Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the LORD spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days.

DEUTERONOMY 2:1KJV
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Deuteronomy 2:1 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 2:1 mean?

Deuteronomy 2:1 describes how Moses and the Israelites turned away from their previous path and began traveling through the wilderness, following the route near the Red Sea, just as God had instructed. They spent a long period circling around Mount Seir during this journey.

In this verse, Moses is speaking to the people of Israel, recounting their movements after leaving Kadesh-barnea. The situation is one of transition and obedience, as the people follow God's direction rather than their own plans. The verse sets the stage for the retelling of Israel's wanderings and highlights the long, difficult period spent near Mount Seir before moving forward.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 2:1

  • "wilderness" (מִדְבָּר, midbar): This word often refers to a dry, uninhabited land, not just a sandy desert. Here, it emphasizes the challenging and unsettled environment the Israelites had to travel through.
  • "compassed" (סָבַב, savav): This word means to go around or circle. The verse is not just about passing by Mount Seir, but about spending "many days" moving around it, suggesting a prolonged and possibly frustrating delay.
  • "Red" (סוּף, suf) and "sea" (יָם, yam): Together, these refer to the "Red Sea," but the Hebrew "yam suf" can also mean "Sea of Reeds." This gives a sense of the specific geographic area the Israelites were near, which may not be the modern Red Sea but rather a marshy region.

Why Deuteronomy 2:1 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the Israelites' wandering was not aimless but was done in obedience to God's specific instructions, even when the path seemed indirect.
  • The mention of "many days" circling Mount Seir highlights the length and difficulty of this stage in their journey, which sets up the context for the lessons Moses draws in the following verses.
  • Understanding the original words for "wilderness" and "Red Sea" helps modern readers picture the actual landscape and challenges faced, rather than imagining only endless sand or a single body of water.

Where else these words appear

“Red” Hebrew H5488 · used in 28 verses

  • Exodus 2:3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
  • Numbers 33:10 And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea.
  • Nehemiah 9:9 And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;

“Seir” Hebrew H8165 · used in 38 verses

  • Genesis 14:6 And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness.
  • Deuteronomy 2:4 And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore:
  • 1 Chronicles 1:38 And the sons of Seir; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, and Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan.

“turned” Hebrew H6437 · used in 128 verses

  • Genesis 18:22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
  • Judges 18:21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.
  • Psalms 119:132 Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.

“journey” Hebrew H5265 · used in 140 verses

  • Genesis 11:2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
  • Numbers 10:22 And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud.
  • Numbers 33:31 And they departed from Moseroth, and pitched in Benejaakan.