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Judges 11:18

in Judges 11

Then Israel traveled through the wilderness and bypassed the lands of Edom and Moab. They came to the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, since the Arnon was its border.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Then they went through the wilderness, and went around the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they encamped on the other side of the Arnon; but they came not within the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.

KJV

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.

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This verse in Judges 11

Commentary

5 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

The bravest officers have always been averse to war; so Jephthah, whose courage was indisputable, resolved not only to make it clearly appear that hostilities were forced upon him, but to try measures for avoiding, if possible, an appeal to arms: and in pursuing such a course he was acting as became a leader in Israel (De 20:10-18).

This site's exposition

when Israel came up out of Egypt

on Judges 11:16-18

The route follows Numbers 20:14-21 and 21:4-13: Kadesh, Edom's refusal, the long way around Edom and Moab, and camp beyond the Arnon without entering Moab. The argument needs one fact, "the Arnon was its border," so the ground north of the river lay outside Moab when Israel reached it.

This site's exposition

bypassed the lands of Edom and Moab

Israel took the long way around Edom and Moab, through the wilderness to the east side of Moab. Matthew Henry applies Genesis 30:33 here, that Israel's past right dealing answers for it in the present war. Israel never set foot in Moab.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

Then they went along the wilderness,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Our righteousness will answer for us in time to come ( Gen. xxx. 33 ) and will put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, 1 Pet. ii. That in that war in which they took this land out of the hands of Sihon king of the Amorites he was the aggressor, and not they,

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

They then continued through the wilderness from west to east, along the southern borders of Edom and Moav.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Judges 11:18:1, via Sefaria, The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Please allow me to traverse your country. From south to north, in order to enter the land of Canaan.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Judges 11:17:1, via Sefaria, The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

25 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וַיֵּ֣לֶךְand it went

    vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times

  • בַּמִּדְבָּ֗רin the wilderness

    bamidbarH4057 →270 times

  • וַיָּ֜סָבand it went around

    vaiyasovH5437 →161 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • אֶ֤רֶץ[the] land of

    ʾeretzH776 →2504 times

  • אֱדוֹם֙Edom

    ʾedomH123 →99 times

  • וְאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • אֶ֣רֶץ[the] land of

    ʾeretzH776 →2504 times

  • מוֹאָ֔בMoab

    moavH4124 →181 times

  • וַיָּבֹ֤אand it came

    vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times

  • מִמִּזְרַח־from [the] rising of

    mimizrach-H4217 →74 times

  • שֶׁ֙מֶשׁ֙[the] sun

    shemeshH8121 →134 times

  • לְאֶ֣רֶץof [the] land of

    leeretzH776 →2504 times

  • מוֹאָ֔בMoab

    moavH4124 →181 times

  • וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּןand they encamped !

    vaiyachanunH2583 →143 times

  • בְּעֵ֣בֶרon [the] other side of

    beeverH5676 →90 times

  • אַרְנ֑וֹן[the] Arnon

    ʾarnonH769 →25 times

  • וְלֹא־and not

    velo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • בָ֙אוּ֙they went

    vauH935 →2568 times

  • בִּגְב֣וּלin [the] territory of

    bigvulH1366 →240 times

  • מוֹאָ֔בMoab

    moavH4124 →181 times

  • כִּ֥יfor

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • אַרְנ֖וֹן[the] Arnon

    ʾarnonH769 →25 times

  • גְּב֥וּל[was] [the] border of

    gevulH1366 →240 times

  • מוֹאָֽב׃Moab

    moavH4124 →181 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

12 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Numbers 21:4Then they set out from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, in order to bypass the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient on the journey7 worksNumbers 21:13From there they moved on and camped on the other side of the Arnon, in the wilderness that extends into the Amorite territory. Now the Arnon is the border between the Moabites and the Amorites.6 worksDeuteronomy 2:1–8Then we turned back and headed for the wilderness by way of the Red Sea, as the LORD had instructed me, and for many days we wandered around Mount Seir.4 worksDeuteronomy 2:8So we passed by our brothers, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned away from the Arabah road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion-geber, and traveled along the road of the Wilderness of Moab.4 worksNumbers 20:21So Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.4 worksNumbers 22:36When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite city on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory.3 works
The other 6 cross-references, with their words ▾
Numbers 33:37–44They set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the outskirts of the land of Edom.3 worksIsaiah 16:2Like fluttering birds pushed out of the nest, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon:3 worksJoshua 12:1Now these are the kings of the land whom the Israelites struck down and whose lands they took beyond the Jordan to the east, from the Arnon Valley to Mount Hermon, including all the Arabah eastward:3 worksNumbers 20:22After they had set out from Kadesh, the whole congregation of Israel came to Mount Hor.2 worksJeremiah 48:20Moab is put to shame, for it has been shattered. Wail and cry out! Declare by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed.2 worksZechariah 1:20Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Numbers 20:22

    After they had set out from Kadesh, the whole congregation of Israel came to Mount Hor.

    it leads to

    • Numbers 20:14

      From Kadesh, Moses sent messengers to tell the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardship that has befallen us,

    • Numbers 20:1

      In the first month, the whole congregation of Israel entered the Wilderness of Zin and stayed in Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.

    • Numbers 21:4

      Then they set out from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, in order to bypass the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient on the journey

    • Numbers 13:26

      and they went back to Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh. They brought back a report for the whole congregation and showed them the fruit…

    • Numbers 20:16

      and when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your…

  • Through

    Numbers 22:36

    When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite city on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory.

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 16:2

      Like fluttering birds pushed out of the nest, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon:

    • Acts 28:15

      The brothers there had heard about us and traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and gave thanks to…

    • Jeremiah 48:20

      Moab is put to shame, for it has been shattered. Wail and cry out! Declare by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed.

Where this verse is studied

About Judges

Jephthah's Daughter Comes to Meet Her Father — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Jephthah's Daughter Comes to Meet Her Father — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Judges: the study guide →Read Judges 11 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Judges 11 →