And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing anything else, go through on my feet.
The Israelites said to him, 'We will stay on the main road, and if my people and our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay you for it. We only want to pass through on foot—we won't do anything else.'
The Israelites are promising the Edomite king that they will be respectful travelers, staying on the highway, paying for any water they use, and simply passing through without causing trouble.
📚 Historical Context
This takes place during Israel's 40-year wilderness journey as they approached the Promised Land. They were asking permission from the king of Edom (their distant relatives, descendants of Esau) to pass through Edomite territory. Despite these reasonable assurances, the Edomites would refuse passage and force Israel to take a longer route around their land.
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