Numbers 20:18

18 Then Edom said to him, "You will not pass through us lest {we will go out} to meet you with the sword."

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 Then we cried to Yahweh, and he heard our voice; he sent an angel and brought us out from Egypt. And look, we [are] in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory.

17 Please let us go through your land. We will not go through a field or vineyard, and we will not drink water from a well. We will go along the road of the king; we will not turn aside right or left until we have gone through your territory.'"

18 Then Edom said to him, "You will not pass through us lest {we will go out} to meet you with the sword."

19 The {Israelites} said to him, "We will go up on the main road, and if we and our livestock drink your water, we will pay [for it]. It is only a small matter; let us pass through on our feet."

20 But he said, "You will not go through." And Edom went out to meet {them} with a large army and a strong hand.

Footnotes

• [a] Hebrew "me"
• [b] Hebrew "I will go out"