Deuteronomy 2:9
New International Version
Then the LORD said to me, “Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any part of their land. I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession.”

New Living Translation
the LORD warned us, ‘Do not bother the Moabites, the descendants of Lot, or start a war with them. I have given them Ar as their property, and I will not give you any of their land.’”

English Standard Version
And the LORD said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab or contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the people of Lot for a possession.’

Berean Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to me, “Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, because I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as their possession.”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Then the LORD said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab, nor contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession.’ ”

New American Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to me, ‘Do not attack Moab, nor provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot as a possession.’

NASB 1995
“Then the LORD said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab, nor provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot as a possession.

NASB 1977
“Then the LORD said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab, nor provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot as a possession.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Yahweh said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab, nor provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot as a possession.’

Amplified Bible
And the LORD said to me, ‘Do not harass [the descendants of] Moab, nor provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the sons (Moab and Ammon) of Lot as a possession.’

Christian Standard Bible
The LORD said to me, ‘Show no hostility toward Moab, and do not provoke them to battle, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, since I have given Ar as a possession to the descendants of Lot.’ ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The LORD said to me, ‘Show no hostility toward Moab, and do not provoke them to battle, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, since I have given Ar as a possession to the descendants of Lot.’”

American Standard Version
And Jehovah said unto me, Vex not Moab, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give thee of his land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.

Contemporary English Version
The LORD told me, "Don't try to start a war with Moab. Leave them alone, because I gave the land of Ar to them, and I will not let you have any of it."

English Revised Version
And the LORD said unto me, Vex not Moab, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of his land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The LORD said to me, "Don't bother the people of Moab or start a war with them. I'm not giving you any of Ar as your property. I have given it to the descendants of Lot."

Good News Translation
The LORD said to me, 'Don't trouble the people of Moab, the descendants of Lot, or start a war against them. I have given them the city of Ar, and I am not going to give you any of their land.'" (

International Standard Version
"Then the LORD told me, 'Don't harass Moab or provoke them to war, because I won't give you any part of their land. I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as their property.

Majority Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to me, “Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, because I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as their possession.”

NET Bible
Then the LORD said to me, "Do not harass Moab and provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as your territory. This is because I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as their possession.

New Heart English Bible
The LORD said to me, "Do not bother Moab, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give you of his land for a possession; because I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot for a possession."

Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD said to 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 to the children of Lot for a possession.

World English Bible
Yahweh said to me, “Don’t bother Moab, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give you any of his land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the children of Lot for a possession.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and YHWH says to me, Do not distress Moab, nor stir yourself up against them [in] battle, for I do not give [any] of their land to you [for] a possession; for I have given Ar to the sons of Lot [for] a possession.

Young's Literal Translation
and Jehovah saith unto me, Do not distress Moab, nor stir thyself up against them in battle, for I do not give to thee of their land for a possession; for to the sons of Lot I have given Ar for a possession.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jehovah will say to me, Thou shalt not press Moab, and thou shalt not contend with them in war; for I shall not give to thee his land a possession, for to the sons of Lot I gave Ar a possession.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord said to me: Fight not against the Moabites, neither go to battle against them: for I will not give thee any of their land, because I have given Ar to the children of Lot in possession.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the Lord said to me: ‘You should not fight against the Moabites, nor should you go to battle against them. For I will not give to you anything from their land, because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot as a possession.’

New American Bible
And the LORD said to me, Do not show hostility to the Moabites or engage them in battle, for I will not give you possession of any of their land, since I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as their possession.

New Revised Standard Version
the LORD said to me: “Do not harass Moab or engage them in battle, for I will not give you any of its land as a possession, since I have given Ar as a possession to the descendants of Lot.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the LORD said to me, Do not distress the Moabites, neither provoke them to battle; for I will not give you of their land for a possession; because I have given it to the children of Lot for an inheritance.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And LORD JEHOVAH said to me: “Do not afflict the Moabites and do not provoke them to battle, because I do not give you an inheritance from their land, because I have given it an inheritance to the children of Lot.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the LORD said unto me: 'Be not at enmity with Moab, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give thee of his land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.--

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the Lord said to me, Do not ye quarrel with the Moabites, and do not engage in war with them; for I will not give you of their land for an inheritance, for I have given Aroer to the children of Lot to inherit.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Wanderings in the Wilderness
8So 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. 9Then the LORD said to me, “Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, because I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as their possession.” 10(The Emites used to live there, a people great and many, as tall as the Anakites.…

Cross References
Genesis 19:36-38
Thus both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. / The older daughter gave birth to a son and named him Moab. He is the father of the Moabites of today. / The younger daughter also gave birth to a son, and she named him Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites of today.

Numbers 21:13-15
From there they moved on and camped on the other side of the Arnon, in the wilderness that extends into the Amorite territory. Now the Arnon is the border between the Moabites and the Amorites. / Therefore it is stated in the Book of the Wars of the LORD: “Waheb in Suphah and the wadis of the Arnon, / even the slopes of the wadis that extend to the site of Ar and lie along the border of Moab.”

Judges 11:18
Then Israel traveled through the wilderness and bypassed the lands of Edom and Moab. They came to the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, since the Arnon was its border.

2 Chronicles 20:10
And now, here are the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt. So Israel turned away from them and did not destroy them.

Isaiah 15:1-9
This is the burden against Moab: Ar in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! Kir in Moab is devastated, destroyed in a night! / Dibon goes up to its temple to weep at its high places. Moab wails over Nebo, as well as over Medeba. Every head is shaved, every beard is cut off. / In its streets they wear sackcloth; on the rooftops and in the public squares they all wail, falling down weeping. ...

Jeremiah 48:1-47
Concerning Moab, this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Woe to Nebo, for it will be devastated. Kiriathaim will be captured and disgraced; the fortress will be shattered and dismantled. / There is no longer praise for Moab; in Heshbon they devise evil against her: ‘Come, let us cut her off from nationhood.’ You too, O people of Madmen, will be silenced; the sword will pursue you. / A voice cries out from Horonaim: ‘Devastation and great destruction!’ ...

Ezekiel 25:8-11
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because Moab and Seir said, “Look, the house of Judah is like all the other nations,” / therefore I will indeed expose the flank of Moab beginning with its frontier cities—Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim—the glory of the land. / I will give it along with the Ammonites as a possession to the people of the East, so that the Ammonites will no longer be remembered among the nations. ...

Amos 2:1-3
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Moab, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because he burned to lime the bones of Edom’s king. / So I will send fire against Moab to consume the citadels of Kerioth. Moab will die in tumult, amid war cries and the sound of the ram’s horn. / I will cut off the ruler of Moab and kill all the officials with him,” says the LORD.

Zephaniah 2:8-11
“I have heard the reproach of Moab and the insults of the Ammonites, who have taunted My people and threatened their borders. / Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will be like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah—a place of weeds and salt pits, a perpetual wasteland. The remnant of My people will plunder them; the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.” / This they shall have in return for their pride, for taunting and mocking the people of the LORD of Hosts. ...

Matthew 1:5
Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,

Acts 7:5
He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised to give possession of the land to Abraham and his descendants, even though he did not yet have a child.

Romans 9:7-13
Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.” / So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring. / For this is what the promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.” ...

Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.

1 Corinthians 10:11
Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.

Galatians 4:22-31
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. / His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born through the promise. / These things serve as illustrations, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery: This is Hagar. ...


Treasury of Scripture

And the LORD said to me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give you of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar to the children of Lot for a possession.

Distress not the Moabites.

Numbers 22:4
And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

Judges 11:17
Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.

2 Chronicles 20:10
And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;

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.

Numbers 21:15,28
And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab…

the children

Deuteronomy 2:19
And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.

Genesis 19:36,37
Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father…

Psalm 83:8
Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.

Jump to Previous
Ar Attack Battle Bother Children Contend Descendants Distress Enmity Harass Heritage Lot Moab Moabites Part Possession Provoke Stir Thyself War
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Ar Attack Battle Bother Children Contend Descendants Distress Enmity Harass Heritage Lot Moab Moabites Part Possession Provoke Stir Thyself War
Deuteronomy 2
1. The story is continued, that they were not to meddle with the Edomites
9. nor with the Moabites
16. nor with the Ammonites
24. but Sihon the Amorite was subdued by them














Then the LORD said to me
This phrase introduces divine communication, emphasizing the direct interaction between God and Moses. The Hebrew root for "LORD" is "YHWH," the sacred name of God, highlighting His eternal and unchanging nature. This direct speech underscores the personal relationship God maintains with His chosen leader, Moses, and by extension, His people. It reminds us of the importance of listening to God's voice and being attentive to His guidance in our lives.

Do not harass the Moabites
The instruction "Do not harass" comes from the Hebrew root "tsarar," meaning to distress or trouble. This command reflects God's sovereignty over nations and His specific plans for each. The Moabites, descendants of Lot, are to be left undisturbed, showing God's respect for familial ties and His broader plan for the nations. This teaches us about respecting boundaries and understanding that God's plans may involve leaving certain people or situations in His hands.

or provoke them to war
The word "provoke" comes from the Hebrew "garah," meaning to stir up or incite. This command against inciting war with Moab highlights God's desire for peace and His control over Israel's military actions. It serves as a reminder that not all battles are ours to fight and that sometimes restraint is a greater demonstration of faith and obedience.

for I will not give you any of their land as a possession
Here, God clearly states His will regarding territorial boundaries. The Hebrew word for "possession" is "yerushah," indicating an inheritance or permanent holding. This declaration underscores God's authority over the distribution of land and His specific promises to different peoples. It teaches us about contentment with God's provision and the importance of trusting His promises for our own inheritance.

because I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as their possession
The phrase "I have given" reflects God's sovereign will and His role as the ultimate grantor of land and blessings. "Ar" refers to a region in Moab, and the "descendants of Lot" are acknowledged as rightful heirs. This highlights God's faithfulness to His word and His recognition of historical and familial rights. It serves as a reminder of God's justice and the importance of honoring His covenants and the inheritances He establishes.

(9) Distress not the Moabites . . . I have given Ar unto the children of Lot.--The children of Lot, like those of Ishmael and Esau, had their earthly inheritance before the children of Abraham.

Verse 9. - The Moabites, being the descendants of Lot, and so allied by race to the Israelites, the latter were commanded to pass through their country without offering them any injury or assault. Ar, a border-town of Moab (Numbers 21:15), here put for the country itself. It is the Areopolis of the Greeks, and was, as Jerome tells us, destroyed in a single night by an earthquake. A hill with ruins a short distance southwest from Ara'ir, is supposed to be its site.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then the LORD
יְהוָ֜ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

said
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to me,
אֵלַ֗י (’ê·lay)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

‘Do not
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 408: Not

harass
תָּ֙צַר֙‪‬ (tā·ṣar)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6696: To confine, bind, besiege

the Moabites
מוֹאָ֔ב (mō·w·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4124: Moab -- a son of Lot,also his descendants and the territory where they settled

[or]
וְאַל־ (wə·’al-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

provoke them
תִּתְגָּ֥ר (tiṯ·gār)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1624: To stir up (strife), engage in strife

to war,
מִלְחָמָ֑ה (mil·ḥā·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4421: A battle, war

for
כִּ֠י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I will not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

give
אֶתֵּ֨ן (’et·tên)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

you
לְךָ֤ (lə·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

any of their land,
מֵֽאַרְצוֹ֙ (mê·’ar·ṣōw)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

because
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I have given
נָתַ֥תִּי (nā·ṯat·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

Ar
עָ֖ר (‘ār)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6144: Ar -- a place in Moab

as a possession
יְרֻשָּֽׁה׃ (yə·ruš·šāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 3425: Something occupied, a conquest, a patrimony

to the descendants
לִבְנֵי־ (liḇ·nê-)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Lot.
ל֔וֹט (lō·wṭ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3876: Lot -- Abraham's nephew


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 2:9 Yahweh said to me Don't bother Moab (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 2:8
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