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.
Then they traveled through the wilderness and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab. They came to the eastern side of Moab's territory and set up camp on the other side of the Arnon River, but they did not cross into Moab's borders because the Arnon River marked Moab's boundary.
This verse describes how the Israelites carefully traveled around other nations' territories, respecting their borders and not trespassing into Moab's land.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Judges, this verse is part of Jephthah's speech to the Ammonite king, where he recounts Israel's journey through the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt. The Israelites deliberately avoided entering the lands of Edom and Moab, following God's instructions to respect these nations as relatives through Esau and Lot. This respect for boundaries helped maintain peace during their travels and set a precedent for Israel's interactions with neighboring peoples.
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