מלכים ב, פרק ג׳, פסוק ט׳

A joint military campaign launched by three leaders takes a dangerous turn in the harsh desert, quickly deteriorating into a life-threatening crisis over a lack of water. One of the leaders on this campaign, the king of Edom, was not actually an independent ruler. Instead, he was a deputy fully subordinate to the king of Judah [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד]. Even though he was obligated to participate, his involvement was also driven by personal ambition. He hoped that by helping to defeat and weaken the neighboring nation of Moab, his own influence and power in the region would grow [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Rather than taking the short, direct path to Moab, which bordered the land of Israel, the coalition chose to take a long, roundabout detour. They marched around Mount Seir and deep into the desert. This was the exact same path the Israelites took when they first entered the land, a region historically known for being completely devoid of water during the time of Moses [מלבי״ם].

For seven full days, the armies marched through the desolate Edomite desert without finding a single source of water [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This severe drought threatened the entire expedition. The crushing lack of water affected not only the massive military force but also the pack animals and the vast group of followers who walked along behind the main camp [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ].