Numbers 20:14-21

Edom Refuses Passage

14 ¹Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to ²the king of Edom: "Thus says ³your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met:

15 ⁴how our fathers went down to Egypt, ⁵and we lived in Egypt a long time. ⁶And the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers.

16 And ⁷when we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice and ⁸sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory.

17 ⁹Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, ¹⁰or drink water from a well. We will go along the King's Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory."

18 But Edom said to him, "You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you."

19 And the people of Israel said to him, "We will go up by the highway, ¹¹and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, ¹²then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more."

20 But he said, ¹³"You shall not pass through." And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force.

21 Thus Edom ¹⁴refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel ¹⁵turned away from him.

Numbers 20:14-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 20

In this chapter is an account of the children of Israel coming to the wilderness of Zin, where Miriam died, and where wanting water they murmured, Nu 20:1-5, upon which Moses and Aaron applied to the Lord, who ordered Moses to speak to a rock, which should give forth water, and which being smitten by him, accordingly did, Nu 20:6-11, but Moses and Aaron, in their conduct of this affair, displeased the Lord, Nu 20:12,13, after this, Moses sent to the king of Edom to desire a passage through his country, which request was refused, Nu 20:14-21, upon Israel's coming to Mount Hor, Aaron, by order, went up to the mount, and, when stripped of his clothes, which were put on his son Eleazar, he died, lamented by all the people, Nu 20:22-29.

Cross References

• 1. Judges 11:16, 17
• 2. See Genesis 36:31-39
• 3. Deuteronomy 2:4, 8; Deuteronomy 23:7; Obad. 10, 12
• 4. Genesis 46:6; Acts 7:15
• 5. See Exodus 12:40
• 6. Exodus 1:11; Deuteronomy 26:6
• 7. Exodus 2:23; Exodus 3:7
• 8. Exodus 3:2; Exodus 14:19; Exodus 23:20; Exodus 33:2
• 9. [Numbers 21:22; Deuteronomy 2:27]
• 10. [ver. 19]
• 11. [ver. 17]
• 12. Deuteronomy 2:6, 28
• 13. [Judges 11:17; Amos 1:11]
• 14. [Deuteronomy 2:29]
• 15. [Numbers 21:4; Deuteronomy 2:8; Judges 11:18]