Numbers 20:23

Modern

And at Mount Hor, near the border of the land of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

Traditional

And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,

Literal

And YHWH spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying,

Latin

…ubi locutus est Dominus ad Moysen:

Hebrew

English

And at Mount Hor, near the border of the land of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

Israel did not take the shorter route through the southern area east of the Jordan River. That region was the main territory of Edom (20:21).
After they left Kadesh, the Hebrews came to Mount Hor. This mountain stood on the border of Edom. The exact location of Mount Hor is not known today. However, the Jewish historian Josephus, who wrote between AD 70 and AD 100, connected it with the region of Petra. He identified it with Jebel Haroun, which means “mountain of Aaron.”

Theme notes and profiles

Numbers 33:37
They set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the outskirts of the land of Edom.

Aaron: Moses' brother, first high priest of Israel Moses: Prophet who led Israel out of Egypt

Edom: Descendants of Esau; enemy nation southeast of Israel Mount Hor: Mountain where Aaron died and was buried