Musar sur Les Juges 5:4

There is a comment by the Zohar on פרשת בלק, (Sullam edition page 54) which may help to explain this. Deborah says in Judges 5,4: ה' בצאתך משעיר, בצעדך משדה אדום. "G–d, when You left from Se-ir and when You stepped forth from the fields of Edom, etc" G–d, before he gave the Torah to the Jewish people, first approached the descendants of Esau, as alluded to in Deut. 33,2. They refused to accept the Torah, as hinted at in וזרח משעיר למו. G–d then approached the Ishmaelites who also refused, as hinted at in והופיע מהר פארן. G–d thereupon offered the Torah to Israel. So far our tradition.

Moses speaks of G–d as וזרח משעיר למו הופיע מהר פארן "He shone upon them from Se'ir, He appeared from Mount Paran" (33,2); Moses alludes to the partial revelation of this hidden light at the time the Torah was given on Mount Sinai. The Zohar on Parshat Balak (Sullam edition pages 54-56) described in detail how G–d first offered the Torah to the nations of the world, and how they not only rejected it but suggested G–d offer it to Israel, even offering bribes so that Israel could be persuaded to accept it and hopefully be found inadequate. [We have quoted all this in Torah Ohr section of Parashat Yitro].