Judges 11:18

18 Then they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they encamped on the other side of the Arnon; but they came not within the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.

Judges 11:18 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 11:18

Then they went along the wilderness
The wilderness of Paran, which lay along the borders of Edom; they went, according to Jarchi, from the west to the east on the south border of Edom and Moab:

and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab;
all the south of the land of Edom, and all the south of the land of Moab; towards the sunrising, as in ( Numbers 21:11 )

and pitched on the other side of Arnon;
the river Arnon, which, according to Jarchi, was at the east end of the land of Moab, where began the country of Sihon and Og:

but came not within the border of Moab;
so far were they from attempting to take away any part of that land from the king of it, though ill treated by him:

for Arnon was the border of Moab;
which divided between Moab and the Amorites, ( Numbers 21:13 ) .

Judges 11:18 In-Context

16 but when they came up from Egypt, and Israel went through the wilderness unto the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh;
17 then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land; but the king of Edom hearkened not. And in like manner he sent unto the king of Moab; but he would not: and Israel abode in Kadesh.
18 Then they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they encamped on the other side of the Arnon; but they came not within the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.
19 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land unto my place.
20 But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his border; but Sihon gathered all his people together, and encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
The American Standard Version is in the public domain.