And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword.

And Edom answered them: Thou shalt not pass by me: if thou dost I will come out armed against thee.

And Edom saith unto him, 'Thou dost not pass over through me, lest with sword I come out to meet thee.'

And Edom said, You are not to go through my land, for if you do I will come out against you with the sword.

Edom responded to them: "You shall not cross through me, otherwise, I will meet you armed."

Cui respondit Edom, Non transibis per me, ne forte cum gladio egrediar in occursum tui.

And Edom said unto him,.... The king of Edom replied to Israel, represented by the messengers sent in their name:
thou shall not pass by me; through my country:
lest I come out against thee with the sword; or with those that use the sword, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; that is, with an army of soldiers with their drawn swords in their hands, to slay them as enemies.

The Edomites refused the visit of the Israelites in a most unbrotherly manner, and threatened to come out against them with the sword, without paying the least attention to the repeated assurance of the Israelitish messengers, that they would only march upon the high road, and would pay for water for themselves and their cattle. אין־דּבר רק, lit., "it is nothing at all; I will go through with my feet:" i.e., we want no great thing; we will only make use of the high road.

By me - Through my country: I will not suffer thee to do so: which was an act of policy, to secure themselves from so numerous an host.