Numbers 20:18

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

Numbers 20:18 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 20:18

And Edom said unto him
The king of Edom replied to Israel, represented by the messengers sent in their name:

thou shall not pass by me;
through my country:

lest I come out against thee with the sword;
or with those that use the sword, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; that is, with an army of soldiers with their drawn swords in their hands, to slay them as enemies.

Numbers 20:18 In-Context

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

17 Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, or 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, and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more. ”

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