What Does Deuteronomy 2:31 Mean in the King James?
And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The Hebrew root behind “possess” also names “inherit” and, in another verb form, “dispossess,” so the promised inheritance already contains another’s loss.
THE MEANING
The verse holds gift and taking together: the land is declared given while possession is only beginning. The Hebrew root behind “possess” also yields “inherit” and, in another form, “dispossess,” keeping the displaced holder within the meaning of inheritance.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
“Given” does not mean “already in your possession”: the verse places the taking at its beginning.
THE ROOT
רָשׁ
rāš
GROWS FROM
ירשׁ
To take possession or inherit; in a causative form, to dispossess or drive out.
“possess / inherit” in this verse is rāš. The verse commands “possess” with יָרַשׁ, the same root used for inheriting and, in a causative form, dispossessing. English gives separate words, “possess” and “inherit”, where Hebrew keeps the transfer under one root: land passes into one hand as it leaves another.
ALSO GROWS
rāš: Take possession; the command form used here.
רָשׁ
“Begin to possess” is the verse’s direct command to take the land.
lārešet: To inherit or take possession.
לָרֶשֶׁת
The same root appears again in “that thou mayest inherit,” joining the act of taking to the inheritance it produces.
hôrîš: Cause to dispossess; drive out.
הוֹרִישׁ
This causative branch makes the other side of the transfer visible: one party’s possession comes as another is displaced.
THE PATTERN
An inheritance can be named as a gift before it is fully entered or possessed.
And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.THE THREAD
Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle.Deuteronomy 2:24 uses the same ירשׁ root in “begin to possess,” then names the battle against Sihon. It makes explicit that the inheritance of 2:31 is a real transfer of land with an opposing holder, rather than an abstraction.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us