Numbers 34

King James Version

Full text for Numbers Chapter 34

1¶ And 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 Kadeshbarnea, and shall go on to Hazaraddar, 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 Hazarenan: this shall be your north border.

10And ye shall point out your east border from Hazarenan 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.

16¶ And 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

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.

Medium Summary

Numbers chapter 34 outlines the divinely ordained boundaries for the land of Canaan, intended as the inheritance for the tribes of Israel. The southern border extended from the wilderness of Zin to the Salt Sea and the River of Egypt, while the Great Sea formed the western boundary. To the north, the border stretched from Mount Hor to Hazarenan, and the eastern boundary ran from Hazarenan down to the Jordan River and the Salt Sea. This specified territory was for the nine and a half tribes, as Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh had already received their inheritance east of the Jordan. The chapter concludes by listing Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and a designated prince from each of the remaining tribes as the appointed individuals responsible for overseeing the equitable division of the land by lot.

Long Summary

In Numbers chapter 34, the LORD instructs Moses to declare the precise geographical boundaries of the land of Canaan, which was designated as the inheritance for the children of Israel. The southern border was meticulously defined, beginning from the wilderness of Zin, extending along the coast of Edom, reaching the Salt Sea eastward, and then turning towards the ascent of Akrabbim, Kadeshbarnea, and ultimately the River of Egypt, with its outlet at the Great Sea. The western border was simply the Great Sea itself. For the northern boundary, it was marked from the Great Sea to Mount Hor, then to the entrance of Hamath, continuing to Zedad, Ziphron, and concluding at Hazarenan. The eastern border commenced from Hazarenan, proceeded to Shepham, descended to Riblah near Ain, reached the Sea of Chinnereth eastward, and finally went down to the Jordan River, ending at the Salt Sea. Moses then reiterated that this was the land to be inherited by lot for the nine tribes and the half tribe, as the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the other half of Manasseh had already received their portions on the east side of Jordan, near Jericho. The LORD further commanded the appointment of specific individuals to oversee this crucial division of the land. Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun were named as the primary leaders. Additionally, one prince was to be chosen from each of the remaining tribes—Judah, Simeon, Benjamin, Dan, Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali—to assist in the equitable distribution of the inheritance within the land of Canaan.

Core Concepts

  • Land InheritanceThe core theme, detailing the specific territory God commanded to be given to the children of Israel as their perpetual possession in Canaan.
  • Defined BordersThe precise geographical delineation of Canaan's boundaries, including its southern, western, northern, and eastern limits, using specific landmarks and bodies of water.
  • Tribal AllotmentThe method by which the land was to be distributed, specifically by lot, ensuring a fair division among the nine and a half tribes yet to receive their inheritance.
  • Appointed LeadersThe designation of Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and a prince from each tribe to oversee and execute the equitable division of the land.
  • Transjordanian SettlementThe clarification that the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh had already received their inheritance east of the Jordan River, thus excluding them from the current land division.