Numbers34

World English Bible · Public Domain

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¹Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

²“Command the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to its borders),

³then 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.

⁴Your border shall turn about southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass along to Zin; and it shall pass southward of Kadesh Barnea; and it shall go from there to Hazar Addar, and pass along to Azmon.

⁵The border shall turn about from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and it shall end at the sea.

⁶“‘For the western border, you shall have the great sea and its border. This shall be your west border.

⁷“‘This shall be your north border: from the great sea you shall mark out for yourselves Mount Hor.

⁸From Mount Hor you shall mark out to the entrance of Hamath; and the border shall pass by Zedad.

⁹Then the border shall go to Ziphron, and it shall end at Hazar Enan. This shall be your north border.

¹⁰“‘You shall mark out your east border from Hazar Enan to Shepham.

¹¹The border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain. The border shall go down, and shall reach to the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward.

¹²The border shall go down to the Jordan, and end at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to its borders around it.’”

¹³Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which Yahweh has commanded to give to the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe;

¹⁴for the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their fathers’ houses, the tribe of the children of Gad according to their fathers’ houses, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.

¹⁵The two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, toward the sunrise.”

¹⁶Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

¹⁷“These are the names of the men who shall divide the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun.

¹⁸You shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land for inheritance.

¹⁹These are the names of the men: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

²⁰Of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud.

²¹Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon.

²²Of the tribe of the children of Dan a prince, Bukki the son of Jogli.

²³Of the children of Joseph: of the tribe of the children of Manasseh a prince, Hanniel the son of Ephod.

²⁴Of the tribe of the children of Ephraim a prince, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan.

²⁵Of the tribe of the children of Zebulun a prince, Elizaphan the son of Parnach.

²⁶Of the tribe of the children of Issachar a prince, Paltiel the son of Azzan.

²⁷Of the tribe of the children of Asher a prince, Ahihud the son of Shelomi.

²⁸Of the tribe of the children of Naphtali a prince, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.”

²⁹These are they whom Yahweh commanded to divide the inheritance to the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Numbers 34.

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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

spokeH1696Hebrew

דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue

MosesH4872Hebrew

מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver

sayingH559Hebrew

אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)

CommandH6680Hebrew

צָוָה: (intensively) to constitute, enjoin

peopleH1121Hebrew

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.)

IsraelH3478Hebrew

יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity

WhenH3588Hebrew

כִּי: (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

enterH935Hebrew

בּוֹא: to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

landH776Hebrew

אֶרֶץ: the earth (at large, or partitively a land)

CanaanH3667Hebrew

כְּנַעַן: Kenaan, a son a Ham; also the country inhabited by him

Cross References

Numbers 34

v17Joshua 14:1fulfillment

Joshua and Eleazar execute this command to divide the land of Canaan by inheritance.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB

v2Ezekiel 47:13thematic

Ezekiel's prophetic vision of the restored tribal borders directly echoes the Mosaic boundaries given here.