דברים ב׳:י״ז-ל׳

אתה עבר היום את גבול מואב, וקרבת מול בני עמון. מִכָּאן שֶׁאֶרֶץ עַמּוֹן לְצַד צָפוֹן:

You are today crossing the border of Moav. When you approach [the area] facing the descendants of Ammon. From this we learn that the land of Ammon was north of Moav.

ארץ רפאים תחשב. אֶרֶץ רְפָאִים נֶחְשֶׁבֶת אַף הִיא, לְפִי שֶׁהָרְפָאִים יָשְׁבוּ בָהּ לְפָנִים, אֲבָל לֹא זוֹ הִיא שֶׁנָּתַתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם:

[It, too, is] considered a land of giants. It is also considered a land of giants because the giants lived there originally, but is still not the land that I gave to Avrohom.

והעוים הישבים בחצרים וגו'. עַוִּים מִפְּלִשְׁתִּים הֵם, שֶׁעִמָּהֶם הֵם נֶחֱשָׁבִים בְּסֵפֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יהושע י"ג) "חֲמֵשֶׁת סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים הָעַזָּתִי וְהָאַשְׁדּוֹדִי הָאֶשְׁקְלוֹנִי הַגִּתִּי וְהָעֶקְרוֹנִי וְהָעַוִּים", וּמִפְּנֵי הַשְּׁבוּעָה שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע אַבְרָהָם לַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ לֹא יָכְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהוֹצִיא אַרְצָם מִיָּדָם, וְהֵבֵאתִי עֲלֵיהֶם כַּפְתּוֹרִים וְהִשְׁמִידוּם וַיֵּשְׁבוּ תַחְתָּם, וְעַכְשָׁיו אַתֶּם מֻתָּרִים לְקַחְתָּהּ מִיָּדָם (חולין ס'):

And the Avim who had been living in Chatzeirim. The Avim were of the Philistines, for they are included with them in the Book of Yehoshua, as it is said, “The five chiefs of the Philistines: the Azosi, the Ashdodi, the Ashkeloni the Giti, the Akroni, and the Avim.” However, because of the oath that Avrohom swore to Avimelech, the Bnei Yisroel could not take the land from their possession therefore I brought the Caftorim against them, and they destroyed them and settled there in their stead; and now you are permitted to take it [the land] from their possession.

תחת כל השמים. לִמֵּד שֶׁעָמְדָה חַמָּה לְמֹשֶׁה בְּיוֹם מִלְחֶמֶת עוֹג וְנוֹדַע הַדָּבָר תַּחַת כָּל הַשָּׁמַיִם (עבודה זרה כ"ה):

Under the whole heaven. This teaches that the sun stood still for Moshe on the day of the war against Og, and [the victory] became known under the whole heaven.

ממדבר קדמות. אַעַ"פִּ שֶׁלֹּא צִוַּנִי הַמָּקוֹם לִקְרֹא לְסִיחוֹן לְשָׁלוֹם, לָמַדְתִּי מִמִּדְבַּר סִינַי – מִן הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁקָּדְמָה לָעוֹלָם – כְּשֶׁבָּא הַקָּבָּ"ה לִתְּנָהּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל חָזַר אוֹתָהּ עַל עֵשָׂו וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל, וְגָלוּי לְפָנָיו שֶׁלֹּא יְקַבְּלוּהָ וְאַעַ"פִּ כֵן פָּתַח לָהֶם בְּשָׁלוֹם, אַף אֲנִי קִדַּמְתִּי אֶת סִיחוֹן בְּדִבְרֵי שָׁלוֹם; דָּ"אַ, ממדבר קדמות – מִמְּךָ לָמַדְתִּי, שֶׁקָּדַמְתָּ לָעוֹלָם, יָכוֹל הָיִיתָ לִשְׁלֹחַ בָּרָק אֶחָד וְלִשְֹרֹף אֶת הַמִּצְרִים, אֶלָּא שְׁלַחְתַּנִי מִן הַמִּדְבָּר אֶל פַּרְעֹה לֵאמֹר (שמות ה') "שַׁלַּח אֶת עַמִּי", בְּמִתּוּן (תנחומא):

From the wilderness of Kedeimos. Even though the Almighty did not command me to declare peace to Sichon, I learned to do so from [what happened] in the wilderness of Sinai, from [the giving of] the Torah which preceded קָּדְמָה [the creation of] the world. When the Holy One Blessed is He, came to give [the Torah to] Bnei Yisroel, He solicited Eisov and Yishmael about it [first]. It was certainly known to Him that they would not accept it but nevertheless He greeted them in peace. Similarly, I too approached Sichon with words of peace. Another explanation of “From the wilderness of Kedeimos”: From You I learned — [from You] Who existed before the creation of the world. You could have sent one bolt of lightning to burn up the Egyptians, but You sent me from the wilderness to go to Pharaoh to say to him gently, “Send My people.”

כאשר עשו לי בני עשו. לֹא לְעִנְיַן לַעֲבֹר בְּאַרְצָם, אֶלָּא לְעִנְיַן מֶכֶר אֹכֶל וּמַיִם:

As the descendants of Eisov did for me. This does not refer to [our] passing through their land but only regarding their selling food and water.

עד אשר אעבר את הירדן. מוּסָב עַל אֶעְבְּרָה בְאַרְצֶךָ:

Until I will have crossed the Yardein. This refers to the statement, “Let me pass through [your land].