Numbers 20:20

Numbers 20:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But he said, "You shall not pass through." And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he said, “You shall not pass through.” So Edom came out against them with many men and with a strong hand.
• New Living Translation (NLT)But the king of Edom replied, “Stay out! You may not pass through our land.” With that he mobilized his army and marched out against them with an imposing force.

Context of Numbers 20:20

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.” Again they answered: “You may not pass through.” Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army. 21Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them. 22The whole Israelite community set out from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor.

Numbers 20:20 word by word

וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לֹ֣א תַעֲבֹ֑ר וַיֵּצֵ֤א אֱדוֹם֙ לִקְרָאת֔וֹ בְּעַ֥ם כָּבֵ֖ד וּבְיָ֥ד חֲזָקָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Thou shalt not go throughעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• And Edomאֱדוֹם'ĕdôm 'ĕdôm · EdomH123
• came outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• againstקִרְאָהqir'âh · befallH7125
• him with muchכָּבֵדkâbêd · heavyH3515
• peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• and with a strongחָזָקchâzâq · strongH2389
• handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027

Cross-references for Numbers 20:20

• Numbers 20:18But Edom answered: “You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword.”
• Genesis 27:41Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
• Genesis 32:6When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”
• Judges 11:17Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Give us permission to go through your country,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. They sent also to the king of Moab, and he refused. So Israel stayed at Kadesh.
• Psalms 120:7I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.
• Ezekiel 35:5“ ‘Because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the sword at the time of their calamity, the time their punishment reached its climax,
• Amos 1:11This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Edom, even for four, I will not relent. Because he pursued his brother with a sword and slaughtered the women of the land, because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked,
• Obadiah 1:10Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever.

Commentaries on Numbers 20:20

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20The Israelites, without awaiting at Kadesh the return of their ambassador, commenced their eastward march. At the tidings of their approach the Edomites mustered their forces to oppose them; and on crossing the Arabah they found their ascent through the mountains barred. The notice of this is inserted here to complete the narrative; but in order of time it comes after the march described in Numbers 20:22.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. 18-21You may not travel through our land: Just as their ancestor Esau did not trust Jacob, the Edomites now did not trust Jacob’s descendants (Genesis 27:36). Therefore, Israel had to turn around and find another way to approach Canaan (compare Deuteronomy 2:4–6).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-291. Then came the children of Israel ... into the desert of Zin in the first month--that is, of the fortieth year (compare Nu 20:22, 23, with Nu 33:38). In this history only the principal and most important incidents are recorded, those confined chiefly to the first or second and the last years of the journeyings in the wilderness, thence called Et-Tih. Between Nu 19:22 and Nu 20:1 there is a long and undescribed interval of thirty-seven years. the people…Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 20:20

• Edomites
• Inhospitableness
• Israel

In the dictionaries

• Edom
• Edom; Edomites
• Edom, Edomite, Idumea
• Exodus
• Meribah
• Refuse
• Aaron
• Agrapha
• Chronicles, Books of
• Chronology of the Old Testament

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