New International Version
Numbers 20:17
17Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”
Numbers 20:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king’s high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Please let us pass through your country. We will not pass through fields or vineyards, nor will we drink water from wells; 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.’ ”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Please let us travel through your land. We will be careful not to go through your fields and vineyards. We won’t even drink water from your wells. We will stay on the king’s road and never leave it until we have passed through your territory.”
Context of Numbers 20:17
15Our ancestors went down into Egypt, and we lived there many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our ancestors, 16but when we cried out to the Lord, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. “Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory. Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.” 18But Edom answered: “You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword.” 19The Israelites replied: “We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot—nothing else.”
Read all of Numbers 20Numbers 20:17 word by word
נַעְבְּרָה־נָּ֣א בְאַרְצֶ֗ךָ לֹ֤א נַעֲבֹר֙ בְּשָׂדֶ֣ה וּבְכֶ֔רֶם וְלֹ֥א נִשְׁתֶּ֖ה מֵ֣י בְאֵ֑ר דֶּ֧רֶךְ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ נֵלֵ֗ךְ לֹ֤א נִטֶּה֙ יָמִ֣ין וּשְׂמֹ֔אול עַ֥ד אֲשֶֽׁר־נַעֲבֹ֖ר גְּבוּלֶֽךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Let us passעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- I pray thee, through thy countryאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- through the fieldsשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
- or through the vineyardsכֶּרֶםkerem · vineyardH3754
- neither will we drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
- the waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
- of the wellsבְּאֵרbe'êr · wellH875
- we will goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- by the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · King'sH4428
- wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · (King's) HighwayH1870
- we will not turnנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
- to the right handיָמִיןyâmîyn · rightH3225
- nor to the leftשְׂמֹאלώemô'l ώem'ôl · leftH8040
- thy bordersגְּבוּלgebûl gebûl · border: areaH1366
Cross-references for Numbers 20:17
- Numbers 21:1When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them.
- Deuteronomy 2:1Then we turned back and set out toward the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea, as the Lord had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir.
Commentaries on Numbers 20:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17We will go by the king's high-way - This is the first time this phrase occurs; it appears to have been a public road made by the king's authority at the expense of the state.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-21Verses 14-21 The nearest way to Canaan from the place where Israel encamped, was through the country of Edom. The ambassadors who were sent returned with a denial. The Edomites feared to receive damage by the Israelites. And had this numerous army been under any other discipline than that of the righteous God himself, there might have been cause for this jealousy. But Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing; and now the hatred revived, when the blessing…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17We will not … drink water from any well: Edom was a very dry land. Food and water were limited, and there was not enough to support such a large group of Hebrew travelers. We will stay on the King’s Highway: This road is mentioned several times in the Old Testament, but its exact path is not fully known (also 21:22). It was an official road used for government business, trade, and the movement of armies. Along this road, travelers could find towns, food…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. we will go by the king's highway--probably Wady-el-Ghuweir [Roberts], through which ran one of the great lines of road, constructed for commercial caravans, as well as for the progress of armies. The engineering necessary for carrying them over marshes or mountains, and the care requisite for protecting them from the shifting sands, led to their being under the special care of the state. Hence the expression, "the king's highway," which is of great…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 20:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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