The Meaning of Deuteronomy 2:37 Explained

Deuteronomy 2:37

KJV: Only unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not, nor unto any place of the river Jabbok, nor unto the cities in the mountains, nor unto whatsoever the LORD our God forbad us.

YLT: Only, unto the land of the sons of Ammon thou hast not drawn near, any part of the brook Jabbok, and cities of the hill-country, and anything which Jehovah our God hath not commanded.

Darby: Only thou didst not approach the land of the children of Ammon, the whole border of the river Jabbok, nor the cities of the mountain, nor to whatsoever Jehovah our God had forbidden us.

ASV: only to the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not near; all the side of the river Jabbok, and the cities of the hill-country, and wheresoever Jehovah our God forbade us.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Only unto the land  of the children  of Ammon  thou camest  not, [nor] unto any place  of the river  Jabbok,  nor unto the cities  in the mountains,  nor unto whatsoever the LORD  our God  forbad  us. 

What does Deuteronomy 2:37 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 2:16-37 - Conquering Beyond Jordan
In the earlier verses of this portion we catch a glimpse of the former history of Palestine, with the wars of conquest and changes of tenure that swept over it. The Almighty Governor of the world was, as the Apostle Paul said afterward, determining seasons and frontiers. Nations enervated by their sins are continually being judged by the Prince of the kings of the earth. See Leviticus 18:28; Acts 17:26-27; Revelation 1:5; Matthew 25:32.
A pacific and fair offer, in all good faith, was made to Sihon, which he refused to accept. The heart which is already hardened by sin becomes harder with every fresh rejection of God's love. In that sense we understand how the Lord hardened his heart. No ice is so hard as that which freezes at night after a day of thaw. The sun that melts wax, hardens clay; but the fault is not with the sun, but with the clay. [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 2:37 mean?

Only near the land of the sons of Ammon not you did go anywhere along the River Jabbok or to the cities of the mountains or wherever had forbidden us Yahweh our God
רַ֛ק אֶל־ אֶ֥רֶץ בְּנֵי־ עַמּ֖וֹן לֹ֣א קָרָ֑בְתָּ כָּל־ יַ֞ד נַ֤חַל יַבֹּק֙ וְעָרֵ֣י הָהָ֔ר וְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־ צִוָּ֖ה יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ

רַ֛ק  Only 
Parse: Adverb
Root: רַק  
Sense: only, altogether, surely.
אֶל־  near 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אֶ֥רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
בְּנֵי־  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עַמּ֖וֹן  of  Ammon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּון  
Sense: a people dwelling in Transjordan descended from Lot through Ben-ammi.
קָרָ֑בְתָּ  you  did  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: קָרַב  
Sense: to come near, approach, enter into, draw near.
כָּל־  anywhere 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
יַ֞ד  along 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
נַ֤חַל  the  River 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נַחַל 
Sense: torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley.
יַבֹּק֙  Jabbok 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יַבֹּק  
Sense: Additional Information: Jabbok = “emptying”.
וְעָרֵ֣י  or  to  the  cities 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
הָהָ֔ר  of  the  mountains 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
אֲשֶׁר־  wherever 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
צִוָּ֖ה  had  forbidden  us 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ  our  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).