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.
• New International Version (NIV)Again they answered: “You may not pass through.” Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army.
• 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.

Context of Numbers 20:20

18And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against thee. 19And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go up by the highway: and if we drink of thy water, I and my cattle, then will I give the price thereof: let me only, without doing any thing else, pass through on my feet. And he said, Thou shalt not pass through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. 21Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him. 22And they journeyed from Kadesh: and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came unto mount Hor.

Numbers 20:20 word by word

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

• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• passעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• throughיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• Edomאֱדוֹם'ĕdôm 'ĕdôm · EdomH123
• cameיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• againstקִרְאָהqir'âh · befallH7125
• peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• strongחָזָקchâzâq · strongH2389
• handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027

Cross-references for Numbers 20:20

• Numbers 20:18And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against thee.
• Genesis 27:41And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
• Genesis 32:6And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and moreover he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.
• Judges 11:17then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom hearkened not. And in like manner he sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not: and Israel abode in Kadesh.
• Psalms 120:7I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.
• Ezekiel 35:5Because thou hast had a perpetual enmity, and hast given over the children of Israel to the power of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time of the iniquity of the end:
• Amos 1:11Thus saith the LORD: For three transgressions of Edom, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever:
• Obadiah 1:10For the violence done to thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

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