Numbers 20:14

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

¹⁴From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to tell the king of Edom, "This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has befallen us,¹⁵how our fathers went down to Egypt, where we lived many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers, ¹⁶and when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. ¹⁷Please let us pass through your land. We will not cut through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will stay on the King's Highway; we will not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory." ¹⁸But Edom answered, "You may not travel through our land, or we will come out and confront you with the sword." ¹⁹"We will stay on the main road," the Israelites replied, "and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay for it. There will be no problem; only let us pass through on foot." ²⁰But Edom insisted, "You may not pass through." And they came out to confront the Israelites with a large army and a strong hand. ²¹So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Moses: Judges 11:16, Judges 11:17

thy brother: Genesis 32:3, Genesis 32:4, Deuteronomy 2:4-25, Deuteronomy 23:7, Obadiah 1:10-12, Malachi 1:2

befallen us: Heb. found us, Exodus 18:8

Reciprocal: Genesis 25:23 - two manner Genesis 25:30 - Edom Genesis 36:1 - General Genesis 36:31 - the kings Genesis 36:43 - the dukes Exodus 15:15 - dukes Numbers 20:22 - Kadesh Numbers 21:21 - General Deuteronomy 32:51 - General Judges 11:12 - sent messengers 2 Kings 9:21 - met Jeremiah 49:7 - Edom Amos 1:11 - because

Cross-References

Genesis 12:16
He treated Abram well on her account, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.

Genesis 20:2
Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.

Genesis 20:7
Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die-you and all who belong to you."

Genesis 20:11
Abraham replied, "I thought to myself, 'Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom,.... This country was sometimes governed by kings, and sometimes by "dukes", see Genesis 36:14. At the time of the passage of the Israelites through the Red sea, we read of the dukes of Edom, Exodus 15:15, and here, thirty nine years after, of a king of Edom, but who he was is not certain. Bishop Usher takes him to be the same with Hadar, the last of the race of kings mentioned in Genesis 36:39, to him Moses sent messengers with a request, which follows after a preamble to it; who were the messengers is not said; the place from whence they were sent is Kadesh, a city on the borders of the land of Edom; but not Kadeshbarnea, Aben Ezra says, though some are of opinion it is the same, see Numbers 20:1:

thus saith thy brother Israel; the Israelites and Edomites springing from two men, Jacob and Esau, who were twin brothers, and is observed to ingratiate themselves to the Edomites, and gain their request, pleading relation to them:

thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us; what an uncomfortable condition they had been in for many years, which was well known to Edom, a neighbouring country, as is reasonable to suppose; since the fame of the children of Israel coming out of Egypt, passing through the Red sea, and being so long in the wilderness, was spread everywhere; this was said to move their pity.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare the marginal reference. It appears from comparing Numbers 20:1 with Numbers 33:38, that the host must have remained in Kadesh some three or four months. No doubt time was required for re-organization. In order to gain the banks of Jordan by the shortest route they had to march nearly due east from Kadesh, and pass through the heart of the Edomite mountains. These are lofty and precipitous, traversed by two or three narrow defiles. Hence, the necessity of the request in Numbers 20:17.

Thy brother - An appeal to the Edomites to remember and renew the old kindnesses of Jacob and Esau Genesis 33:1-17.

It appears from Judges 11:17 that a similar request was addressed to the Moabites.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 20:14. Sent messengers - unto the king of Edom — Archbishop Usher supposes that the king now reigning in Edom was Hadar, mentioned Genesis 36:39.

Thus saith thy brother Israel — The Edomites were the descendants of Edom or Esau, the brother of Jacob or Israel, from whom the Israelites were descended.