^1:1This is what¹ Moses said to the assembly of Israel² in the Transjordanian³ wastelands, the arid country opposite⁴ Suph,⁵ between⁶ Paran⁷ and Tophel,⁸ Laban,⁹ Hazeroth,¹⁰ and Di Zahab¹¹^1:2Now it is ordinarily an eleven-day journey¹² from Horeb¹³ to Kadesh Barnea¹⁴ by way of Mount Seir.¹⁵^1:3However, it was not until¹⁶ the first day of the eleventh month¹⁷ of the fortieth year¹⁸ that Moses addressed the Israelites just as¹⁹ the Lord had instructed him to do. ^1:4This took place after the defeat²⁰ of King Sihon²¹ of the Amorites, whose capital was²² in Heshbon,²³ and King Og of Bashan, whose capital was²⁴ in Ashtaroth,²⁵ specifically in Edrei.²⁶

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Footnotes

1 Heb “These are the words.”
2 Heb “to all Israel.”
3 Heb “on the other side of the Jordan.” This would appear to favor authorship by someone living on the west side of the Jordan, that is, in Canaan, whereas the biblical tradition locates Moses on the east side (cf. v. 5). However the Hebrew phrase בְּעֵבֶר הַיּרְדֵּן (bé’ever hayyréden) is a frozen form meaning “Transjordan,” a name appropriate from any geographical vantage point. To this day, one standing east of the Jordan can describe himself as being in Transjordan.
4 The Hebrew term מוֹל (mol) may also mean “in front of” or “near” (cf. , , , ).
5 This place is otherwise unattested and its location is unknown. Perhaps it is Khirbet Sufah, 4 mi (6 km) SSE of Madaba, Jordan.
6 The Hebrew term בֵּין (ben) may suggest “in the area of.”
7 Paran is the well-known desert area between Mount Sinai and Kadesh Barnea (cf. Num 10:12; 12:16).
8 Tophel refers possibly to eṭ-Ṭafîleh, 15 mi (25 km) SE of the Dead Sea, or to Dâbîlu, another name for Paran. See H. Cazelles, “Tophel (Deut. 1:1),” 9 (1959): 412–15.
9 Laban. Perhaps this refers to Libnah (Num 33:20).
10 Hazeroth. This probably refers to ʿAin Khadraʾoba. See Y. Aharoni, The Land of the Bible, 199–200.
11 Di Zahab. Perhaps this refers to Mina al-Dhahab on the eastern Sinai coast.
12 An eleven-day journey was about 140 mi (233 km).
13 Horeb is another name for Sinai. “Horeb” occurs 9 times in the Book of Deuteronomy and “Sinai” only once (33:2). “Sinai” occurs 13 times in the Book of Exodus and “Horeb” only 3 times.
14 Kadesh Barnea. Possibly this refers to ʿAin Qudeis, about 50 mi (80 km) southwest of Beer Sheba, but more likely to ʿAin Qudeirat, 5 mi (8 km) NW of ʿAin Qudeis. See R. Cohen, “Did I Excavate Kadesh-Barnea?” 7 (1981): 20–33.
15 Mount Seir is synonymous with Edom. “By way of Mount Seir” refers to the route from Horeb that ended up in Edom Cf. “by way of the Mount Seir Road”; “by way of the hill country of Edom.”
16 Heb “in” or “on.” Here there is a contrast between the ordinary time of eleven days (v. 2) and the actual time of forty years, so “not until” brings out that vast disparity.
17 The eleventh month is Shebat in the Hebrew calendar, January/February in the modern (Gregorian) calendar.
18 The fortieth year would be 1406 b.c. according to the “early” date of the exodus. See E. H. Merrill, Kingdom of Priests, 66–75.
19 Heb “according to all which.”
20 Heb “when he struck [or “smote”].”
22 Heb “who lived.”
23 Heshbon is probably modern Tell Hesban, about 7.5 mi (12 km) south southwest of Amman, Jordan.
24 Heb “who lived.”
25 Ashtaroth is probably Tell ʿAshtarah, about 22 mi (35 km) due east of the Sea of Galilee.
26 Edrei is probably modern Derʿa, 60 mi (95 km) south of Damascus (see Num 21:33; Josh 12:4; 13:12, 31).

Cross references

21 See Deut 2:26–3:22.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea. In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him in commandment to them, after he had defeated Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth and in Edrei.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan—that is, in the Arabah—opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.)

In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the Lord had commanded him concerning them. This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel across the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab. It is an eleven-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea by way of Mount Seir. In the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first of the month, Moses told the Israelites everything the Lord had commanded him to say to them. This was after he had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth, at Edrei.

NLTNew Living Translation

These are the words that Moses spoke to all the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness east of the Jordan River. They were camped in the Jordan Valley near Suph, between Paran on one side and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab on the other.

Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, going by way of Mount Seir. But forty years after the Israelites left Egypt, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses addressed the people of Israel, telling them everything the Lord had commanded him to say. This took place after he had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated King Og of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

These are the words that Moses spoke to all of Israel on the other side of the Jordan in the desert, in the desert plateau opposite Suph, between Paran and between Tophel and Laban and Hazeroth and Dizahab. It is a journey of eleven days from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir up to Kadesh Barnea.

And it was in the fortieth year, on the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, Moses spoke to the Israelites according to all that Yahweh had instructed him to speak to them. This happened after defeating Sihon king of the Amorites, who was reigning in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who was reigning in Ashtaroth in Edrei.

KJV 1900King James Version

These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab. (There are eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea.) And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the Lord had given him in commandment unto them; After he had slain Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, which dwelt at Astaroth in Edrei:

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