life nor property but at the will of a merciless tyrant, and the great kindness and power of God manifested in their deliverance from a bondage that was as degrading as it was oppressive. These things properly remembered would lead them to prize their blessings, and duly appreciate the mercy of their Maker. [¶13] 2. But it was not only this general display of God's kindness, in the grand act of their deliverance from Egypt, that he wished them to keep constantly in view, but also that gracious providence which was manifested in every step they took; which directed all their movements, provided for all their wants, continually showing what they should do, how they should do it, and also the most proper time and place for every act, whether religious or civil. By bringing before them in one point of view the history of almost forty years, in which the strangest and most stupendous occurrences had taken place that had ever been exhibited to the world, he took the readiest way to impress their minds, not only with their deep obligation to God, but also to show them that they were a people on whom their Maker had set his heart to do them good, and that if they feared him they should lack nothing that was good. He lays out also before them a history of their miscarriages and rebellion, and the privations and evils they had suffered in consequence, that this might act as a continual warning, and thus become, in the hands of God, a preventive of crimes. [¶14] 3. If every Christian were thus to call his past life into review, he would see equal proofs of God's gracious regards to his body and soul; equal proofs of eternal mercy in providing for his deliverance from the galling yoke and oppressive tyranny of sin, as the Israelites had in their deliverance from Egypt; and equal displays of a most gracious providence, that had also been his incessant companion through all the changes and chances of this mortal life, guiding him by its counsel, that he might be at last received into glory. O reader, remember what God has done for thee during thy forty, fifty, etc., years! He has nourished, fed, clothed, protected, and saved thee. How often and how powerfully has his Spirit striven with thee! How often and how impressively thou hast heard his voice in his Gospel and in his providences! Remember the good resolutions thou hast made, the ingratitude and disobedience that have marked thy life; how his vows are still upon thee, and how his mercy still spares thee! And wilt thou live so as to perish for ever? God forbid! He still waits to be gracious, and rejoices over thee to do thee good. Learn from what is before thee how thou shouldst fear, love, believe in, and obey thy God. The Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world, is still before the throne; and whosoever cometh unto God through him shall in nowise be cast out. He who believes these things with an upright heart will soon be enabled to live a sanctified life. ### Introduction [¶16] Moses continues to relate how they compassed Mount Seir, [Deu 2:1]. And the commands they received not to meddle with the descendants of Esau, [Deu 2:2-8]; nor to distress the Moabites, [Deu 2:9]. Of the Emims, [Deu 2:10], [Deu 2:11]; the Horims, [Deu 2:12]. Their passage of the brook Zered, [Deu 2:13]. The time they spent between Kadesh-barnea and Zered, [Deu 2:14]; during which all the men of war that came out of Egypt were consumed, [Deu 2:15], [Deu 2:16]. The command not to distress the Ammonites, [Deu 2:17-19]. Of the Zamzummims, [Deu 2:20], the Anakims, [Deu 2:21], the Horims, [Deu 2:22], the Avims and Caphtorims, all destroyed by the Ammonites, [Deu 2:23]. They are commanded to cross the river Arnon, and are promised the land of Sihon, king of the Amorites, [Deu 2:24], [Deu 2:25]. Of the message sent to Sihon, to request a passage through his territories, [Deu 2:26-29]. His refusal, [Deu 2:30].The consequent war, [Deu 2:31], [Deu 2:32]. His total overthrow, [Deu 2:33]; and extermination of his people, [Deu 2:34]. The spoils that were taken, [Deu 2:35]. And his land possessed from Aroer to Arnon by the Israelites, [Deu 2:36]; who took care, according to the command of God, not to invade any part of the territories of the Ammonites, [Deu 2:37]. ### Verse 3 [¶18] Turn you northward - From Mount Seir, in order to get to Canaan. This was not the way they went before, viz., by Kadesh-barnea, but they were to proceed between Edom on the one hand, and Moab and Ammon on the other, so as to enter into Canaan through the land of the Amorites. ### Verse 5 [¶20] Meddle not with them - That is, the Edomites. See on [Num 20:14-21] (note). ### Verse 7 [¶22] The Lord - hath blessed thee, etc. - God had given them much property, and therefore they had no need of plunder; they had gold and silver to buy the provender they needed, and therefore God would not permit them to take any thing by violence. ### Verse 10 [¶24] The Emims dwelt therein - Calmet supposes that these people were destroyed in the war made against them by Chedorlaomer and his allies, [Gen 14:5]. Lot possessed their country after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. They are generally esteemed as giants; probably they were a hardy, fierce, and terrible people, who lived, like the wandering Arabs, on the plunder of others. This was sufficient to gain them the appellation of giants, or men of prodigious stature. See next verse, [Deu 2:11] (note). ### Verse 11 [¶26] Which also were accounted giants - This is not a fortunate version. The word is not giants, but רפאים Rephaim, the name of a people. It appears that the Emim, the Anakim, and the Rephaim, were probably the same people, called by different names in the different countries where they dwelt; for they appear originally to have been a kind of wandering free-booters, who lived by plunder. (See on [Deu 2:10] (note)). It must be granted, however, that there were several men of this race of extraordinary stature. And hence all gigantic men have been called Rephaim. (See on [Gen 6:4] (note), and [Gen 14:5] (note)). But we well know that fear and public report have often added whole cubits to men's height. It was under this influence that the spies acted, when they brought the disheartening report mentioned [Num 13:33]. ### Verse 12 [¶28] The Horims also dwelt in Seir - The whole of this verse was probably added by Joshua or Ezra. ### Verse 20 [¶30] That also was accounted a land of giants - That was accounted the land or territory of the Rephaim. [¶31] Zamzummims - Supposed to be the same as the Zuzim, [Gen 14:5]. Of these ancient people we know very little; they were probably inconsiderable tribes or clans, "pursuing and pursued, each other's prey," till at length a stronger totally destroyed or subdued them, and their name became either extinct or absorbed in that of their conquerors. From the 10th to the 12th, and from the 20th to the 23d verse inclusive ([Deu 2:10-12], [Deu 2:20-23]), we have certain historical remarks introduced which do not seem to have been made by Moses, but rather by Joshua or Ezra. By the introduction of these verses the thread of the narrative suffers considerable interruption. Dr. Kennicott considers both these passages to be interpolations. That they could not have made a part of the speech of Moses originally, needs little proof. ### Verse 29 [¶33] As the children of Esau which dwell in Seir - See the note on [Num 20:21]. ### Verse 30 [¶35] The Lord - hardened his spirit - See the notes on [Exo 4:21], and [Exo 9:15] (note), etc. ### Verse 36 [¶37] From Aroer - by the brink of the river of Arnon - See on [Num 21:13] (note), etc. ### Verse 37 [¶39] Only unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not - God gave them their commission; and those only were to be cut off, the cup of whose iniquity was full. Though the Moabites and Ammonites were thus spared, they requited good with evil, for they fought against the Israelites, and cast them out of their possessions, [Jdg 11:4], [Jdg 11:5]; [2Chr 20:1], etc., and committed the most shocking cruelties; see [Amo 1:13]. Hence God enacted a law, that none of these people should enter into the congregation of the Lord even to their tenth generation: see [Deu 23:3-6]. ### Introduction [¶41] The war with Og, king of Bashan, [Deu 3:1], [Deu 3:2]. He is defeated, [Deu 3:3]. Sixty fortified cities with many unwalled towns taken, [Deu 3:4], [Deu 3:5]. The utter destruction of the people, [Deu 3:6]. The spoils, [Deu 3:7]; and extent of the land taken, [Deu 3:8-10]. Account of Og's iron bedstead, [Deu 3:11]. The land given to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half tribe of Manasseh, [Deu 3:12], [Deu 3:13]. Jair takes the country of Argob, [Deu 3:14]. Gilead is given unto Machir, [Deu 3:15]. And the rest of the land possessed by the Reubenites and Gadites, [Deu 3:16], [Deu 3:17]. The directions given to those tribes, [Deu 3:18-20]. The counsel given to Joshua, [Deu 3:21], [Deu 3:22]. Moses's prayer to God for permission to go into the promised land, [Deu 3:23-25]; and God's refusal, [Deu 3:26]. He is commanded to go up to Mount Pisgah to see it, [Deu 3:27]; and to encourage Joshua, [Deu 3:28]. They continue in the valley opposite to Beth-peor, [Deu 3:29]. ### Verse 4 [¶43] All the region of Argob - כל חבל ארגב col chebel Argob, all the cable or cord of Argob; this expression, which is used in various other parts of Scripture, (see, in the original, [Amo 7:17]; [Mic 2:5]; [Deu 32:9]; [Psa 16:6]), shows that anciently land was measured by lines or cords of a certain length, in a similar way to that by the chain among us, and the schoenus or cord among the Egyptians. Some think that it was the region of Argob that was afterwards called the region of Trachonites.