Jueces 11:17

17 Entonces Israel envió embajadores al rey de Edom, diciendo: Yo te ruego que me dejes pasar por tu tierra. Mas el rey de Edom no los escuchó. Envió también al rey de Moab; el cual tampoco quiso; se quedó por tanto Israel en Cades.

Jueces 11:17 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 11:17

Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom
The history of which may be read in ( Numbers 20:14 )

saying, let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land;
the land of Edom, from the south to the north of it, according to Jarchi, which was the nearest and shortest way to the land of Canaan; so far were the Israelites from invading and seizing upon the properties of others, that they would not attempt to set their foot in another's country without leave; which they asked in an humble manner, promising to do no injury to any, but pay for whatever they ate and drank in their passage:

but the king of Edom would not hearken
thereto; or grant their request, but refused them passage through his country:

and in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab, but he would not
consent;
that they should pass through his country, which lay, as Jarchi says, at the end of the land of Edom, to the west of it, and to the south of Canaan; and though we nowhere else read of their sending messengers to the king of Moab, and of the denial he made them, it is not at all to be doubted of, and the Jewish commentators observe, that it is clearly intimated by Moses, ( Deuteronomy 2:29 )

as the children of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, and the Moabites which
dwelt in Ar, did unto me;
which they interpret thus, as the children of Esau would not suffer Israel to pass through their land, when desired of them, so neither would the Moabites, when the same request was made to them:

and Israel abode in Kadesh;
quietly and peaceably, and did not attempt to force their way through either country, but continued in Kadesh some little time to consider what way they should take, and to wait for divine direction.

Jueces 11:17 In-Context

15 diciéndole: Jefté ha dicho así: Israel no tomó tierra de Moab, ni tierra de los hijos de Amón;

16 mas subiendo Israel de Egipto, anduvo por el desierto hasta el mar Bermejo, y llegó a Cades.

17 Entonces Israel envió embajadores al rey de Edom, diciendo: Yo te ruego que me dejes pasar por tu tierra. Mas el rey de Edom no los escuchó. Envió también al rey de Moab; el cual tampoco quiso; se quedó por tanto Israel en Cades.

18 Después , yendo por el desierto, rodeó la tierra de Edom y la tierra de Moab, y viniendo por donde nace el sol a la tierra de Moab, asentó su campamento al otro lado de Arnón, y no entraron por el término de Moab; porque Arnón término es de Moab.

19 Y envió Israel embajadores a Sehón rey de los amorreos, rey de Hesbón, diciéndole: Te ruego que me dejes pasar por tu tierra hasta mi lugar.