Numbers — Chapter 34

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1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2Command 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:)

3Then 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:

4And 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 Kadesh-barnea, and shall go on to Hazar-addar, and pass on to Azmon:

5And the border shall fetch a compass from Azmon unto the river of Egypt, and the goings out of it shall be at the sea.

6And as for the western border, ye shall even have the great sea for a border: this shall be your west border.

7And this shall be your north border: from the great sea ye shall point out for you mount Hor:

8From mount Hor ye shall point out your border unto the entrance of Hamath; and the goings forth of the border shall be to Zedad:

9And the border shall go on to Ziphron, and the goings out of it shall be at Hazar-enan: this shall be your north border.

10And ye shall point out your east border from Hazar-enan to Shepham:

11And 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:

12And 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.

13And 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:

14For 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:

15The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance on this side Jordan near Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising.

16And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

17These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun.

18And ye shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land by inheritance.

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

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

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

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

23The prince of the children of Joseph, for the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod.

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

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

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

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

28And the prince of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.

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

1And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

2Command 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 according to the borders thereof),

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;

4and your border shall turn about southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass along to Zin; and the goings out thereof shall be southward of Kadesh-barnea; and it shall go forth to Hazar-addar, and pass along to Azmon;

5and the border shall turn about from Azmon unto the brook of Egypt, and the goings out thereof shall be at the sea.

6And for the western border, ye shall have the great sea and the border [thereof]: this shall be your west border.

7And this shall be your north border: from the great sea ye shall mark out for you mount Hor;

8from mount Hor ye shall mark out unto the entrance of Hamath; and the goings out of the border shall be at Zedad;

9and the border shall go forth to Ziphron, and the goings out thereof shall be at Hazar-enan: this shall be your north border.

10And ye shall mark out your east border from Hazar-enan to Shepham;

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

12and the border shall go down to the Jordan, and the goings out thereof shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to the borders thereof round about.

13And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which Jehovah hath commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe;

14for the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their fathers` houses, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to their fathers` houses, have received, 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 sunrising.

16And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

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

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

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

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

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

22And of 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

1Then the Lord spoke to Moses:

2“Give these instructions to the Israelites, and tell them: ‘When you enter Canaan, the land that has been assigned to you as an inheritance, the land of Canaan with its borders,

3your southern border will extend from the wilderness of Zin along the Edomite border, and your southern border will run eastward to the extremity of the Salt Sea,

4and then the border will turn from the south to the Scorpion Ascent, continue to Zin, and then its direction will be from the south to Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and pass over to Azmon.

5There the border will turn from Azmon to the Stream of Egypt, and then its direction is to the sea.

6“‘And for a western border you will have the Great Sea. This will be your western border.

7“‘And this will be your northern border: From the Great Sea you will draw a line to Mount Hor;

8from Mount Hor you will draw a line to Lebo Hamath, and the direction of the border will be to Zedad.

9The border will continue to Ziphron, and its direction will be to Hazar Enan. This will be your northern border.

10“‘For your eastern border you will draw a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham.

11The border will run down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain, and the border will descend and reach the eastern side of the Sea of Kinnereth.

12Then the border will continue down the Jordan River and its direction will be to the Salt Sea. This will be your land by its borders that surround it.’”

13Then Moses commanded the Israelites: “This is the land that you will inherit by lot, which the Lord has commanded to be given to the nine-and-a-half tribes,

14because the tribe of the Reubenites by their families, the tribe of the Gadites by their families, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.

15The two-and-a-half tribes have received their inheritance on this side of the Jordan, east of Jericho, toward the sunrise.”

16The Lord said to Moses:

17“These are the names of the men who are to allocate the land to you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun.

18You must take one leader from every tribe to assist in allocating the land as an inheritance.

19These are the names of the men: from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh;

20from the tribe of the Simeonites, Shemuel son of Ammihud;

21from the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad son of Kislon;

22and from the tribe of the Danites, a leader, Bukki son of Jogli.

23From the Josephites, Hanniel son of Ephod, a leader from the tribe of Manasseh;

24from the tribe of the Ephraimites, a leader, Kemuel son of Shiphtan;

25from the tribe of the Zebulunites, a leader, Elizaphan son of Parnach;

26from the tribe of the Issacharites, a leader, Paltiel son of Azzan;

27from the tribe of the Asherites, a leader, Ahihud son of Shelomi;

28and from the tribe of the Naphtalites, a leader, Pedahel son of Ammihud.”

29These are the ones whom the Lord commanded to divide up the inheritance among the Israelites in the land of Canaan.

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, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to their fathers’ houses, have received, 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.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

God defines the exact boundaries of the Promised Land and appoints leaders to divide it among the tribes.

Authorship & Background

Author: Moses. Numbers is the fourth book of the Pentateuch, written during the wilderness period (approximately 1445-1405 BC). Hebrew title: "Bemidbar" — "In the wilderness." The book records Israel's 38 years of wilderness wandering between Sinai and the Promised Land — a journey that should have taken 11 days (Deuteronomy 1:2) but took 40 years due to unbelief.
Historical Context: Chapter 34 defines the precise boundaries of the Promised Land — the territory west of the Jordan that the nine and a half tribes will inherit. This is not vague promise but specific geography: God draws the borders. The southern boundary runs from the Dead Sea through the Wilderness of Zin to the Brook of Egypt (Wadi el-Arish) and the Mediterranean. The western boundary is simply the Mediterranean Sea (the "Great Sea"). The northern boundary extends from the Mediterranean to Mount Hor (not the same as Aaron's burial site), through Lebo-hamath to Hazar-enan. The eastern boundary runs from Hazar-enan south along the Sea of Chinnereth (Galilee) and down the Jordan to the Dead Sea (Salt Sea). The chapter then names the leaders appointed to oversee the land division: Eleazar the priest, Joshua, and one chief from each of the ten tribes receiving western land (Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh are excluded since they already received Transjordan). Notably, Caleb represents Judah (v.19) — the faithful spy finally receives his promised inheritance. The borders described here represent God's intended grant — Israel never fully occupied this entire territory until Solomon's reign, and even then only briefly.
The Southern Border (vv.1-5): From the end of the Salt Sea (Dead Sea) eastward, the border runs south of the Ascent of Akrabbim ("Scorpion Pass"), through Zin, south of Kadesh-barnea, to Hazar-addar, Azmon, and then to the "Brook of Egypt" (Wadi el-Arish, not the Nile) reaching the Mediterranean Sea. This is roughly the Negev region — the dry southern frontier.
The Western Border (v.6): Simply "the Great Sea" — the Mediterranean. The entire coastline from the Brook of Egypt to the northern boundary belongs to Israel. (In practice, the Philistines and Phoenicians controlled much of the coast for centuries.)
The Northern Border (vv.7-9): From the Mediterranean to "Mount Hor" (a northern mountain, not Aaron's burial site in the south), to Lebo-hamath ("entrance of Hamath"), to Zedad, Ziphron, and Hazar-enan. This represents the northern extent — roughly modern Lebanon/Syria border region. "Lebo- hamath" becomes the standard phrase for Israel's ideal northern boundary (1 Kings 8:65; 2 Kings 14:25).
The Eastern Border (vv.10-12): From Hazar-enan south to Shepham, to Riblah east of Ain, down to the "shoulder" (shore) of the Sea of Chinnereth (Galilee) on the east, then down the Jordan River to the Salt Sea (Dead Sea). The Jordan River forms the eastern boundary of western Canaan.
The Nine and a Half Tribes (vv.13-15): Moses confirms: this western land is for nine and a half tribes only. Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh have already received their inheritance east of the Jordan (chapter 32).
Leaders for Land Division (vv.16-29): God appoints the overseers: — Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun (overall authority) — One chief per tribe: Caleb (Judah), Shemuel (Simeon), Elidad (Benjamin), Bukki (Dan), Hanniel (Manasseh), Kemuel (Ephraim), Elizaphan (Zebulun), Paltiel (Issachar), Ahihud (Asher), Pedahel (Naphtali). Note: The tribes are listed roughly south-to-north — the order of their eventual settlement in the land. Caleb's inclusion is significant: the faithful spy of chapter 13 now oversees the distribution he believed in 40 years earlier.

Map & Geography

  • The borders of the Promised Land defined: South — Wilderness of Zin along Edom, from the Dead Sea to the Brook of Egypt. West — the Great Sea (Mediterranean). North — from the Great Sea to Mount Hor (Lebanon), to Lebo-hamath, to Zedad, Ziphron, Hazar-enan. East — from Hazar-enan to Shepham, down to the Sea of Chinnereth (Galilee), along the Jordan to the Dead Sea.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes that God's promises are specific, not vague. The borders are defined — God knows exactly what He is giving. He notes that Israel never fully occupied these boundaries until Solomon, and even then only briefly. The full realization awaits the Messianic Kingdom.
  • Charles Spurgeon: "God draws the borders of your inheritance. Not one acre more, not one acre less than He intends. Your portion is measured by divine wisdom, bounded by divine love, and secured by divine power. You need not covet your neighbor's field — your lot is fallen in pleasant places. And mark this: Caleb, who believed God forty years ago when all others doubted, now stands as overseer of the distribution. Faith is never wasted. What you trusted God for in your youth, you will see fulfilled in your age."

Videos

The Bible Project — Numbers Overview

Reflection

  • 1. God draws the borders (vv.1-12). Your inheritance is defined by God — not too much, not too little. He knows exactly what He has allotted to you. Rest in His wisdom rather than coveting another's portion. "The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places" (Psalm 16:6).
  • 2. Specific promises, not vague hopes (v.12). God does not say "somewhere nice" — He gives coordinates. His promises to you are equally specific: eternal life, the Holy Spirit, daily provision, ultimate glorification. These are not wishes but guarantees with defined boundaries.
  • 3. Caleb at the table (v.19). Forty years of waiting, and now Caleb oversees the distribution. Faithfulness is vindicated — not always quickly, but always certainly. If you trusted God when others doubted, your vindication is coming.
  • 4. The land "falls" to them (v.2). The Hebrew verb for lot-casting — it "falls." You do not seize your inheritance; it falls to you by God's sovereign choice. Your place in God's plan is not earned but given.
  • 5. Israel never fully occupied these borders. God's grant was generous — Israel's obedience was partial. How much of what God has promised you remains unclaimed because of incomplete obedience or insufficient faith?
  • 6. Leaders appointed for distribution (vv.17-28). God provides structure for receiving His gifts. Inheritance requires administration — leaders who ensure fairness and order. God's generosity works through human organization.