Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 2:5

Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau [for] a possession.

5. contend not with them ] In its causative form the Heb. verb means to stir up, e.g. strife, Pro 15:18, etc.; here the reflex. form is to excite oneself against another, to quarrel with them. In the Pent. found only in this chapter, Deu 2:9 ; Deu 2:19 ; Deu 2:24.

for the sole of the foot to tread on ] Deu 11:24; Jos 1:3.

I have given ] Note the claim made by the God of Israel over other peoples (cp. Amo 1:3 to Amo 2:3, Amo 9:7), also the memory or tradition that on their entry to Canaan Israel had not violated the rights of their kinsfolk. There is no hostile feeling towards Edom, such as became irrepressible in Israel after the Exile.

for a possession ] Heb. y e rushshah, in the Hex. found only in this discourse, Deu 2:5 ; Deu 2:8 ; Deu 2:12 ; Deu 2:19 bis, Deu 3:20, and in the deuteronomic Jos 1:15; Jos 12:6-7.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

I have given mount Seir to Esau – Though the descendants of Esau were conquered by David 2Sa 8:14, yet they were not dispossessed of their land, and in the reign of Jehoshaphat they regained their independence 2Ki 8:20-22.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 5. Meddle not with them] That is, the Edomites. See on Nu 20:14-21.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Meddle not with them, to wit, in battle at this time.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

5-7. Meddle not with themthatis, “which dwell in Seir” (De2:4) for there was another branch of Esau’s posterity, namely,the Amalekites, who were to be fought against and destroyed (Gen 36:12;Exo 17:14; Deu 25:17).But the people of Edom were not to be injured, either in theirpersons or property. And although the approach of so vast a nomadichorde as the Israelites naturally created apprehension, they were totake no advantage of the prevailing terror to compel the Edomites toaccept whatever terms they imposed. They were merely to pass”through” or along their border, and to buy meat and waterof them for money (De 2:6). Thepeople, kinder than their king, did sell them bread, meat, fruits,and water in their passage along their border (De2:29), in the same manner as the Syrian caravan of Mecca is nowsupplied by the people of the same mountains, who meet the pilgrimsas at a fair or market on the hadji route [ROBINSON].Although the Israelites still enjoyed a daily supply of the manna,there was no prohibition against their eating other food whenopportunity afforded. Only they were not to cherish an inordinatedesire for it. Water is a scarce commodity and is often paid for bytravellers in those parts. It was the more incumbent on theIsraelites to do so, as, by the blessing of God, they possessedplenty of means to purchase, and the long-continued experience of theextraordinary goodness of God to them, should inspire such confidencein Him as would suppress the smallest thought of resorting to fraudor violence in supplying their wants.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Ver. 5 Meddle not with them,…. 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, Zec 14:4, meaning not till the days of the Messiah, when Edom should be a possession of Israel; see Nu 24:18, Ob 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 Ge 36:8.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(5) I have given mount Seir unto EsauIt is worthy of notice that the development of Ishmael preceded that of Isaac, and the inheritance of Esau was won earlier than that of Jacob. (Comp. Gen. 25:16 with Gen. 35:23-26, and Gen. 36:31 with Gen. 37:1.) Isaac and Israel were still strangers and sojourners, while the Ishmaelites were princes, with towns and castles, and the Edomites dukes and kings.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

5. I have given Mount Seir unto Esau See Gen 33:16; Gen 36:8; Jos 24:4. The Edomites were subsequently conquered by David, 2Sa 8:14, but they were not deprived of their land. They afterward revolted and regained their independence. 2Ki 8:20.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Deu 2:5 Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau [for] a possession.

Ver. 5. Because I have given mount Seir. ] Thus the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance. Deu 32:8 And a man must needs have some right to his inheritance, to his portion. Psa 17:14 What Ananias had was his own whilst he had it, as Peter tells him; Act 5:4 yet Satan had filled his heart. It is therefore a rigour to say, the wicked are usurpers of what they have, and shall be called to account for it. When the king gives a traitor his life, he gives him meat and drink that may maintain his life. That Duke of Alva is worthily taxed for a tyrant, that starved his prisoners, even after quarter; saying, though he promised to give them their lives, he did not promise to find them meat. a Wicked men have both a civil title to that they have, and a title before God, who will call them to account indeed at the last day, not for possessing what they had, but for abusing that possession.

a Grimston’s Hist. of Netherlands.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)