Numbers 20 · Verse 21

Numbers 20:21

Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.
Numbers 20:21, King James Version

Numbers 20:21 in other translations

BSBSo Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.
WEBThus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border, so Israel turned away from him.
ASVThus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.
YLTand Edom refuseth to suffer Israel to pass over through his border, and Israel turneth aside from off him.
DARBYThus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory; and Israel turned away from him.
BBESo Edom would not let Israel go through his land; and Israel went in another direction.
WebsterThus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

What does Numbers 20:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
21. 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.)

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 Thus 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 of Kadesh that were thus unfriendly and cruel; for from Deu 2:29 we learn that the Edomites who dwelt in Mount Seir treated them in a hospitable manner. This cruelty in the Edomites of Kadesh is strongly reprehended, and threatened by the Prophet Obadiah, Oba 1:10, etc.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 20:14-21

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…

Read the full comment on Numbers 20:14-21 →

Numbers 20:21 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיְמָאֵ֣ן\׀vay.ma.'Enand it refusedH3985
אֱד֗וֹם'e.DomEdomH123
נְתֹן֙ne.Tonto permitH5414
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
עֲבֹ֖ר'a.Vorto passH5674
בִּגְבֻל֑וֹbig.vu.Loin territory itsH1366
וַיֵּ֥טvai.Yetand it turned asideH5186
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
מֵעָלָֽיו\׃\ \פme.'a.Lavfrom on <the> itH5921

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Numbers 20:21

  • Judges 11:18

    Then 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.

  • Deuteronomy 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.

  • Judges 11:24

    Wilt 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.

  • Deuteronomy 2:27

    Let 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.

  • Deuteronomy 23:7

    Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land.

  • Deuteronomy 2:4-8

    And 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: Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession. Ye shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water of them for money, that ye may drink. For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
refused.
De 2:27,29
wherefore.
De 2:4-8; 23:7; Jud 11:18,24

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Numbers 20:20

    And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand.

  • Numbers 20:21

    Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

  • Numbers 20:22

    And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.

Read all of Numbers 20

Numbers 20:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		No quiso, pues, Edom dejar pasar á Israel por su término, y apartóse Israel de él.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Édom refusa de laisser passer Israël par ses limites; et Israël se détourna d’auprès de lui.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und so weigerte sich Edom, Israel zu gestatten, durch sein Gebiet zu ziehen; und Israel bog von ihm ab.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		nec voluit acquiescere deprecanti, ut concederet transitum per fines suos. Quam ob rem divertit ab eo Israël.