Bible Strands
Deuteronomy 2:33
And the LORD our God delivered him over to us, and we defeated him and his sons and his whole army.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab, recounting the immediate aftermath of the battle at Jahaz against King Sihon. He frames the victory as a direct result of divine action preceding their military engagement.
The words — The Hebrew verb יִתֵּן (yiṯṭēn) translates literally as "he delivered up," describing God's transfer of Sihon into Israel's control. The verb נָכָה (nākâ) means "to strike down," denoting the complete military defeat of Sihon, his sons, and his army.
The thread — This motif of divine delivery of enemies appears in Deuteronomy 7:2, where conquered peoples are to be devoted to destruction, and Genesis 14:20, where Abram acknowledges God delivering his foes. Joshua 21:44 later confirms this pattern by noting that no enemy could stand against Israel because the LORD gave them rest.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that military success originates from divine authorization rather than human strength. It requires the reader to attribute conquest and survival strictly to God's prior action.
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
King James Version
And the Lord our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people.
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 7:2 and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.
- Joshua 21:44 And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.
- Genesis 14:20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.
- Numbers 21:24 And Israel put him to the sword and took possession of his land, from the Arnon to the Jabbok—but only up to the border of the Ammonites, because it was fortified.
- Deuteronomy 3:2 But the LORD said to me, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, along with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”
- Deuteronomy 20:16 However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.
- Deuteronomy 29:7 When you reached this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out against us in battle, but we defeated them.
- Joshua 10:30 And the LORD also delivered that city and its king into the hand of Israel, and Joshua put all the people to the sword, leaving no survivors. And he did to the king of Libnah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
- Judges 1:4 When Judah attacked, the LORD delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek.
- Judges 7:2 Then the LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’