Deuteronomy 2 · Verse 8

Deuteronomy 2:8

And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Ezion–gaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.

Deuteronomy 2:8, King James Version

Deuteronomy 2:8 in other translations

BSB	So we passed by our brothers, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned away from the Arabah road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion-geber, and traveled along the road of the Wilderness of Moab.
WEB	So we passed by from our brothers, the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir, from the way of the Arabah from Elath and from Ezion Geber. We turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.
ASV	So we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, that dwell in Seir, from the way of the Arabah from Elath and from Ezion-geber. And we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.
YLT	‘And we pass by from our brethren, sons of Esau, who are dwelling in Seir, by the way of the plain, by Elath, and by Ezion-Gaber; and we turn, and pass over the way of the wilderness of Moab;
DARBY	And we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, by the plain, by Elath, and by Ezion-geber, and we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.
BBE	So we went on past our brothers, the children of Esau, living in Seir, by the road through the Arabah, from Elath and Ezion-geber. And turning, we went by the road through the waste land of Moab.
Webster	And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Ezion-gaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.

What does Deuteronomy 2:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 2:8-18

8-18. we passed ... through the way of the plain--the Arabah or great valley, from Elath ("trees") (the Ailah of the Greeks and Romans). The site of it is marked by extensive mounds of rubbish. Ezion-geber--now Akaba, both were within the territory of Edom; and after making a circuit of its southeastern boundary, the Israelites reached the border of Moab on the southeast of the Salt Sea. They had been forbidden by divine command to molest the Moabites in any way; and this special honor was conferred on that people not on their own account, for they were very wicked, but in virtue of their descent from Lot. (See on De 23:3). Their territory comprised the fine country on the south, and partly on the north of the Arnon. They had won it by their arms from the original inhabitants, the Emims, a race, terrible, as their name imports, for physical power and stature (Ge 14:5), in like manner as the Edomites had obtained their settlement by the overthrow of the original occupiers of Seir, the Horims (Ge 14:6), who were troglodytes, or dwellers in caves. Moses alluded to these circumstances to encourage his countrymen to believe that God would much more enable them to expel the wicked and accursed Canaanites. At that time, however, the Moabites, having lost the greater part of their possessions through the usurpations of Sihon, were reduced to the small but fertile region between the Zered and the Arnon.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 2:8-23

We have the origin of the Moabites, Edomites, and Ammonites. Moses also gives an instance older than any of these; the Caphtorims drove the Avims out of their country. These revolutions show what uncertain things wordly possessions are. It was so of old, and ever will be so. Families decline, and from them estates are transferred to families that increase; so little continuance is there in these things. This is recorded to encourage the children of Israel. If the providence of God has done this for Moabites and Ammonites, much more would his promise do it for Israel, his peculiar people. Cautions are given not to meddle with Moabites and Ammonites. Even wicked men must not be wronged. God gives and preserves outward blessings to wicked men; these are not the best things, he has better in store for his own children.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Deuteronomy 2:8 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַֽנַּעֲבֹ֞רva.na.'a.Vorand we passed awayH5674

מֵאֵ֧תme.'Etfrom withH854

אַחֵ֣ינוּ'a.Chei.nurelatives ourH251

בְנֵי\־ve.nei-[the] descendants ofH1121

עֵשָׂ֗ו'e.SavEsauH6215

הַיֹּֽשְׁבִים֙hai.yo.she.Vimwho were dwellingH3427

בְּשֵׂעִ֔ירbe.se.'Irin SeirH8165

מִדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙mi.De.rekhfrom [the] way ofH1870

הָֽעֲרָבָ֔הha.'a.ra.Vahthe desert plainH6160

מֵאֵילַ֖תme.'ei.Latfrom ElathH359

וּמֵעֶצְיֹ֣ןu.me.'etz.Yonand from EzionH6100

גָּ֑בֶר\ \סGa.verGeberH6100

וַנֵּ֙פֶן֙va.Ne.fenand we turnedH6437

וַֽנַּעֲבֹ֔רva.na.'a.Vorand we passed alongH5674

דֶּ֖רֶךְDe.rekh[the] way ofH1870

מִדְבַּ֥רmid.Bar[the] wilderness ofH4057

מוֹאָֽב\׃mo.'AvMoabH4124

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 2:8

1 Kings 9:26
And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion–geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom.
Judges 11:18
Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.
2 Kings 16:6
At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
2 Kings 14:22
He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
Numbers 20:20-21
And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.
Numbers 33:35
And they departed from Ebronah, and encamped at Ezion–gaber.
Deuteronomy 1:1
These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

And when.
Nu 20:20,21; Jud 11:18
Elath.
1Ki 9:26
Eloth.
2Ki 14:22; 16:6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Deuteronomy 2:7
For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.
Deuteronomy 2:8
And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Ezion–gaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.
Deuteronomy 2:9
And the Lord said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.

Read all of Deuteronomy 2

Deuteronomy 2:8 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y pasamos de nuestros hermanos los hijos de Esaú, que habitaban en Seir, por el camino de la llanura de Elath y de Esiongeber. Y volvimos, y pasamos camino del desierto de Moab.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et nous avons laissé nos frères, les fils d’Ésaü, qui habitent en Séhir, passant devant la plaine, devant Élath et Étsion-Guéber, et nous nous sommes tournés, et nous avons passé par le chemin du désert de Moab.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und wir zogen weiter, an unseren Brüdern, den Kindern Esau, vorüber, die in Seir wohnen, von dem Wege der Ebene, von Elath und von Ezjon-Geber her; und wir wandten uns und zogen des Weges nach der Wüste von Moab.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Cumque transissemus fratres nostros filios Esau, qui habitabant in Seir, per viam campestrem de Elath, et de Asiongaber, venimus ad iter quod ducit in desertum Moab.