Numbers34

The LORD commanded Moses to define the precise borders of the land of Canaan, which was to be the inheritance for the children of Israel. This chapter details the southern, western, northern, and eastern boundaries of this promised territory. Furthermore, it names Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and one prince from each of the remaining nine and a half tribes as those appointed to divide the land by lot.
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The Borders of Canaan Defined

1
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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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 with the coasts thereof:) ​
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Then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the coast of Edom, and your south border shall be the outmost coast of the salt sea eastward: ​
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And your border shall turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass on to Zin: and the going forth thereof shall be from the south to Kadeshbarnea, and shall go on to Hazaraddar, and pass on to Azmon:
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And the border shall fetch a compass from Azmon unto the river of Egypt, and the goings out of it shall be at the sea. ​
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And as for the western border, ye shall even have the great sea for a border: this shall be your west border.
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And this shall be your north border: from the great sea ye shall point out for you mount Hor: ​
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From mount Hor ye shall point out your border unto the entrance of Hamath; and the goings forth of the border shall be to Zedad:
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And the border shall go on to Ziphron, and the goings out of it shall be at Hazarenan: this shall be your north border.
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And ye shall point out your east border from Hazarenan to Shepham:
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And the coast shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain; and the border shall descend, and shall reach unto the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward: ​
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And the border shall go down to Jordan, and the goings out of it shall be at the salt sea: this shall be your land with the coasts thereof round about.

Instructions for Dividing the Land

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And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which the LORD commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half tribe: ​
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For the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their inheritance; and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance:
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The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance on this side Jordan near Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising.

Appointed Leaders to Divide the Land

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And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun. ​
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And ye shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land by inheritance.
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And the names of the men are these: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. ​
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And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud.
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Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon.
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And the prince of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli.
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The prince of the children of Joseph, for the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod.
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And the prince of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan.
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And the prince of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach.
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And the prince of the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan.
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And the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi.
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And the prince of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.
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These are they whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance unto the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.

Study Notes for Numbers 34

Verse 2

This chapter defines the precise geographical boundaries of the Promised Land (Canaan proper), which was to be inherited by the nine and a half tribes settling west of the Jordan River.

Verse 3

The 'wilderness of Zin' provides the southern starting point. This boundary description establishes the limits of the land grant, stretching to the eastern edge of the Salt Sea (Dead Sea).

Verse 5

The 'river of Egypt' refers not to the Nile, but typically to the Wadi el-Arish, a significant seasonal watercourse that served as the traditional southwestern border between Canaan and Egypt.

Verse 7

The location of Mount Hor described here defines the northwestern corner of the promised territory, likely referring to a peak in the Lebanon range rather than the Mount Hor where Aaron died (Num 20:22).

Verse 11

The boundary moves southward along the Jordan Valley, referencing the ‘sea of Chinnereth’ (later known as the Sea of Galilee). This confirms that the eastern boundary of the inheritance was the Jordan River itself, excluding the Transjordanian territory already settled.

Verse 13

The distribution of the land 'by lot' underscores the belief that God was ultimately responsible for assigning the inheritance to each tribe, ensuring fairness and divine sanction for the boundaries.

Verse 17

Eleazar the High Priest and Joshua the son of Nun are named as the supreme administrators. Their joint authority ensured that the division process was carried out with both religious legitimacy and effective governmental oversight.

Verse 19

Caleb, one of the two faithful spies from the previous generation, is listed first among the tribal princes. His appointment highlights the reward for his loyalty and faith, emphasizing continuity between the generations.

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