Numbers 20:17 Second Temple Literature: On the Unchangeableness & On the Migration

V. The important point here is that “destroyed his way” means “destroyed God’s way” (140–143), and this reminds us of the passage in which Israel asked for leave to pass through Edom’s territory, and said “we will go by the king’s way” (144) But Philo cannot endure to be confined to these two words, but deals with the whole content of Num. 20:17–20 in a way which, perverse as it is, shews much richness of thought as well as ingenuity. (α) When Israel says “I will pass through thy land” we have the resolve of the Wise both to test the life of the pleasure-lover, so as to reject it through experience and not mere ignorance, and also not to stay in it (145–153). (β) On the other hand, “we will not go through the fields and vineyards” means “we will abide in the fields of heavenly fruits and the vineyards of virtue and true joy” (154). (γ) “We will not drink of thy well” means that “we on whom God rains his mercies have no need of the scanty water of the wells of earthly pleasures” (155–158). (δ) “We will go by the king’s way” is “we will tread the road of wisdom” (159–161). (ε) “We will turn neither to the right nor to the left” shews that this way of wisdom is in the mean, as e.g. courage is the mean between rashness on the right and cowardice on the left (162–165). (ζ) When in reply to Edom’s refusal and threat of war Israel replies, “we will pass along the mountain,” Philo by a strange play on ὅρος (the mountain) and ὅρος (definition) extracts the idea that the wise man’s course is on lofty thoughts based on scientific analysis (166–167). (η) “If I drink of thy water, I will give thee its value” (τιμή) is turned into “If I truckle to you, I shall be giving to the worthless an honour which will lead the weak to honour it also” (167–171). (θ) The words “the matter is nothing” (see note on 145) are taken to mean the vanity of earthly things. And this leads to a meditation on the witness of history to the instability of national prosperity and indeed of all human aims (172–180). Thus we arrive at the conclusion that while Edom would bar the king’s way, the divine reason will bar that of Edom and its associates (180).

[146] But let the mind be bent not only on following God with alert and unfailing steps, but also on keeping the straight course. Let it not incline to either side, either to what is on the right hand or to what is on the left, where Edom, of the earth earthy, has his lurking holes, and thus be the victim now of excesses and extravagances, now of shortcomings and deficiencies. For better is it to walk on the central road, the road that is truly “the king’s” (Num. 20:17), seeing that God, the great and only King, laid it out a broad and goodly way for virtue-loving souls to keep to.

[145] The envoys then who are dispatched to him speak thus, “We will pass by through thy land. We will not go through the cornfields nor through the vineyards. We will not drink water of any well of thine. We will journey by the king’s way. We will not turn aside to the right or the left, till we have passed thy boundaries.” But Edom answers, saying, “Thou shalt not pass through me, else I will come out in war to meet thee.” And the sons of Israel say to him, “We will pass along the mountain country. But if I and my cattle drink of thy water, I will give thee value. But the matter is nothing, we will pass along the mountain country” (Num. 20:17–20). But he said, “Thou shalt not go through me.”