Numbers 21:22

“Let us pass through your land. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will stay on the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Israel’s messengers address Sihon king of the Amorites as the nation approaches his borders to continue their journey. The request is delivered before Sihon mobilizes his army to block their passage.

The words — אֶעְבְּרָ֣ה ('e'.be.Rah) means “let me pass” and נִטֶּה֙ (ni.Teh) means “we will turn aside.” Both verbs establish the conditional terms of safe transit through foreign territory.

The thread — The identical diplomatic formula appears in Numbers 20:17 when Israel makes the same request to the king of Edom. Both passages record a formal appeal for non-aggression and strict resource preservation during travel.

Why it lands — The text records a conditional offer of safe passage in exchange for staying on a designated route and extracting no resources. A reader must note that diplomatic courtesy carries no guarantee of acceptance, as the immediate context shows Sihon refuses and attacks.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

אֶעְבְּרָ֣ה'e'.be.Rahlet me pass בְאַרְצֶ֗ךָve./'ar.Tze./khain/ land/ your לֹ֤אlo'not נִטֶּה֙ni.Tehwe will turn aside בְּשָׂדֶ֣הbe./sa.Dehin/ a field וּבְכֶ֔רֶםu./ve./Khe.remand/ in/ a vineyard לֹ֥אlo'not נִשְׁתֶּ֖הnish.Tehwe will drink מֵ֣יmeiwater of בְאֵ֑רve.'Era well בְּדֶ֤רֶךְbe./De.rekhon/ [the] way of הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ha./Me.lekhthe/ king נֵלֵ֔ךְne.Lekhwe will go עַ֥ד'aduntil אֲשֶֽׁר־'a.Sher-that נַעֲבֹ֖רna.'a.Vorwe will pass through גְּבֻלֶֽךָ׃ge.vu.Le./khaterritory/ your

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Numbers 20:17 Please let us pass through your land. We will not go 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.”