Why wouldn't Edom let them pass?
Would it be that Moses smote the rock rather than spake to it?
Numbers 20:18 - 21
NKJV - 18 Then Edom said to him, "You shall not pass through my land, lest I come out against you with the sword. 19 So the children of Israel said to him, "We will go by the Highway, and if I or my livestock drink any of your water, then I will pay for it; let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.
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Leon Penny
Edom (Esau) was Jacob's(Israel) twin brother, and as you know Jacob stole Esau"s inheritance. Esau left to establish Edomite territories( Edom). Animosity was present between the parties. The inheritance issue was retaliation that precipitated the incident. It represented the conflict of the brothers as illustrated in Num. 20.14 with reference to "brother Israel" .
Seth Freeman
1. To their jealousy of the Israelites; they feared they should receive promises. And truly, had this numerous army been under any other discipline and command than that of the righteous God himself, who would no more suffer them to do wrong than to take wrong, there might have been cause for this jealousy; but what could they fear from a nation that had statutes and judgments so righteous? 2. It was owing to the old enmity which Esau bore to Israel. If they had no reason to fear damage by them, yet they were not willing to show so much kindness to them. Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing, and now the hatred revived, when the blessing was ready to be inherited. God would hereby discover the ill-nature of the Edomites to their shame, and try the good-nature of the Israelites to their honour: they turned away from him, and did not take this occasion to quarrel with him. Note, We must not think it strange if the most reasonable requests be denied by unreasonable men, and if those be affronted by men whom God favours. I as a deaf man heard not. After this indignity which the Edomites offered to Israel God gave them a particular caution not to abhor an Edomite (Deu. 23:7), though the Edomites had shown such an abhorrence of them, to teach us in such cases not to meditate revenge.
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