Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.
Parallel translations
- WEB Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border, so Israel turned away from him.
- BSB So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.
- NKJV Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory; so Israel turned away from him.
- NASB So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his territory; then Israel turned away from him.
- NLT Because Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their country, Israel was forced to turn around.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Because Edom refused passage, Israel turned away and took another route. Israel yielded rather than fight a brother nation.
Overview
Honoring God's prohibition against taking Edom's territory, Israel chooses the longer, harder road around. Obedience here means accepting inconvenience and even insult. Their willingness to detour shows trust that God's commands, however costly, are wise and good.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Judg 11:18Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.
- Deut 2:29(As the children of Esau which dwell in Seir, and the Moabites which dwell in Ar, did unto me;) until I shall pass over Jordan into the land which the LORD our God giveth us.
- Judg 11:24Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.
- Deut 2:27Let me pass through thy land: I will go along by the high way, I will neither turn unto the right hand nor to the left.
- Deut 2:4–8And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore:
- Deut 23:7Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 20:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.