נַעְבְּרָה־נָּ֣א בְאַרְצֶ֗ךָ לֹ֤א נַעֲבֹר֙ בְּשָׂדֶ֣ה וּבְכֶ֔רֶם וְלֹ֥א נִשְׁתֶּ֖ה מֵ֣י בְאֵ֑ר דֶּ֧רֶךְ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ נֵלֵ֗ךְ לֹ֤א נִטֶּה֙ יָמִ֣ין וּשְׂמֹ֔אול עַ֥ד אֲשֶֽׁר־נַעֲבֹ֖ר גְּבוּלֶֽךָ׃
청컨대 우리로 당신의 땅을 통과하게 하소서 우리가 밭으로나 포도원으로나 통과하지 아니하고 우물물도 공히 마시지 아니하고 우리가 왕의 대로로만 통과하고 당신의 지경에서 나가기까지 좌편으로나 우편으로 치우치지 아니하리이다 한다 하라 하였더니
Rashi
נעברה נא בארצך LET US PASS, I PRAY THEE, THROUGH THY COUNTRY — You have no right to lay claim to the land of Israel as an inheritance, just the same as you have not paid the debt (see Rashi v. 14); render us therefore a little assistance by permitting us to pass through your land.
Kli Yakar
“We will not drink water from the well,” is stated as an emphasis, because regarding cistern water it’s obvious that we wouldn’t drink, as there would be effort to refill them. But even well water, where the spring replenishes itself naturally — a situation where one benefits while the other does not lose — nevertheless, we will not drink from what is yours. And afterward, they added, I will pay for their food to benefit the host. Similarly, at first they said, We will go on the king’s road, which is the path that the king typically travels on. And he [Edom] responded, Lest I come out against you with the sword, meaning: Since the road is trodden for the king, if Esau encounters you, who should yield to whom? And [Israel] responded, We will go up by the highway.
Sforno
דרך המלך, the route which the king would command them to travel. It was an established custom that when foreign armies were given permission to traverse a neutral country’s territory that they were assigned a specific route for that purpose. Such armies would also be assigned a guide advising them of possible pitfalls en route.