Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 2:20
( That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims;
20 23. Another Archaeological Note. On the Repha’im, see Deu 1:28. Zamzummim, a name held by some to be formed on the analogy of the Gk ‘Barbaroi,’ as of a people whose speech sounded uncouth; Ar. zamzamah is a distant, confused sound. Others suggest identification with the Zuzm of Gen 14:5, of which Musil ( Moab, i. 275, 318, etc.) is reminded by the present Zz, Ptolemy’s Ziza on the N.E. frontier of Mo’ab. But the Ar. zizim is applied to rustling sounds in the desert by night, supposed to be the noise of the Jinn (see Driver’s note, with communication from W. R. Smith, and Schwally, D. Leben nach d. Tode, 64 f., 137 ff.). The name would thus be another of those mythological terms for pre-historic races given above on Deu 1:28. On the orites, see Deu 2:12. On the ‘Avvm or ‘Awwm cp. Jos 13:3 f.; whether the name be ethnic or indicative of a stage of culture is uncertain. They dwelt in villages, Heb. a erm (mostly in P and Levit. writers), used both in parallel to circles of tents, Gen 25:16, and to collections of houses without surrounding walls, Lev 25:31, and the dependencies of cities, Jos 15:46 etc. Kaphtr is most probably Crete, see HGHL 135, 170 f.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
These verses, like Deu 2:10-12, are in all likelihood an addition made by a later reviser.
Deu 2:20
Zamzummims – A giant race usually identified with the Zuzims of Gen 14:5.
Deu 2:23
The Avims which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah – Read (Gaza, of which Azzah is the Hebrew form. Hazerim is not strictly a proper name, but means villages, or enclosures, probably such as are still common in the East. The Avims are no doubt identical with the Avites of Jos 13:3, and were doubtless a scattered remnant of a people conquered by the Caphtorim (Gen 10:14 note) and living in their enclosures in the neighborhood of Gerar. The word, which means ruins, seems itself expressive of their fallen state.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 20. That also was accounted a land of giants] That was accounted the land or territory of the Rephaim.
Zamzummims] Supposed to be the same as the Zuzim, Ge 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, 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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Which signifies men most wicked and abominable, or most presumptuous, or most crafty.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
That also was accounted a land of giants,…. Ammon was so reckoned as well as Moab, De 2:10
giants dwelt therein in old time; the Rephaim dwelt there, as they did also in Ashteroth Karnaim, Ge 14:5
and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims; they are thought to be the same with the Zuzims in Ge 14:5 who had their name, as Hillerus c thinks, from Mezuzah, a door post, from their tall stature, being as high as one; and for a like reason Saph the giant might have his name, 2Sa 21:18. The word Zamzummims, according to him d, signifies contrivers of evil and terrible things; they were inventors of wickedness, crafty and subtle in forming wicked and mischievous designs, which struck terror into people, and made them formidable to them.
c Onomastic. Sacr. p. 158, 288, 289. d Onomastic. Sacr. p. 161, 310, 428.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(20) In old time.See Genesis 14
Zamzummims = Zuzims (Gen. 14:5).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. Zamzummim The name is supposed to be derived from a root meaning to hum: the noisy people; probably the same as the Zuzim of Gen 14:5.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ver. 20. Zamzummims Supposed to be the same with those called Zuzims. Gen 14:5.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Zamzummims, means designing crafty men.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Deu 2:20 (That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims;
Ver. 20. Zamzummims. ] Big and boisterous, bearing down all before them; presumptuous wicked ones they were, and yet they called themselves Rephaims, that is, physicians or preservers: such, indeed, rulers ought to be. Isa 3:7 The Greeks, therefore, call a king A , ab , medela, because he is to be ligator vulnerum, chirurgus, et Reip. medicus – the commonwealth’s surgeon and physician. a But such were not these Zamzummims, more than in name: , &c., as he said of his bow, Thy name is life, but thy use is present death.
a Cornel. a Lapid., in Isa 3:7 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Zamzummims. A name given them by the Ammonites = noisy ones. See verses: Deu 2:10-12, and App-25.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Zamzummims: Gen 14:5, Zuzims
Reciprocal: Gen 6:4 – giants
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Deu 2:20-23. Antiquarian note by an editor (cf. Deu 2:10-12).
Deu 2:20. Zamzummim: the Zuzim of Gen 14:5*, so Keil and others.
Deu 2:22. unto this day: frequent in Dt. (Deu 3:14, etc.), Jos., and Jg. in a similar context. The implication is that the state of things described continued down to the writers day.
Deu 2:23. Avvim (better Awwim) dispossessed by the Philistines (Deu 2:12; Deu 2:21 f.) with whom, however, they are mentioned in Jos 13:4.Caphtor (the home of the Philistines, Amo 9:7*, Jer 47:4) is Crete.
Deu 2:24-37. Num 21:21-32* (JE), which is older. The Israelites were not restrained by ties of kinship from attacking the Amorites and their king Sihon when their request was refused.
Deu 2:24. Arnon: pp. 32f., Num 21:13 f.*
Deu 2:29. It is not distinctly stated (except in the LXX) in Deu 2:2-8 that the Edomites (children of Esau) acceded to Israels request; nor is the contrary stated or suggested. According to Deu 23:4 and Num 20:18-21 (JE) they definitely rejected Israels proposal and according to Deu 23:4 the Moabites did the same. We have to do simply with different traditions. Many, however (Driver, etc.), hold that Edoms refusal belongs to an earlier period, and that it took place in W. not E. Moab.
Deu 2:30. hardened: Exo 4:21 (E), Deu 7:3* (P).his spirit, his heart: i.e. him. The emphatic personal pronoun is often thus expressed (Deu 4:9*). The parallel clauses hardened him, made him obstinate, mean the same thing.
Deu 2:32. at: render, to
Deu 2:34. utterly destroyed: Heb. put under a ban, to tabu. The verbal root occurs in the cognate languages as well as Heb., and denotes literally to cut off, to separate; then to withdraw from common use (tabu) with a view to complete surrender to deity as a sacrifice. Hence it comes to mean, to destroy utterly. In the Moabite Stone (lines 1117) Mesha says he had devoted (same Semitic word) Israel to Ishtar. Generally among the Israelites, as among other people, the ban arose from a vow to devote to deity a part or the whole of the booty obtained in the event of victory. In the OT, and especially in Dt. (see Deu 20:17 ff.), the ethical character of the ban is strongly insisted upon. The goim or non-Israelites are to be offered up as a sacrifice to Yahweh lest they should corrupt the morals and religion of the chosen race. Three degrees of the war-ban may be traced in Dt. and in other parts of the OT. (a) That in which every man, woman, and child of the enemy and also their property of every kind was devoted, i.e. utterly destroyed (see Deu 13:16, etc.). (b) The ban of the second degree stopped short with the devotion, i.e. the destruction, of men, women, and children; cattle and the rest of the spoil being reserved by the victors for their own use (see Deu 2:34 f. Deu 3:6 f. Deu 7:2, etc.). (c) The third degree is represented by the law laid down in Deu 20:10-15, men alone being devoted to destruction. In Num 31:17 f. (P 8) and Jdg 21:11 f. (LXXB) it is the virgins only that are spared (see pp 99, 114, Jos 6:17*, and Ban in HSDB).
Deu 2:36. Gilead proper was divided by the Jabbok into a northern and southern half. Sihons kingdom lay S. of this river (Deu 3:10*).
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
2:20
(That also was accounted a land {i} of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims;
(i) Who called themselves Rephaims: that is, preservers, or physicians to heal and reform vices: but were indeed Zamzummims, that is, wicked and abominable.