Moses transitions from lawgiver to land-distributor, wielding divine authority to establish Israel's territorial inheritance through precisely named tribal leaders rather than his typical role of commanding obedience.
Numbers 34
The Boundaries of the Promised Land
1The LORD 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 the LORD 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.”
16The LORD 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 the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance to the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.
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Theme
God provides Moses with detailed boundaries for the Promised Land that the Israelites will inherit, describing the southern, western, northern, and eastern borders of Canaan. The chapter specifies that this inheritance is for nine and a half tribes, since Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh have already received their portions east of the Jordan. God also designates specific leaders from each tribe, including Eleazar the priest and Joshua, who will oversee the division of the land among the people.
Context
This chapter follows the census and tribal arrangements in chapter 33 and prepares for the actual conquest and settlement described in Joshua.
Key Themes
Outline
- 1-2 Divine Command to Define Borders God instructs Moses to establish the boundaries of Canaan as Israel's inheritance
- 3-12 The Four Borders of the Promised Land Detailed description of the southern, western, northern, and eastern boundaries of Canaan
- 13-15 Clarification of Tribal Recipients The land is designated for nine and a half tribes, excluding those already settled east of Jordan
- 16-29 Appointed Leaders for Land Division God names Eleazar, Joshua, and one prince from each tribe to oversee the inheritance distribution
The Boundaries of the Promised Land
34:1–34:29 law instruction solemn
God establishes the precise boundaries of the promised land of Canaan and designates leaders from each tribe to oversee the distribution of the inheritance by lot.
person_contrast
Moses transitions from lawgiver to land-distributor, wielding divine authority to establish Israel's territorial inheritance through precisely named tribal leaders rather than his typical role of commanding obedience.
Insights
Cross-References
Connected passages across Scripture
Numbers 34:3 5 references
Lexicals 5
Joshua 15:1 Lexical
The lot for the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families was to the border of Edom, even to the wilder…
Joshua 15:5 Lexical
The east border was the Salt Sea, even to the end of the Jordan. The border of the north quarter was from the bay of the…
Joshua 18:19 Lexical
The border passed along to the side of Beth Hoglah northward; and the border ended at the north bay of the Salt Sea, at…
Joshua 15:2 Lexical
Their south border was from the uttermost part of the Salt Sea, from the bay that looks southward;
Joshua 18:15 Lexical
The south quarter was from the farthest part of Kiriath Jearim. The border went out westward, and went out to the spring…
Numbers 34:4 5 references
Lexicals 5
Joshua 15:3 Lexical
and it went out southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and went up by the south of Kadesh Barnea,…
Joshua 15:4 Lexical
and it passed along to Azmon, went out at the brook of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. This shall be your south…
Joshua 18:14 Lexical
The border extended, and turned around on the west quarter southward, from the mountain that lies before Beth Horon sout…
Joshua 15:1 Lexical
The lot for the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families was to the border of Edom, even to the wilder…
Joshua 15:7 Lexical
The border went up to Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that faces the ascent of…
Numbers 34:5 5 references
Lexicals 5
Joshua 15:4 Lexical
and it passed along to Azmon, went out at the brook of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. This shall be your south…
Joshua 17:9 Lexical
The border went down to the brook of Kanah, southward of the brook. These cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of…
Joshua 16:8 Lexical
From Tappuah the border went along westward to the brook of Kanah; and ended at the sea. This is the inheritance of the…
Joshua 18:14 Lexical
The border extended, and turned around on the west quarter southward, from the mountain that lies before Beth Horon sout…
Joshua 15:7 Lexical
The border went up to Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that faces the ascent of…
Numbers 34:9 5 references
Lexicals 5
Ezekiel 48:1 Lexical
“Now these are the names of the tribes: From the north end, beside the way of Hethlon to the entrance of Hamath, Hazar E…
Joshua 15:11 Lexical
and the border went out to the side of Ekron northward; and the border extended to Shikkeron, and passed along to Mount…
Joshua 17:9 Lexical
The border went down to the brook of Kanah, southward of the brook. These cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of…
Joshua 19:14 Lexical
The border turned around it on the north to Hannathon; and it ended at the valley of Iphtah El;
Joshua 18:12 Lexical
Their border on the north quarter was from the Jordan. The border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went…
Numbers 34:11 5 references
Lexicals 5
Joshua 15:10 Lexical
and the border turned about from Baalah westward to Mount Seir, and passed along to the side of Mount Jearim (also calle…
Deuteronomy 3:17 Lexical
the Arabah also, and the Jordan and its border, from Chinnereth even to the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, under the s…
Joshua 13:27 Lexical
and in the valley, Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, the J…
Isaiah 11:14 Lexical
They will fly down on the shoulders of the Philistines on the west. Together they will plunder the children of the east.…
1 Kings 7:39 Lexical
He set the bases, five on the right side of the house and five on the left side of the house. He set the sea on the righ…
Numbers 34:12 5 references
Lexicals 5
Joshua 18:12 Lexical
Their border on the north quarter was from the Jordan. The border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went…
Joshua 18:19 Lexical
The border passed along to the side of Beth Hoglah northward; and the border ended at the north bay of the Salt Sea, at…
Deuteronomy 3:17 Lexical
the Arabah also, and the Jordan and its border, from Chinnereth even to the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, under the s…
Joshua 15:5 Lexical
The east border was the Salt Sea, even to the end of the Jordan. The border of the north quarter was from the bay of the…
Joshua 17:9 Lexical
The border went down to the brook of Kanah, southward of the brook. These cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of…
Numbers 34:13 5 references
Lexicals 5
Joshua 14:2 Lexical
by the lot of their inheritance, as the LORD commanded by Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half-tribe.
Numbers 33:54 Lexical
You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger groups you shall give a larger inheritance,…
Numbers 26:55 Lexical
Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inhe…
Joshua 19:51 Lexical
These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the…
Joshua 21:5 Lexical
The rest of the children of Kohath had ten cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, out of the tribe o…
Numbers 34:14 5 references
Lexicals 5
Joshua 22:1 Lexical
Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,
Joshua 1:12 Lexical
Joshua spoke to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, saying,
Joshua 12:6 Lexical
Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel struck them. Moses the servant of the LORD gave it for a posses…
1 Chronicles 5:26 Lexical
So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath Pilneser king of Assyria, a…
1 Chronicles 26:32 Lexical
His relatives, men of valor, were two thousand seven hundred, heads of fathers’ households, whom King David made oversee…
Numbers 34:15 5 references
Lexicals 5
Joshua 20:8 Lexical
Beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, Ra…
Joshua 18:7 Lexical
However, the Levites have no portion among you; for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance. Gad, Reuben, and th…
Joshua 14:3 Lexical
For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Jordan; but to the Levites he gave n…
Joshua 13:32 Lexical
These are the inheritances which Moses distributed in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan at Jericho, eastward.
Numbers 32:19 Lexical
For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on…
Numbers 34:17 5 references
Lexicals 5
Joshua 19:51 Lexical
These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the…
Joshua 14:1 Lexical
These are the inheritances which the children of Israel took in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the…
Deuteronomy 1:38 Lexical
Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, shall go in there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
Joshua 19:49 Lexical
So they finished distributing the land for inheritance by its borders. The children of Israel gave an inheritance to Jos…
Numbers 32:28 Lexical
So Moses commanded concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’…
Numbers 34:19 1 reference
Numbers 34:23 5 references
Lexicals 5
Numbers 2:20 Lexical
“Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh. The prince of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzu…
Numbers 36:1 Lexical
The heads of the fathers’ households of the family of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of…
Numbers 36:12 Lexical
They were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph. Their inheritance remained in the tribe o…
Numbers 13:11 Lexical
Of the tribe of Joseph, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.
Joshua 14:4 Lexical
For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. They gave no portion to the Levites in the land, excep…
Numbers 34:25 1 reference
Numbers 34:26 1 reference
Numbers 34:27 1 reference
Numbers 34:28 1 reference
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