פירוש על דברים 2:5

עד מדרך כף רגל — This means, Even מדרך כף רגל, as much as to say: even only treading with the feet (a single step). The text means, I do not permit you to pass into their land without their permission. — A Midrashic explanation is: I shall not give you of their land until there come the day of the treading of the sole of foot upon the Mount of Olives (the Messianic period), as it is said, (Zechariah 14:4) "And his feet shall stand [in that day upon the Mount of Olives etc.]”.

לא אתן…מדרך כף רגל, "I will not give you…as much as for the sole of your foot, etc." Moses meant that G'd would not allow the Israelites to traverse the land of Edom in order to impose their will upon them. However, if the people of Edom would volunteer for the Israelites to pass through their country on their way to the West Bank, G'd would not forbid them to do so. This was the reason for sending messengers to sound out the Edomites on the subject.

כי לא אתן לכם מארצם, similar warnings had been issued in respect pf the Moabites and their land the Ammonites and their land (compare verses 9 and 19). Moses had to mention all these warnings now so that the people would not become fainthearted and say that if G’d had wanted to give their land to us and He had been able to, why did He not first let us conquer the lands which were in our path instead of making us detour around these countries? Moses told the people that G’d did not want that these peoples be deprived of their lands.