Numbers 20:22

Aaron’s Death

20:22 So the entire company of Israelites ¹  traveled from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor. ² 

Numbers 21:10-13

The Approach to Moab

21:10 ³ The Israelites traveled on and camped in Oboth. 21:11 Then they traveled on from Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim, ⁴  in the wilderness that is before Moab, on the eastern side. ⁵  21:12 From there they moved on and camped in the valley of Zered. 21:13 From there they moved on and camped on the other side of the Arnon, in the wilderness that extends from the regions ⁶  of the Amorites, for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

Numbers 33:37-44

Wanderings from Kadesh to Moab

33:37 They traveled from Kadesh and camped in Mount Hor at the edge of the land of Edom. 33:38 Aaron the priest ascended Mount Hor at the command ⁷  of the Lord, and he died there in the fortieth year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt on the first day of the fifth month. 33:39 Now Aaron was 123 years old when he died in Mount Hor. 33:40 The king of Arad, the Canaanite king who lived in the south of the land of Canaan, heard about the approach of the Israelites.

33:41 They traveled from Mount Hor and camped in Zalmonah. 33:42 They traveled from Zalmonah and camped in Punon. 33:43 They traveled from Punon and camped in Oboth. 33:44 They traveled from Oboth and camped in Iye-abarim, on the border of Moab.

Deuteronomy 2:1-8

The Journey from Kadesh Barnea to Moab

2:1 Then we turned and set out toward the desert land on the way to the Red Sea ⁸  just as the Lord told me to do, detouring around Mount Seir for a long time. 2:2 At this point the Lord said to me, 2:3 “You have circled around this mountain long enough; now turn north. 2:4 Instruct ⁹  these people as follows: ‘You are about to cross the border of your relatives ¹⁰  the descendants of Esau, ¹¹  who inhabit Seir. They will be afraid of you, so watch yourselves carefully. 2:5 Do not be hostile toward them, because I am not giving you any of their land, not even a footprint, for I have given Mount Seir ¹²  as an inheritance for Esau. 2:6 You may purchase ¹³  food to eat and water to drink from them. 2:7 All along the way I, the Lord your God, ¹⁴  have blessed your every effort. ¹⁵  I have ¹⁶  been attentive to ¹⁷  your travels through this great wasteland. These forty years I have ¹⁸  been with you; you have lacked for nothing.’”

2:8 So we turned away from our relatives ¹⁹  the descendants of Esau, the inhabitants of Seir, turning from the desert route, ²⁰  from Elat ²¹  and Ezion Geber, ²²  and traveling the way of the Moab wastelands.

[20:22]  ¹ tn Again the passage uses apposition: “the Israelites, the whole community.”

[20:22]  ² sn The traditional location for this is near Petra (Josephus, Ant. 4.4.7). There is serious doubt about this location since it is well inside Edomite territory, and since it is very inaccessible for the transfer of the office. Another view places it not too far from Kadesh Barnea, about 15 miles (25 km) northeast at Jebel Madurah, on the northwest edge of Edom and so a suitable point of departure for approaching Canaan from the south (see J. L. Mihelec, IDB 2:644; and J. de Vaulx, Les Nombres [SB], 231). Others suggest it was at the foot of Mount Hor and not actually up in the mountains (see Deut 10:6).

[21:10]  ³ sn See further D. L. Christensen, “Numbers 21:14-15 and the Book of the Wars of Yahweh,” CBQ 36 (1974): 359-60; G. W. Coats, “The Wilderness Itinerary,” CBQ 34 (1972): 135-52; G. I. Davies, “The Wilderness Itinerary,” TB 25 (1974): 46-81; idem, The Way of the Wilderness; G. E. Mendenhall, “The Hebrew Conquest of Palestine,” BA 25 (1962): 66-87.

[21:11]  ⁴ sn These places are uncertain. Oboth may be some 15 miles (25 km) from the south end of the Dead Sea at a place called ‘Ain el-Weiba. Iye Abarim may be the modern Mahay at the southeastern corner of Moab. See J. Simons, The Geographical and Topographical Texts of the Old Testament.

[21:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “the rising of the sun.”

[21:13]  ⁶ tn Or “border.”

[33:38]  ⁷ tn Heb “mouth.”

[2:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “Reed Sea.” See note on the term “Red Sea” in Deut 1:40.

[2:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “command” (so KJV, NASB); NRSV “charge the people as follows.”

[2:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “brothers”; NAB “your kinsmen.”

[2:4]  ¹¹ sn The descendants of Esau (Heb “sons of Esau”; the phrase also occurs in 2:8, 12, 22, 29). These are the inhabitants of the land otherwise known as Edom, south and east of the Dead Sea. Jacob’s brother Esau had settled there after his bitter strife with Jacob (Gen 36:1-8). “Edom” means “reddish,” probably because of the red sandstone of the region, but also by popular etymology because Esau, at birth, was reddish (Gen 25:25).

[2:5]  ¹² sn Mount Seir is synonymous with Edom.

[2:6]  ¹³ tn Heb includes “with silver.”

[2:7]  ¹⁴ tn The Hebrew text does not have the first person pronoun; it has been supplied for purposes of English style (the Lord is speaking here).

[2:7]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “all the work of your hands.”

[2:7]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “he has.” This has been converted to first person in the translation in keeping with English style.

[2:7]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “known” (so ASV, NASB); NAB “been concerned about.”

[2:7]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “the Lord your God has.” This has been replaced in the translation by the first person pronoun (“I”) in keeping with English style.

[2:8]  ¹⁹ tn Or “brothers”; NRSV “our kin.”

[2:8]  ²⁰ tn Heb “the way of the Arabah” (so ASV); NASB, NIV “the Arabah road.”

[2:8]  ²¹ sn Elat was a port city at the head of the eastern arm of the Red Sea, that is, the Gulf of Aqaba (or Gulf of Eilat). Solomon (1 Kgs 9:28), Uzziah (2 Kgs 14:22), and Ahaz (2 Kgs 16:5-6) used it as a port but eventually it became permanently part of Edom. It may be what is known today as Tell el-Kheleifeh. Modern Eilat is located further west along the northern coast. See G. Pratico, “Nelson Glueck’s 1938-1940 Excavations at Tell el-Kheleifeh: A Reappraisal,” BASOR 259 (1985): 1-32.

[2:8]  ²² sn Ezion Geber. A place near the Gulf of Aqaba, Ezion-geber must be distinguished from Elat (cf. 1 Kgs 9:26-28; 2 Chr 8:17-18). It was, however, also a port city (1 Kgs 22:48-49). It may be the same as the modern site Gezirat al-Fauran, 15 mi (24 km) south-southwest from Tell el-Kheleifah.