Judges 11:18

18 Then they walked through the desert, around the territory of Edom and the territory of Mo'av, past the east border of the territory of Mo'av, and pitched camp on the other side of the Arnon; but they did not cross the border into Mo'av, for the Arnon was the border of Mo'av.

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 Isra'el came up from Egypt, walked through the desert to the Red Sea and arrived at Kadesh,

17 then Isra'el sent messengers to the king of Edom, to say, "Please let us pass through your land." But the king of Edom wouldn't let them. He sent a similar message to the king of Mo'av, but neither would he, so Isra'el stayed at Kadesh.

18 Then they walked through the desert, around the territory of Edom and the territory of Mo'av, past the east border of the territory of Mo'av, and pitched camp on the other side of the Arnon; but they did not cross the border into Mo'av, for the Arnon was the border of Mo'av.

19 Isra'el sent messengers to Sichon king of the Emori and king of Heshbon with this message, "Please let us pass through your land to our own place."

20 But Sichon did not trust that Isra'el would only pass through his land, so he gathered all his people together, pitched camp in Yahatz and fought against Isra'el.