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Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Contemporary English Version

Deuteronomy 2:23

A group called the Avvim used to live in villages as far south as Gaza, but the Philistines killed them and settled on their land.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Avites;   Caphtor;   Caphtorim;   Gaza;   Hazerim;   Philistines;   Thompson Chain Reference - Gaza;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Philistines, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ar;   Avim, or Avites;   Caphtorim;   Gaza or Azzah;   Hazerim;   Philistines;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Crete;   Philistia, philistines;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Avim;   Caphtor;   Gaza;   Hazerim;   Phenicia;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Caphtor;   Gaza;   Joppa;   Philistia;   Tent;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Avim;   Azzah;   Caphtor;   Esau;   Gaza;   Hazerim;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Avvim;   Caphtor;   Hazerim;   Philistines;   Zuzim;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Avim, Avites ;   Caphtor ;   Caphtorim ;   Deuteronomy, Book of;   Gaza ;   Hazerim ;   Philistines ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Caphtor;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Avims;   Division of the Earth;   Hivites;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Avims;   Avvim;   Azzah;   Caphtor;   Crete;   Deuteronomy;   Hazerim;   Philistines;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Avim;   Azzah;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Avvites, Avva, Avvim;   Caphtor;   Cappadocia;   Giants;   Philistines;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
and the `Avvim, who lived in villages as far as `Aza, the Kaftorim, who came forth out of Kaftor, destroyed them, and lived in their place.)
King James Version
And the Avims which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah, the Caphtorims, which came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.)
Lexham English Bible
And also the Avvites, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, and the Caphtorim, who came out from Caphtor, destroyed them and then settled in their place.
English Standard Version
As for the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and settled in their place.)
New Century Version
The Cretan people came from Crete and destroyed the Avvites, who lived in towns all the way to Gaza; the Cretans destroyed them and took their place.)
New English Translation
As for the Avvites who lived in settlements as far west as Gaza, Caphtorites who came from Crete destroyed them and settled down in their place.)
Amplified Bible
As for the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim (Cretans, later Philistines) who came from Caphtor (Crete) destroyed them and settled in their place.)
New American Standard Bible
"And as for the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and lived in their place.)
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Auims which dwelt in Hazarim euen vnto Azzah, the Caphtorims which came out of Caphtor destroyed them, and dwelt in their steade.
Legacy Standard Bible
And the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and lived in their place.)
Complete Jewish Bible
It was the same with the ‘Avim, who lived in villages as far away as ‘Azah — the Kaftorim, coming from Kaftor, destroyed them and settled in their place.)
Darby Translation
And the Avvites who dwelt in the hamlets as far as Gazah—the Caphtorim, who came out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.)
Easy-to-Read Version
God did the same thing for some people from Crete. The Avvites lived in the towns around Gaza, but the Cretans destroyed them, took the land, and live there now.)
George Lamsa Translation
And the Avites who dwelt in Hazerim, as far as Azzah, the Caphedokian, who came out of Caphedoki, destroyed them and dwelt in their land.)
Good News Translation
The land along the Mediterranean coast had been settled by people from the island of Crete. They had destroyed the Avvim, the original inhabitants, and had taken over all their land as far south as the city of Gaza.)
Christian Standard Bible®
The Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed the Avvites, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, and settled in their place.
Literal Translation
And the Avvites who lived in villages as far as Azzah, the Caphtorites coming out of Caphtor destroyed them, and lived in their place.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the Caphthorims came out of Caphther, and destroyed ye Auims (yt dwelt at Hazarim euen vnto Gaza) & there dwelt they in their steade.
American Standard Version
And the Avvim, that dwelt in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, that came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.)
Bible in Basic English
And the Avvim, living in the small towns as far as Gaza, came to destruction by the hands of the Caphtorim who came out from Caphtor and took their land.)
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Auims which dwelt in Hazarim, euen vnto Azza, the Caphthorims whiche came out of Caphthor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their steade.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
and the Avvim, that dwelt in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, that came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.--
King James Version (1611)
And the Auims which dwelt in Hazerim, euen vnto Azzah, the Caphtorims which came foorth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Evites who dwell in Asedoth to Gaza, and the Cappadocians who came out of Cappadocia, destroyed them, and dwelt in their room.
English Revised Version
and the Avvim which dwelt in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, which came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.)
Berean Standard Bible
And the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, were destroyed by the Caphtorites, who came out of Caphtor and settled in their place.)
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Also men of Capadocie puttiden out Eueys, that dwelliden in Asseryn, `til to Gaza; which yeden out fro Capadocie, and diden awey Eueis, and dwelliden for hem.
Young's Literal Translation
`As to the Avim who are dwelling in Hazerim unto Azzah, the Caphtorim -- who are coming out from Caphtor -- have destroyed them, and dwell in their stead.
Update Bible Version
and the Avvim, that dwelt in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, that came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.)
Webster's Bible Translation
And the Avims who dwelt in Hazerim [even] to Azzah, the Caphtorims, who came forth from Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.)
World English Bible
and the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and lived in their place.)
New King James Version
And the Avim, who dwelt in villages as far as Gaza--the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and dwelt in their place.)
New Living Translation
A similar thing happened when the Caphtorites from Crete invaded and destroyed the Avvites, who had lived in villages in the area of Gaza.)
New Life Bible
And the Caphtorim who came from Caphtor destroyed the Avvim who lived in towns as far as Gaza. Then they lived in their place.)
New Revised Standard
As for the Avvim, who had lived in settlements in the vicinity of Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and settled in their place.)
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The Avvim also, who dwelt in settlements as far as Gaza, Caphtorim, who were coming forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.
Douay-Rheims Bible
The Hevites also, that dwelt in Haserim as far as Gaza, were expelled by the Cappadocians: who came out of Cappadocia, and destroyed them and dwelt in their stead.
Revised Standard Version
As for the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caph'torim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and settled in their stead.)
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and lived in their place.)

Contextual Overview

8 We went past the territory that belonged to our relatives, the descendants of Esau. We followed Arabah Road that starts in the south at Elath and Ezion-Geber, then we turned onto the desert road that leads to Moab. 9 The Lord told me, "Don't try to start a war with Moab. Leave them alone, because I gave the land of Ar to them, and I will not let you have any of it." 10 Before the Lord gave the Moabites their land, a large and powerful tribe lived there. They were the Emim, and they were as tall as the Anakim. 11 The Moabites called them Emim, though others sometimes used the name Rephaim for both the Anakim and the Emim. 12 The Horites used to live in Seir, but the Edomites took over that region. They killed many of the Horites and forced the rest of them to leave, just as Israel did to the people in the land that the Lord gave them. 13 Moses said to Israel: When we came to the Zered Gorge along the southern border of Moab, the Lord told us to cross the gorge into Moab, and we did. 14 This was thirty-eight years after we left Kadesh-Barnea, and by that time all the men who had been in the army at Kadesh-Barnea had died, just as the Lord had said they would. 15The Lord kept getting rid of them until finally none of them were left. 17 Then the Lord told me, 18 "Moses, now go past the town of Ar and cross Moab's northern border

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the Avims: Joshua 13:3, Avites

Azzah: 1 Kings 4:24, Jeremiah 25:20, Zephaniah 2:4, Zechariah 9:5, Gaza

the Caphtorims which came: Genesis 10:14, Jeremiah 47:4, Amos 9:7, Acts 17:26

Reciprocal: Numbers 12:16 - Hazeroth 1 Chronicles 1:12 - Caphthorim

Cross-References

Genesis 2:8
The Lord made a garden in a place called Eden, which was in the east, and he put the man there.
Genesis 2:9
The Lord God placed all kinds of beautiful trees and fruit trees in the garden. Two other trees were in the middle of the garden. One of the trees gave life—the other gave the power to know the difference between right and wrong.
Genesis 29:14
Laban said, "You are my nephew, and you are like one of my own family." After Jacob had been there for a month,
Judges 9:2
and told them to say to the leaders of Shechem, "Do you think it would be good to have all seventy of Gideon's sons ruling us? Wouldn't you rather have just one man be king? Abimelech would make a good king, and he's related to us."
2 Samuel 5:1
Israel's leaders met with David at Hebron and said, "We are your relatives.
2 Samuel 19:13
And tell Amasa, "You're my nephew, and with God as a witness, I swear I'll make you commander of my army instead of Joab."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Avim, which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah,.... The same with the Avites, who appear to have inhabited some part of the land of the Philistines, in which Azzah or Gaza was, which was one of the five lordships of the Philistines, Joshua 13:3. The word Hazerim signifies courts, and a learned man e interprets it of tents or huts placed in a square or circular form, so as to have an area in the middle; and in such the Avim may be supposed to dwell, while in Palestine, as far as Gaza:

the Caphtorim, which came from out of Caphtor, destroyed them; according to the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, and the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, these were Cappadocians, that came out of Cappadocia; but it seems manifest that they were originally of Egypt, see Genesis 10:14 and Bochart f thinks they went from thence into that part of Cappadocia that was near Colchis; but things not answering their expectations, they returned, and drove out the Avim from their country:

and dwelt in their stead; Genesis 10:14- : Genesis 10:14- :. Though it seems as if they were not utterly destroyed, but some escaped into Assyria, and settled there, where was a place called Ava from them; and from whence they were sent by the king of Assyria to repeople the cities of Samaria, after the captivity of the ten tribes; see 2 Kings 17:24. Now these several instances are observed to encourage the children of Israel to hope and believe that they should be able to dispossess the Canaanites, and inherit their land; such dispossessions having been very frequent, when it was the will of God they should take place.

e Clayton's Chronology of the Hebrew Bible, p. 65. f Phaleg. l. 4. c. 32. col. 291, 292.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

These verses, like Deuteronomy 2:10-12, are in all likelihood an addition made by a later reviser.

Deuteronomy 2:20

Zamzummims - A giant race usually identified with the Zuzims of Genesis 14:5.

Deuteronomy 2:23

The Avims which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah - Read (Gaza, of which Azzah is the Hebrew form. “Hazerim” is not strictly a proper name, but means “villages,” or “enclosures,” probably such as are still common in the East. The Avims are no doubt identical with the Avites of Joshua 13:3, and were doubtless a scattered remnant of a people conquered by the Caphtorim (Genesis 10:14 note) and living in their “enclosures” in the neighborhood of Gerar. The word, which means “ruins,” seems itself expressive of their fallen state.


 
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