Numbers 34:1-15
New English Translation
The Southern Border of the Land
34 [a] Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “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, 3 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, 4 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. 5 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
6 “‘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
7 “‘And this will be your northern border: From the Great Sea you will draw a line to Mount Hor; 8 from Mount Hor you will draw a line to Lebo Hamath,[j] and the direction of the border will be to Zedad. 9 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 chapterFootnotes
- 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).
- Numbers 34:2 tn Or “command.”
- Numbers 34:2 tn Heb “this is the land that will fall to you as an inheritance.”
- Numbers 34:3 tn The expression refers to the corner or extremity of the Negev, the South.
- Numbers 34:4 tn Or “the Ascent of Scorpions” (עַקְרַבִּים [ʿaqrabbim] means “scorpions” in Hebrew).
- Numbers 34:4 tn Heb “its going forth,” or the way it runs.
- Numbers 34:5 sn That is, the Mediterranean.
- Numbers 34:6 tn The word for west is simply “sea,” because the sea is west of Israel.
- Numbers 34:6 sn That is, the Mediterranean Sea (also in the following verse).
- Numbers 34:8 tn Or “to the entrance to Hamath.”
- 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.
- Numbers 34:12 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
- 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.
- Numbers 34:14 tn Heb “the house of their fathers.” So also a little later in this verse.
Numbers 34:1-15
Expanded Bible
The Borders of Canaan
34 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Give this command to the ·people [L sons/T children] of Israel: ‘You will soon enter Canaan and ·it will be yours. These shall be the borders [L …this is the land that will fall to you as an inheritance, the land of Canaan according to its borders/boundaries]: 3 On the south you will get part of the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Zin near the border of Edom. On the east side your southern border will start at the south end of the ·Dead [L Salt] Sea, 4 cross south of ·Scorpion Pass [or the Ascent of Akrabbim], and go through the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Zin and south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon. 5 From Azmon it will go to the ·brook [wadi] of Egypt, and it will end at the ·Mediterranean Sea [L Sea].
6 “‘Your western border will be the ·Mediterranean [L Great] Sea.
7 “‘Your northern border will begin at the ·Mediterranean [L Great] Sea and ·go [L mark/draw a line] to Mount Hor. 8 From Mount Hor ·it will go [L mark/draw a line] to Lebo Hamath, and on to Zedad. 9 Then the border will go to Ziphron, and it will end at Hazar Enan. This will be your northern border.
10 “‘Your eastern border will begin at Hazar Enan and ·go [L mark/draw a line] to Shepham. 11 From Shepham the border will go ·east of [L down to] Ain to Riblah and ·along [L go down to] the hills east of ·Lake [T the Sea of] ·Galilee [L Kinnereth]. 12 Then the border will go down along the Jordan River and end at the ·Dead [L Salt] Sea.
“‘These are the borders around your country.’”
13 So Moses gave this command to the Israelites: “This is the land you will ·receive [L inherit]. Throw lots [C perhaps the Urim and Thummim; Ex. 28:30; Lev. 8:8] to divide it among the nine and one-half tribes, because the Lord commanded that it should be theirs. 14 The tribes of ·Reuben [L the sons/descendants of Reuben] by their families [clans], ·Gad [L the sons/descendants of Gad] by their families [clans], and ·East [L the half-tribe of] Manasseh have already ·received [L inherited] their land. 15 These two and one-half tribes received ·land [L their inheritance] east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho [32:1–42].”
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