Numbers 21:12-13 & Judges 11:18 vs Numbers 33:45-49 & Deuteronomy 2:18

Do Numbers 21:12-13, Judges 11:18, Numbers 33:45-49, & Deuteronomy 2:18 Contradict?

Numbers 21:12-12

“From there they set out and camped in the Valley of Zered. From there they set out and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites, for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites,” (Numbers 21:12-12 ESV).

Judges 11:18

“Then they journeyed through the wilderness and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab and arrived on the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab,” (Judges 11:18 ESV).

Numbers 33:45-49

“And they set out from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad. And they set out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim. And they set out from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. And they set out from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho; they camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab,” (Numbers 33:45-49 ESV).

Deuteronomy 2:18

“‘Today you are to cross the border of Moab at Ar,” (Deuteronomy 2:18 ESV).

Critics assert that the authors of Numbers and Judges make it clear they did not pass through Moab. This is true for in both texts they stayed at the boundary(Numbers 21 and Judges 11). Does this contradict? No, for the authors never claim these people stayed in these locations forever, never progressing. This seems to be a sort of argument from silence, “we do not see them pass, thus they did not.” This is very fallacious for we cannot make this assertion. The passages seem to merely illustrate that the people stayed at the border for some time, only to eventually cross.

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Image By Jim Padgett