Numbers 20:21

New Century Version

The Edomites refused to let them pass through their country, so the Israelites turned back.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Thus Edom refused to give Yisra'el passage through his border: why Yisra'el turned away from him.

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

Lexham English Bible
So Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, and Israel turned aside from him.

English Standard Version
Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him.

New English Translation
So Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border; therefore Israel turned away from him.

Amplified Bible
Thus [the king of] Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him.

New American Standard Bible
So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his territory; then Israel turned away from him.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Thus Edom denyed to giue Israel passage through his countrey: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

Legacy Standard Bible
Thus Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his territory; so Israel turned away from him.

Contemporary English Version
to keep Israel from passing through its territory. So the Israelites had to go in another direction.

Complete Jewish Bible
Thus Edom refused to allow Isra'el passage through its territory, so Isra'el turned away.

Darby Translation
Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory; and Israel turned away from him.

Easy-to-Read Version
The king of Edom refused to let the Israelites travel through his country, so the Israelites turned around and went another way.

George Lamsa Translation
Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border; wherefore Israel turned away from him.

Good News Translation
Because the Edomites would not let the Israelites pass through their territory, the Israelites turned and went another way.

Christian Standard Bible®
Edom refused to allow Israel to travel through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.

Literal Translation
And Edom refused to allow Israel to pass over through his border. And Israel turned away from him.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thus ye Edomites denied to graute Israel passage thorow the borders of the lande. And Israel turned awaye from them.

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

Bible in Basic English
So Edom would not let Israel go through his land; and Israel went in another direction.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And thus Edom denied to geue Israel passage through his countrey: wherfore Israel turned away from hym.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border; wherefore Israel turned away from him.

King James Version (1611)
Thus Edom refused to giue Israel passage thorow his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his borders, and Israel turned away from him.

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

Berean Standard Bible
So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
nether he wolde assente to Israel bisechynge, that he schulde graunte passage bi hise coostis. Wherfor Israel turnede awey fro hym.

Young's Literal Translation
and Edom refuseth to suffer Israel to pass over through his border, and Israel turneth aside from off him.

Update Bible Version
Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: therefore Israel turned away from him.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.

World English Bible
Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: why Israel turned away from him.

New King James Version
Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory; so Israel turned away from him.

New Living Translation
Because Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their country, Israel was forced to turn around.

New Life Bible
Edom would not let Israel pass through his country. So Israel turned away from him.

New Revised Standard
Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through their territory; so Israel turned away from them.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thus did Edom refuse to give Israel passage through his boundary, - and Israel turned away from him.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Neither would he condescend to their desire to grant them passage through his borders. Wherefore Israel turned another way from him.

Revised Standard Version
Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory; so Israel turned away from him.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Thus Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his territory; so Israel turned away from him.

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom. He said, "Your brothers, the Israelites, say to you: You know about all the troubles we have had, ¹⁵ how our ancestors went down into Egypt and we lived there for many years. The people of Egypt were cruel to us and our ancestors, ¹⁶ but when we cried out to the Lord , he heard us and sent us an angel to bring us out of Egypt. "Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your land. ¹⁷ Please let us pass through your country. We will not touch any fields of grain or vineyards, and will not drink water from the wells. We will travel only along the king's road, not turning right or left until we have passed through your country." ¹⁸ But the king of Edom answered: "You may not pass through here. If you try, I will come and meet you with swords." ¹⁹ The Israelites answered: "We will go along the main road, and if we or our animals drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to walk through. That's all." ²⁰ But he answered: "You may not pass through here." Then the Edomites went out to meet the Israelites with a large and powerful army. ²¹ The Edomites refused to let them pass through their country, so the Israelites turned back.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

refused: Deuteronomy 2:27, Deuteronomy 2:29

wherefore: Deuteronomy 2:4-8, Deuteronomy 23:7, Judges 11:18, Judges 11:24

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 2:8 - And when

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ver. 21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his country,.... Notwithstanding their near relation to each other, and the fair promises Israel made:

wherefore Israel turned away from him: patiently bearing the refusal, and not resenting it; being ordered, as the Targum of Jonathan expresses it, by the Word of heaven, not to make war with them, because the time was not yet come to take vengeance on Edom by their hands; and to the same purpose the Targum of Jerusalem.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 20:21. 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 Deuteronomy 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, Obadiah 1:10, &c.