Deuteronomy 2:22

just as He had done for the descendants of Esau who lived in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them. They drove them out and have lived in their place to this day.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses Israel during their wilderness journey, citing past territorial displacements to frame the conquest of their own assigned borders.

The words — The text emphasizes הִשְמִיד (hish.Mid) for "he destroyed" and עָשָׂה ('a.Sah) for "he had done," marking the removal of the Horites as a deliberate divine action that enabled Esau’s descendants to occupy Seir.

The thread — This displacement pattern repeats in Genesis 36:8 and Genesis 36:20, where Esau settles Mount Seir and the Horites are recorded as the land’s original inhabitants.

Why it lands — The verse demands that readers treat territorial conquest as a recorded historical sequence rather than a random event, using prior divine actions to validate the upcoming occupation of land.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

כַּאֲשֶׁ֤רka./'a.Sherjust/ as עָשָׂה֙'a.Sahhe had done לִבְנֵ֣יli/v.Neifor/ [the] descendants of עֵשָׂ֔ו'e.SavEsau הַיֹּשְׁבִ֖יםhai./yo.she.Vimwho/ were dwelling בְּשֵׂעִ֑ירbe./se.'Irin/ Seir אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherwhom הִשְׁמִ֤ידhish.Midhe destroyed אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַחֹרִי֙ha./cho.Rithe/ Horite[s]מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔םmi./pe.nei./Hemfrom/ before/ them וַיִּֽירָשֻׁם֙va/i.yi.ra.Shu/mand/ they dispossessed/ them וַיֵּשְׁב֣וּva/i.ye.she.Vuand/ they have dwelt תַחְתָּ֔םtach.Ta/min place of/ them עַ֖ד'aduntil הַיּ֥וֹםhai./Yomthe/ day הַזֶּֽה׃ha./Zeh<the>/ this

King James Version

As he did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day:

Cross-references

Genesis 36:8 So Esau (that is, Edom) settled in the area of Mount Seir.
Genesis 14:6 and the Horites in the area of Mount Seir, as far as El-paran, which is near the desert.
Genesis 36:20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who were living in the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,
Deuteronomy 2:12 The Horites used to live in Seir, but the descendants of Esau drove them out. They destroyed the Horites from before them and settled in their place, just as Israel did in the land that the LORD gave them as their possession.)
1 Chronicles 1:38 The sons of Seir: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.