Judges 11:16-20
Judges 11:16
But
when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red
sea, and came to Kadesh;
The
ambassadors are now giving the king the history of what transpired when Israel
came out of Egypt and entered the land of Canaan in hopes it would give him a
proper perspective. They came to
Kadesh which was on the borders of Edom and it was from there that Moses sent
messages to the king of Edom. This
was after their 38 year trek through the wilderness.
(Numbers 20:14, KJV) And Moses
sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother
Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:
Judges 11:17
Then
Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass
through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like
manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel
abode in Kadesh.
Israel had remained in Kadesh where they crossed.
Moses had sent messages to the king of Edom and also to the king of Moab
for permission to cross their lands.
Both of the kings had refused them permission to cross over on their
lands.
(Numbers 21:13, KJV) From thence they
removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that
cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab,
between Moab and the Amorites.
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.
So
Israel had gone through the wilderness which was the wilderness of Paran.
They had gone south of the land of Moab and south of the land of Edom.
They came to the east side which was also called “sunrising.”
(Numbers
21:11, KJV) And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ije-abarim, in the
wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising.
The river Arnon was at the east end of the land of Moab.
Judges 11:19
And
Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and
Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place.
Israel had sent out messengers seeking a peaceful solution.
All they wanted to do was pass through and there would be no attempt to
take anything from the land or to dwell in it.
Heshbon was the royal city where the king had his palace.
(Numbers 21:21-22, KJV) 21 And
Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,
22 Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or
into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well: but we will go
along by the king's high way, until we be past thy borders.
Judges 11:20
But
Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his
people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.