Living in peace among very diverse neighbors

A larger view of the Torah provides the context through which we can see how the Biblical Israelites were meant to relate to their neighbors in the lands within and surrounding the Promised Land. (Bereishit 15:7)

Egypt was the land in which Abraham’s descendants were to be “strangers in a strange land” (Bereishit 15:13). It was also the land to which kings were forbidden to return the nation (Devarim 17:16). The lands east of the Jordan River (now Saudi Arabia and Jordan) were occupied by Edom/Seir, Midian, Moav, Emori, and Bashan, each of which was given the opportunity to allow the Israelites to pass freely through to the Jordan River, where the intended crossing into the Land would take place. (For reference: Edom – Bamidbar 20:14-19, refused in verse 21; Emori – Bamidbar 21:21-22, attacked in verse 23; Bashan –attacked the Israelites with waiting for the request, in Bamidbar 21:33.)

We are told in Devarim 2:8-9 that the people of Edom and Moav were untouchables, owing to Edom being descendants of Eisav and Moav being descendants of Lot. It was only the defeat of Moav at the hands of Sichon (Bamidbar 21:26), with their land no longer belonging to Moav, that allowed the Israelites to conquer that land.

Even the Gaza area, owned by the Phillistines since the time of Avimelech King of Gerar, was untouchable to the Israelites on account of the peace treaty that had been made in the time of Abraham (Bereshit 21:22-34). Similarly, lands further east were also not in the realm of Israelite conquest on account of the treaty made between Lavan and Yaakov (Bereshit 31:51-54), and the line they made that each was not to cross.