The Meaning of Deuteronomy 2:12 Explained

Deuteronomy 2:12

KJV: The Horims also dwelt in Seir beforetime; but the children of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; as Israel did unto the land of his possession, which the LORD gave unto them.

YLT: And in Seir have the Horim dwelt formerly; and the sons of Esau dispossess them, and destroy them from before them, and dwell in their stead, as Israel hath done to the land of his possession, which Jehovah hath given to them;

Darby: And in Seir dwelt the Horites in times past; and the children of Esau dispossessed them, and destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; as Israel did to the land of their possession, which Jehovah gave to them.)

ASV: The Horites also dwelt in Seir aforetime, but the children of Esau succeeded them; and they destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; as Israel did unto the land of his possession, which Jehovah gave unto them.)

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The Horims  also dwelt  in Seir  beforetime;  but the children  of Esau  succeeded  them, when they had destroyed  them from before  them, and dwelt  in their stead; as Israel  did  unto the land  of his possession,  which the LORD  gave  unto them. 

What does Deuteronomy 2:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 2:1-15 - Journeying And Dying In The Wilderness
We cannot obtain by our impetuosity and insistence what God offers only as a free gift to our faith. The Land of Promise is not to be obtained by strength of hand, but by the soul that lives in the will of God. Even when we are rebellious and unbelieving, God does not forget nor forsake us, Deuteronomy 2:7. He knows our walking through the great wilderness which we have chosen. Through all the forty years He goes with His people as their fellow-pilgrim. Even under such circumstances they lack nothing that is necessary to a complete and blessed life.
Edom was not to be injured, because of the ancient grant, Genesis 32:3. So with Moab. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance. He will remember His Abrahams and His Lots long after they have passed from this mortal sphere, and will care for their children and children's children. See Isaiah 59:21. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 2:12 mean?

And in Seir dwelt the Horites formerly but the descendants of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and dwelt in their place just as did Israel to the land of their possession which gave Yahweh them
וּבְשֵׂעִ֞יר יָשְׁב֣וּ הַחֹרִים֮ לְפָנִים֒ וּבְנֵ֧י עֵשָׂ֣ו יִֽירָשׁ֗וּם וַיַּשְׁמִידוּם֙ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיֵּשְׁב֖וּ תַּחְתָּ֑ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר עָשָׂ֣ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לְאֶ֙רֶץ֙ יְרֻשָּׁת֔וֹ אֲשֶׁר־ נָתַ֥ן יְהוָ֖ה לָהֶֽם

וּבְשֵׂעִ֞יר  And  in  Seir 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שֵׂעִיר 
Sense: patriarch of the Horites, the inhabitants of Edom before the descendants of Esau, the Edomites.
יָשְׁב֣וּ  dwelt 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
הַחֹרִים֮  the  Horites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: חֹרִי  
Sense: the inhabitants of Mount Seir.
לְפָנִים֒  formerly 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וּבְנֵ֧י  but  the  descendants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עֵשָׂ֣ו  of  Esau 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵשָׂו  
Sense: eldest son of Isaac and Rebecca and twin brother of Jacob; sold the birthright for food when he was hungry and the divine blessing went to Jacob; progenitor of the Arab peoples.
יִֽירָשׁ֗וּם  dispossessed  them 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine plural
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
וַיַּשְׁמִידוּם֙  and  destroyed  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַד  
Sense: to destroy, exterminate, be destroyed, be exterminated.
מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם  from  before  them 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וַיֵּשְׁב֖וּ  and  dwelt 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
תַּחְתָּ֑ם  in  their  place 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר  just  as 
Parse: Preposition-k, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
לְאֶ֙רֶץ֙  to  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
יְרֻשָּׁת֔וֹ  of  their  possession 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יְרֻשָּׁה  
Sense: possession, inheritance.
נָתַ֥ן  gave 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.