New Living Translation
Numbers 20:21
21Because Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their country, Israel was forced to turn around.
Numbers 20:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.
- New International Version (NIV)Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory; so Israel turned away from him.
Context of Numbers 20:21
19The Israelites answered, “We will stay on the main road. If our livestock drink your water, we will pay for it. Just let us pass through your country. That’s all we ask.” 20But 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. Because Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their country, Israel was forced to turn around. 22The whole community of Israel left Kadesh and arrived at Mount Hor. 23There, on the border of the land of Edom, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
Read all of Numbers 20Numbers 20:21 word by word
וַיְמָאֵ֣ן׀ אֱד֗וֹם נְתֹן֙ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל עֲבֹ֖ר בִּגְבֻל֑וֹ וַיֵּ֥ט יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵעָלָֽיו׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Numbers 20:21
- Deuteronomy 2:27‘Let us travel through your land. We will stay on the main road and won’t turn off into the fields on either side.
- Deuteronomy 2:4Give these orders to the people: “You will pass through the country belonging to your relatives the Edomites, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. The Edomites will feel threatened, so be careful.
- Deuteronomy 23:7“Do not detest the Edomites or the Egyptians, because the Edomites are your relatives and you lived as foreigners among the Egyptians.
- Judges 11:18“Finally, they went around Edom and Moab through the wilderness. They traveled along Moab’s eastern border and camped on the other side of the Arnon River. But they never once crossed the Arnon River into Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.
Commentaries on Numbers 20:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border - Though every king has a right to refuse passage through his territories to any strangers; yet in a case like this, and in a time also in which emigrations were frequent and universally allowed, it was both cruelty and oppression in Edom to refuse a passage to a comparatively unarmed and inoffensive multitude, who were all their own near kinsmen. It appears however that it was only the Edomites…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. 2121. Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border, &c.--A churlish refusal obliged them to take another route. (See on Nu 21:4; De 2:4; and Jud 11:18; see also 1Sa 14:47; 2Sa 8:14, which describe the retribution that was taken.)Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 20:21
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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