Passage Through Edom Denied

(Book of Numbers 20:14 - 20:21)
Moses sent envoys from Kadesh to the king of Edom with this message: "Greetings from your brothers, the people of Israel.  You must know the hardships we have suffered, how our ancestors settled in Egypt and resided there for a considerable period of time, and how we and our ancestors were mistreated by the Egyptians.  We appealed to our god Jehovah, and he sent an agent who brought us out of Egypt.  Now, we are encamped at Kadesh, just on the frontier of your country.  Please grant us passage through your land.  We will be careful not travel through any tilled field or vineyard or drink water from any well.  We will travel along the king's highway, turning off neither to the right nor to the left until we have passed through your territory."

But the king of Edom responded, "You are not granted passage -- and if you enter our country you will be met with armed resistance!”

The Israelites assured him, "We will stay upon the highway, and if we or our livestock drink your water, we will compensate you for it.  We just want to pass through your country on foot; we ask for nothing more.”

The king of Edom warned the Israelites, "You shall not pass through our land!"  He then called out his army and threatened them with a large and imposing force.  Since Edom refused them access through their country, Israel was compelled to turn away.

Notes
1. The refusal of the Edomites is probably understandable.  Even though it seems inhospitable -- and hospitality was a cardinal virtue in ancient times -- it was no doubt prudent for them to forbid another people from entering their country.  Historically, bad things happen when a country does not police its borders, brings in, or allows a foreign people to trespass upon their territory, even when seems benign, as it does here.  One may ask whether it was realistic that the Israelites would not eat or drink anything during their passage through Edom, which would have taken, one suspects, weeks.  The Israelites were, after all, a notoriously rebellious bunch.  Could Moses really guarantee their behavior?

2. Interesting that in the message to the Edomite king Moses says that Jehovah sent an agent (most translations say “angel”) to free them from the Egyptians.  Didn't Jehovah do the job personally?  And the liberation of the Israelites, wasn’t that kind of a big deal? What about all those plagues that devastated Egypt -- no reference to them.

3.  The Israelites/Hebrews were to have a millennium-long feud with the Edomites who, if not always enemies, were never allies.  The prophet Obadiah would make prophecies against Edom, warning of divine punishment and foretelling its doom, but none of the prophecies ever came to pass.  (Perhaps that is why Obadiah is regarded as a minor prophet.)