Numbers34
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to the borders thereof),
3 then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the side of Edom, and your south border shall be from the end of the Salt Sea eastward;
4 and your border shall turn about southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass along to Zin; and the goings out thereof shall be southward of Kadesh-barnea; and it shall go forth to Hazar-addar, and pass along to Azmon;
5 and the border shall turn about from Azmon unto the brook of Egypt, and the goings out thereof shall be at the sea.
6 And for the western border, ye shall have the great sea and the border thereof: this shall be your west border.
7 And this shall be your north border: from the great sea ye shall mark out for you mount Hor;
8 from mount Hor ye shall mark out unto the entrance of Hamath; and the goings out of the border shall be at Zedad;
9 and the border shall go forth to Ziphron, and the goings out thereof shall be at Hazar-enan: this shall be your north border.
10 And ye shall mark out your east border from Hazar-enan to Shepham;
11 and the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain; and the border shall go down, and shall reach unto the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward;
12 and the border shall go down to the Jordan, and the goings out thereof shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to the borders thereof round about.
13 And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which Jehovah hath commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe;
14 for the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their fathers’ houses, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to their fathers’ houses, have received, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received, their inheritance:
15 the two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising.
16 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
17 These are the names of the men that shall divide the land unto you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun.
18 And ye shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land for inheritance.
19 And these are the names of the men: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
20 And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud.
21 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon.
22 And of the tribe of the children of Dan a prince, Bukki the son of Jogli.
23 Of the children of Joseph: of the tribe of the children of Manasseh a prince, Hanniel the son of Ephod.
24 And of the tribe of the children of Ephraim a prince, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan.
25 And of the tribe of the children of Zebulun a prince, Elizaphan the son of Parnach.
26 And of the tribe of the children of Issachar a prince, Paltiel the son of Azzan.
27 And of the tribe of the children of Asher a prince, Ahihud the son of Shelomi.
28 And of the tribe of the children of Naphtali a prince, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.
29 These are they whom Jehovah commanded to divide the inheritance unto the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.
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Numbers 34Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Numbers 34. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The bounds of the promised land. (1–15). Those appointed to divide the land. (16–29).
vv1-15
Canaan was of small extent; as it is here bounded, it is but about 160 miles in length, and about 50 in breadth; yet this was the country promised to the father of the faithful, and the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground, in which alone, for many ages, God was known. This was the vineyard of the Lord, the garden enclosed; but as it is with gardens and vineyards, the narrowness of the space was made up by the fruitfulness of the soil. Though the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof, yet few know him, and serve him; but those few are happy, because fruitful to God. Also, see how little a share of the world God gives to his own people. Those who have their portion in heaven, have reason to be content with a small pittance of this earth. Yet a little that a righteous man has, having it from the love of God, and with his blessing, is far better and more comfortable than the riches of many wicked. (Nu 34:16-29)
vv16-29
God here appoints men to divide the land to them. So sure must they feel of victory and success while God fought for them, that the persons are named who should be intrusted with the dividing of the land.
Key Words
דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
צָוָה: (intensively) to constitute, enjoin
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
כִּי: (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
בּוֹא: to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
אֶרֶץ: the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
כְּנַעַן: Kenaan, a son a Ham; also the country inhabited by him
Cross References
Numbers 34Joshua and Eleazar execute this command to divide the land of Canaan by inheritance.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Ezekiel's prophetic vision of the restored tribal borders directly echoes the Mosaic boundaries given here.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Detailed geographical matching of the southern and western borders assigned to the tribe of Judah.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Fulfills God's covenant boundary promise to Abraham, specifically mentioning the river of Egypt.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The entrance of Hamath matches the northern limit reached by the twelve spies.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Identifies the northern border region near Lebanon and the entrance of Hamath.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The New Testament name (Gennesaret) for the Old Testament Sea of Chinnereth.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Riblah in the land of Hamath is a key historical site on the northern border.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Geographical parallel detailing the Sea of Chinnereth and Jordan as eastern boundaries.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Confirms the prior eastern land inheritance given to Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh.
Supported by JFB
Caleb, who faithfuly spied out the land, is appointed to divide Judah's inheritance.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Ezekiel's northern border description explicitly includes the same landmark, Zedad.
Supported by JFB
Concludes the division of Canaan by Eleazar, Joshua, and the tribal heads.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Prophetic mention of the entering in of Hamath as the far northern boundary limit.
Supported by Matthew Poole