Numbers - Chapter 34

Numbers 34.1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Numbers 34.2 Command 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:) Numbers 34.3 Then 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: Numbers 34.4 And 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: Numbers 34.5 And the border shall fetch a compass from Azmon unto the river of Egypt, and the goings out of it shall be at the sea. Numbers 34.6 And as for the western border, ye shall even have the great sea for a border: this shall be your west border. Numbers 34.7 And this shall be your north border: from the great sea ye shall point out for you mount Hor: Numbers 34.8 From mount Hor ye shall point out your border unto the entrance of Hamath; and the goings forth of the border shall be to Zedad: Numbers 34.9 And the border shall go on to Ziphron, and the goings out of it shall be at Hazarenan: this shall be your north border. Numbers 34.10 And ye shall point out your east border from Hazarenan to Shepham: Numbers 34.11 And 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: Numbers 34.12 And 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. Numbers 34.13 And 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: Numbers 34.14 For 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: Numbers 34.15 The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance on this side Jordan near Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising. Numbers 34.16 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Numbers 34.17 These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun. Numbers 34.18 And ye shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land by inheritance. Numbers 34.19 And the names of the men are these: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. Numbers 34.20 And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud. Numbers 34.21 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. Numbers 34.22 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli. Numbers 34.23 The prince of the children of Joseph, for the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod. Numbers 34.24 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. Numbers 34.25 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. Numbers 34.26 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan. Numbers 34.27 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. Numbers 34.28 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud. Numbers 34.29 These are they whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance unto the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.

Numbers : Chapter 34

The Boundaries of the Promised Land according to Numbers 34

Numbers chapter 34 precisely defines the boundaries of the Promised Land. This pivotal passage asks us: how does God establish the inheritance of his people? By describing the boundaries of Canaan, this geographical text highlights the leaders responsible for dividing the land, while also addressing fundamental themes such as divine promise, spiritual inheritance, and territorial organization.

Numbers 34 prepares Israel for its new life in the Promised Land. Through a meditation on five biblical passages, we will examine the territorial themes that structure this crucial chapter.

1. Joshua 1:4

"Their territory shall extend from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the great river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea westward." This verse illustrates the boundaries of the Promised Land, which are carefully detailed in Numbers 34, thus affirming the importance of divine boundaries.

2. Ezekiel 47:13

"This is what the Sovereign Lord says: 'These are the boundaries by which you shall divide the land as an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel, with two portions for Joseph.'" In this passage, Ezekiel evokes the division of the land, echoing what is prescribed in Numbers 34, emphasizing God's will in the allocation of inheritances.

3. Psalms 78:55

"He drove out the nations before them and gave them their land as an inheritance; and they settled the tribes of Israel in their tents." This psalm echoes the conquest and division of the land, central themes also addressed in Numbers 34, recalling divine action in the history of Israel.

4. Deuteronomy 32:8

"When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he established boundaries between the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel." Moses here evokes the division of nations, which is closely linked to that of the earth in Numbers 34, demonstrating God's wisdom in structuring the world.

5. Acts 17:26

"He created all peoples from one, to populate the whole earth, after determining the times and the places where they were to live." In this verse, Paul emphasizes God's sovereignty in determining the people's dwellings, in direct relation to the division of the earth as described in Numbers 34.

Meditating on these passages, we become aware of the importance of the boundaries established by God and the inheritance He has reserved for His people. May this reflection guide us in our understanding of God's promise and our place within His plan. Amen.