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Numbers 33:53

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And ye shall dispossess [the inhabitants] of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.

And ye shall dispossess {H3423} the inhabitants of the land {H776}, and dwell {H3427} therein: for I have given {H5414} you the land {H776} to possess {H3423} it.

Drive out the inhabitants of the land, and live in it, for I have given the land to you to possess.

You are to take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.

and ye shall take possession of the land, and dwell therein; for unto you have I given the land to possess it.

Commentary

Numbers 33:53 is a pivotal command given by God to the Israelites through Moses, just before their entry into the Promised Land of Canaan. This verse encapsulates God's faithfulness to His covenant promises and the necessary actions required for His people to fully inherit their divine inheritance.

Context

This verse is part of God's final instructions to Moses on the plains of Moab, as recorded in Numbers 33:50-56. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the generation that would enter Canaan was poised to cross the Jordan River. God reiterates the crucial task of dispossessing the existing inhabitants—the various Canaanite tribes—from the land He had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This command was not only about physical conquest but also about spiritual purity, as the Canaanites practiced idolatry and detestable customs.

Key Themes

  • Divine Mandate: God explicitly commands the Israelites to "dispossess" and "dwell." This is not an optional suggestion but a direct order from their sovereign Lord.
  • Inheritance and Possession: The land is a gift from God ("I have given you the land"), but its full possession requires active participation and obedience from the Israelites. It highlights the principle that divine promises often require human action.
  • God's Faithfulness: This command is a fulfillment of the ancient covenant God made with Abraham, promising his descendants a land (e.g., Genesis 12:7, Genesis 15:18).
  • Judgment on Wickedness: The dispossession of the Canaanites was also an act of God's righteous judgment against their pervasive sin and idolatry, which had reached its full measure (cf. Genesis 15:16).

Linguistic Insight

The Hebrew word translated "dispossess" and "possess" is yarash (יָרַשׁ). It carries the dual meaning of "to inherit" or "to take possession of," and also "to dispossess" or "to drive out." This dual meaning emphasizes that for Israel to fully inherit and dwell in the land, they first had to actively remove those who currently occupied it. It wasn't merely vacant land they were entering.

Practical Application

For believers today, while we are not called to physically dispossess people from land, this verse offers spiritual principles:

  • Claiming Spiritual Promises: Just as God gave Israel the land, He has given believers spiritual blessings and promises (e.g., Ephesians 1:3). We must actively "possess" these by faith and obedience.
  • Overcoming Obstacles: The "inhabitants" can represent spiritual strongholds, sinful habits, or worldly influences that prevent us from fully living in God's will. We are called to "dispossess" these through the power of Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
  • Obedience to God's Word: The command highlights the importance of active obedience to God's instructions. Our inheritance and blessings are often tied to our willingness to follow His commands.

Reflection

Numbers 33:53 serves as a powerful reminder of God's sovereign plan, His faithfulness to His covenants, and the necessity of human obedience in realizing divine promises. It underscores that inheriting what God has given often requires active, sometimes challenging, steps of faith to remove that which opposes His will.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash (May 20, 2025) using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Deuteronomy 11:31 (4 votes)

    For ye shall pass over Jordan to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God giveth you, and ye shall possess it, and dwell therein.

  • Joshua 21:43 (3 votes)

    ¶ And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.

  • Deuteronomy 32:8 (3 votes)

    When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.

  • Daniel 4:17 (2 votes)

    This matter [is] by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

  • Psalms 24:1 (2 votes)

    ¶ A Psalm of David. The earth [is] the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

  • Psalms 24:2 (2 votes)

    For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

  • Jeremiah 27:5 (2 votes)

    I have made the earth, the man and the beast that [are] upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.