Contradiction with Exodus 23:31
Promises to give the Israelites the land of its enemies, in contradiction to other peoples having dispossessed former inhabitants.
Exodus 23:31: And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.
Contradiction with Numbers 33:53
Commands Israelites to take possession of the land and dwell in it, contrasting with Deuteronomy 2:12’s mention of lands being dispossessed by others.
Numbers 33:53: And ye shall dispossess [the inhabitants] of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.
Contradiction with Judges 11:24
States that whatever land God has given, Israel should possess, contrasting with Edom's and Moab's territorial claims being described as legitimate in Deuteronomy 2:12.
Judges 11:24: Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.
Contradiction with Joshua 21:43
Indicates the Lord gave Israel all the land he swore to give their ancestors, suggesting exclusive divine endorsement contrary to other nations' similar actions in Deuteronomy 2:12.
Joshua 21:43: And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.
Contradiction with Deuteronomy 20:16-18
Commands the Israelites to utterly destroy certain nations when taking over their land, conflicting with the notion of peaceful dispossession found in Deuteronomy 2:12.
Deuteronomy 20:16-18: But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee [for] an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
Paradox #1
The potential theological conflict lies in the verse's mention of events that may appear to be from a later perspective, suggesting it could have been written after the time of Moses. This raises questions about the traditional belief that Moses wrote the entire Book of Deuteronomy.
Paradox #2
Deuteronomy 2:12 talks about the Edomites living in Seir before the Israelites arrived. A contradiction could be that this verse might have been written later than the events it describes, suggesting possible retrospective editing. This means the people writing the text might have been looking back from a much later time, which could cause inconsistencies with the timeline.
Paradox #3
This verse may present a conflict in the context of land possession and divine entitlement. It describes how the children of Esau took land from the Horites, parallel to how Israelites are divinely entitled to take over the Promised Land. The contradiction could arise from questions about the ethics of displacing other people and claiming God’s will as justification. Whether it's morally right to take land from others may be seen as inconsistent with other moral teachings about treating others as you wish to be treated.