Add parallel Print Page Options

The Southern Border of the Land

34 [a] Then the Lord spoke to Moses: “Give these instructions[b] to the Israelites, and tell them: ‘When you enter Canaan, the land that has been assigned to you as an inheritance,[c] the land of Canaan with its borders, your southern border[d] 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, and then the border will turn from the south to the Scorpion Ascent,[e] continue to Zin, and then its direction[f] will be from the south to Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and pass over to Azmon. There the border will turn from Azmon to the Stream of Egypt, and then its direction is to the sea.[g]

The Western Border of the Land

“‘And for a western border[h] you will have the Great Sea.[i] This will be your western border.

The Northern Border of the Land

“‘And this will be your northern border: From the Great Sea you will draw a line to Mount Hor; from Mount Hor you will draw a line to Lebo Hamath,[j] and the direction of the border will be to Zedad. The border will continue to Ziphron, and its direction will be to Hazar Enan. This will be your northern border.

The Eastern Border of the Land

10 “‘For your eastern border you will draw a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. 11 The 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.[k] 12 Then the border will continue down the Jordan River[l] and its direction will be to the Salt Sea. This will be your land by its borders that surround it.’”

13 Then Moses commanded the Israelites: “This is the land that you will inherit by lot, which the Lord has commanded to be given[m] to the nine-and-a-half tribes, 14 because the tribe of the Reubenites by their families,[n] the tribe of the Gadites by their families, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance. 15 The two-and-a-half tribes have received their inheritance on this side of the Jordan, east of Jericho, toward the sunrise.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 34:1 sn This chapter falls into several sections: the south (vv. 1-5), the west (v. 6), the north (vv. 7-9), the east (vv. 10-15), and then a list of appointed officials (vv. 16-29).
  2. Numbers 34:2 tn Or “command.”
  3. Numbers 34:2 tn Heb “this is the land that will fall to you as an inheritance.”
  4. Numbers 34:3 tn The expression refers to the corner or extremity of the Negev, the South.
  5. Numbers 34:4 tn Or “the Ascent of Scorpions” (עַקְרַבִּים [ʿaqrabbim] means “scorpions” in Hebrew).
  6. Numbers 34:4 tn Heb “its going forth,” or the way it runs.
  7. Numbers 34:5 sn That is, the Mediterranean.
  8. Numbers 34:6 tn The word for west is simply “sea,” because the sea is west of Israel.
  9. Numbers 34:6 sn That is, the Mediterranean Sea (also in the following verse).
  10. Numbers 34:8 tn Or “to the entrance to Hamath.”
  11. Numbers 34:11 tn Or “the Sea of Galilee” (so NLT); NCV, TEV, CEV “Lake Galilee.”sn The word means “harp.” The lake (or sea) of Galilee was so named because it is shaped somewhat like a harp.
  12. Numbers 34:12 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  13. Numbers 34:13 tn The infinitive forms the direct object of what the Lord commanded. It actually means “to give,” but without an expressed subject may be made passive.
  14. Numbers 34:14 tn Heb “the house of their fathers.” So also a little later in this verse.

Instruction for Apportioning Canaan

34 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter (A)the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance, that is, the land of Canaan according to its borders. (B)Your southern region shall [a]extend from the wilderness of Zin along the side of Edom, and your southern border shall [b]extend from the end of the Salt Sea (C)eastward. Then your border shall change direction from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim and [c]continue to Zin, and its [d]termination shall be to the south of (D)Kadesh-barnea; and it shall [e]reach Hazaraddar and [f]continue to Azmon. Then the border shall change direction from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and its termination shall be at (E)the sea.

‘As for the western border, you shall have the Great Sea, that is, its [g]coastline; this shall be your western border.

(F)And this shall be your northern border: you shall draw your boundary from the Great Sea to Mount Hor. You shall draw a boundary from Mount Hor to (G)the [h]Lebo-hamath, and the termination of the border shall be at Zedad; and the border shall proceed to Ziphron, and its termination shall be at Hazar-enan. This shall be your northern border.

10 ‘For your eastern border you shall also draw a boundary from Hazar-enan to Shepham, 11 and the border shall go down from Shepham to (H)Riblah on the east side of Ain; and the border shall go down and reach to the slope on the east side of the Sea of (I)Chinnereth. 12 And the border shall go down to the Jordan, and its termination shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to its borders on all sides.’”

13 So Moses commanded the sons of Israel, saying, “(J)This is the land that you are to possess by lot, which the Lord has commanded to give to the nine and a half tribes. 14 (K)For the tribe of the sons of Reuben have received theirs according to their fathers’ households, and the tribe of the sons of Gad according to their fathers’ households, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their possession. 15 The two and a half tribes have received their possession across the Jordan opposite Jericho, eastward toward the sunrise.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 34:3 Lit be
  2. Numbers 34:3 Lit be
  3. Numbers 34:4 Lit pass along
  4. Numbers 34:4 Lit exits, and so throughout the ch
  5. Numbers 34:4 Lit go forth to
  6. Numbers 34:4 Lit pass along
  7. Numbers 34:6 Lit border
  8. Numbers 34:8 Or entrance of Hamath

Boundaries of Canaan

34 The Lord said to Moses, “Command the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter Canaan,(A) the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance(B) is to have these boundaries:(C)

“‘Your southern side will include some of the Desert of Zin(D) along the border of Edom. Your southern boundary will start in the east from the southern end of the Dead Sea,(E) cross south of Scorpion Pass,(F) continue on to Zin and go south of Kadesh Barnea.(G) Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon,(H) where it will turn, join the Wadi of Egypt(I) and end at the Mediterranean Sea.

“‘Your western boundary will be the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.(J) This will be your boundary on the west.(K)

“‘For your northern boundary,(L) run a line from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor(M) and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath.(N) Then the boundary will go to Zedad, continue to Ziphron and end at Hazar Enan. This will be your boundary on the north.

10 “‘For your eastern boundary,(O) run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. 11 The boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah(P) on the east side of Ain(Q) and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Galilee.[a](R) 12 Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea.

“‘This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.’”

13 Moses commanded the Israelites: “Assign this land by lot(S) as an inheritance.(T) The Lord has ordered that it be given to the nine and a half tribes, 14 because the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.(U) 15 These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance east of the Jordan across from Jericho, toward the sunrise.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 34:11 Hebrew Kinnereth