Numbers34
New International Version
1The Lord said to Moses,
2“Command the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter Canaan, the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance is to have these boundaries:
3“‘Your southern side will include some of the Desert of Zin along the border of Edom. Your southern boundary will start in the east from the southern end of the Dead Sea,
4cross south of Scorpion Pass, continue on to Zin and go south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon,
5where it will turn, join the Wadi of Egypt and end at the Mediterranean Sea.
6“‘Your western boundary will be the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This will be your boundary on the west.
7“‘For your northern boundary, run a line from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor
8and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath. Then the boundary will go to Zedad,
9continue to Ziphron and end at Hazar Enan. This will be your boundary on the north.
10“‘For your eastern boundary, run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham.
11The boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Galilee.
12Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea. “‘This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.’”
13Moses commanded the Israelites: “Assign this land by lot as an inheritance. The Lord has ordered that it be given to the nine and a half tribes,
14because the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.
15These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance east of the Jordan across from Jericho, toward the sunrise.”
16The Lord said to Moses,
17“These are the names of the men who are to assign the land for you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun.
18And appoint one leader from each tribe to help assign the land.
19These are their names: Caleb son of Jephunneh, from the tribe of Judah;
20Shemuel son of Ammihud, from the tribe of Simeon;
21Elidad son of Kislon, from the tribe of Benjamin;
22Bukki son of Jogli, the leader from the tribe of Dan;
23Hanniel son of Ephod, the leader from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph;
24Kemuel son of Shiphtan, the leader from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph;
25Elizaphan son of Parnak, the leader from the tribe of Zebulun;
26Paltiel son of Azzan, the leader from the tribe of Issachar;
27Ahihud son of Shelomi, the leader from the tribe of Asher;
28Pedahel son of Ammihud, the leader from the tribe of Naphtali.”
29These are the men the Lord commanded to assign the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Numbers 34.
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