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Boundaries of the land of Canaan

34 The Lord said to Moses: Command the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, this is the land that will fall to you as an inheritance. The land of Canaan according to its boundaries:

Your southern boundary extends from the Zin desert alongside Edom. Your southern border extends from the edge of the Dead Sea on the east. Your border will turn south of the ascent of Akrabbim and cross toward Zin. Its limit will be south of Kadesh-barnea. It will go out to Hazar-addar and cross toward Azmon. The border will then turn from Azmon to the Egypt ravine. Its limit will be at the Mediterranean Sea.

Your western border will be the Mediterranean Sea. This will be your western border.

This will be your northern border: From the Mediterranean Sea you will mark out your boundary to Mount Hor. From Mount Hor you will mark out your boundary to Lebo-hamath. The limit of the border will be Zedad. The border will go out to Ziphron. Its limit will be Hazar-enan. This will be your northern border.

10 You will mark out your eastern border from Hazar-enan to Shepham. 11 The border will descend from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain. The border will go down and meet the eastern slope of the Galilee Sea. 12 The border will descend to the Jordan. Its limit will be the Dead Sea.

This will be your land with its borders all around.

13 Moses commanded the Israelites: This is the land that you will inherit by lot, which the Lord has commanded to give to the nine and a half tribes, 14 because the tribe of Reuben by their households and the tribe of Gad by their households, and half the tribe of Manasseh have taken their inheritance. 15 The two and a half tribes have taken their inheritance across the Jordan at Jericho toward the east.

Appointment of leaders to assign the inheritance

16 The Lord spoke to Moses: 17 These are the names of the men who will assign the inheritance of the land: Eleazar the priest and Joshua, Nun’s son. 18 You will also take one chief from each tribe to apportion the land. 19 These are the names of the men: from the tribe of Judah, Caleb, Jephunneh’s son; 20 from the tribe of the Simeonites, Shemuel, Ammihud’s son; 21 from the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad, Chislon’s son; 22 from the tribe of the Danites, a chief, Bukki, Jogli’s son; 23 from Joseph’s descendants: of the tribe of the Manassites, a chief, Hanniel, Ephod’s son; 24 and from the tribe of the Ephraimites, a chief, Kemuel, Shiphtan’s son; 25 from the tribe of the Zebulunites, a chief, Elizaphan, Parnach’s son; 26 from the tribe of the Issacharites, a chief, Paltiel, Azzan’s son; 27 from the tribe of the Asherites, a chief, Ahihud, Shelomi’s son; 28 from the tribe of the Naphtalites, a chief, Pedahel, Ammihud’s son.

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

Aaron is now dead, and Moses is given the final instructions about the division of the land. Even knowing he will not enter the land, Moses doesn’t whine or step back from leadership. He continues following God until the nation is about to cross through the waters of the Jordan and begin their new adventure, realizing God’s destiny for themselves, because he is the faithful servant of God even when he knows there will be no reward.

34 The Eternal One spoke to Moses.

Eternal One (to Moses): Command the Israelites, “This is the exact territory you should take, as promised to you by Me for an inheritance throughout the succeeding generations—the entire land of Canaan. The southern part runs from the Zin Wilderness along the border with Edom. The southern boundary begins at the end of the Dead Sea[a] on the east, turns south of the Akrabbim highlands, and crosses over to Zin. Its far end is south of Kadesh-barnea, over to Hazar-addar, across to Azmon, and from there to the Egyptian Wadi straight out to the great Mediterranean Sea. This great sea will be your western boundary. At the northern end, make a line from the great Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor, then to Lebo-hamath, and up to Zedad. Your territory will be south of Ziphron and Hazar-enan. All that makes up your northern boundary. 10 As for the east, mark your boundary from Hazar-enan to Shepham, 11 down to Riblah (east of Ain), follow the eastern slope of the Sea of Chinnereth, 12 and down the Jordan River all the way to the Dead Sea.[b] That’s it. Those are the boundaries of your promised land.”

Moses (to the Israelites): 13 Exactly which parts of it go to which family shall be determined finally by lot. That is, at least, for the nine remaining tribes and for Ephraim, the other half of the Joseph tribe. 14-15 The extended families of Gadites, Reubenites, and Manassehites (from Joseph’s line) have already gotten their land on this eastern side of the Jordan River.

16 Again the Eternal One spoke to Moses.

Eternal One: 17 The priest Eleazar and Joshua (Nun’s son) shall have the honor of assigning the territories that will henceforth be each one’s ancestral land. 18 One from each of the tribes will then execute these directions. 19 Those men are: for Judah—Caleb (Jephunneh’s son); 20 for Simeon—Shemuel (Ammihud’s son); 21 for Benjamin—Elidad (Chislon’s son); 22 for the Danites—Bukki (Jogli’s son); 23 out of the greater Joseph family, for the Manassehites—Hanniel (Ephod’s son), 24 and for the Ephraimites—Kemuel (Shiphtan’s son); 25 for Zebulun—Elizaphan (Parnach’s son); 26 for Issachar—Paltiel (Azzan’s son); 27 for Asher—Ahihud (Shelomi’s son); 28 and for Naphtali—Pedahel (Ammihud’s son).

29 These are the men whom the Eternal One determined should head up the process of dividing the Canaanite land among the Israelites.

Footnotes

  1. 34:3 Literally, Sea of Salt
  2. 34:12 Literally, Sea of Salt

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.”

16 The Lord said to Moses, 17 “These are the names of the men who are to assign the land for you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua(V) son of Nun. 18 And appoint one leader from each tribe to help(W) assign the land.(X) 19 These are their names:(Y)

Caleb(Z) son of Jephunneh,

from the tribe of Judah;(AA)

20 Shemuel son of Ammihud,

from the tribe of Simeon;(AB)

21 Elidad son of Kislon,

from the tribe of Benjamin;(AC)

22 Bukki son of Jogli,

the leader from the tribe of Dan;

23 Hanniel son of Ephod,

the leader from the tribe of Manasseh(AD) son of Joseph;

24 Kemuel son of Shiphtan,

the leader from the tribe of Ephraim(AE) son of Joseph;

25 Elizaphan son of Parnak,

the leader from the tribe of Zebulun;(AF)

26 Paltiel son of Azzan,

the leader from the tribe of Issachar;

27 Ahihud son of Shelomi,

the leader from the tribe of Asher;(AG)

28 Pedahel son of Ammihud,

the leader from the tribe of Naphtali.”

29 These are the men the Lord commanded to assign the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.(AH)

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 34:11 Hebrew Kinnereth