Deuteronomy 2:27 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 2:27 mean?

Moses asks Sihon, king of Heshbon, to let Israel cross his territory, promising that the people will stay on the road without turning aside. The singular “I” speaks for Israel as a people, not Moses traveling alone.

The key detail is behind “I will go along by the high way.” The Hebrew repeats דֶּרֶךְ (derekh), “road” or “way”: literally, “by the road, by the road I will go.” The repetition emphasizes keeping strictly to the road. The KJV’s “high way” expresses that designated route; the Hebrew does not describe how the road was built.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 2:27

• “pass” — עָבַר (avar); “land” — אֶרֶץ (erets): “Pass” means to cross or pass through. “Land” here means the territory under Sihon’s rule. Together, “Let me pass through thy land” requests permission for transit across his kingdom.

• “go” — הָלַךְ (halakh): This common verb means to go, walk, or travel. Here its form expresses Moses’ undertaking: “I will go.” Israel promises to follow the stated route.

• “turn” — סוּר (sur); “hand” — יָמִין (yamin); “left” — שְׂמֹאול (semol): “Turn” means to turn aside or depart from a course. The word matched to “hand” means “right” or “right-hand side”; there is no separate Hebrew word for “hand” here. Paired with “left,” the wording promises no departure from the road in either direction.

Why Deuteronomy 2:27 matters

• The request comes as a peaceful proposal. Verse 26 introduces Moses’ message as “words of peace.” Staying on the road is a concrete assurance about how Israel will move through Sihon’s territory.

• The promise limits Israel’s use of the land. In verse 28, Moses also offers payment for food and water. The request concerns passage with purchased supplies, rather than unrestricted access to Sihon’s territory.

• Sihon’s refusal concerns this specific request. Verse 30 says that Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through, despite the proposed restrictions.