“And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath, and from Ezion–gaber, we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.”
So we passed by our brethren, the sons of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, from the Arabah road, from Elath and from Ezion-geber -- the specific geography (Arabah, Elath, Ezion-geber) marks the southern route skirting Edom. The compliance with the prohibition shows Israel's obedience. By naming the places, the narrative grounds the theology in geography. And we turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab -- the route now turns northward, skirting Moab. The wilderness terrain continues; Israel remains in liminal space, between the judgement zone (Egypt/Sinai) and the promise zone (Canaan).
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