Numbers 34

Near the end of the book of Numbers, this chapter is set while Israel is encamped on the plains of Moab, about to enter Canaan. The preceding chapter, Numbers 33, reviews the journey since the departure from Egypt and commands the people to drive out the inhabitants of the land. This chapter goes on to define the extent of the land to be possessed and the method by which it is to be distributed.

Outline

• Verses 1–5 The LORD sets the southern boundary of the land of Canaan. It begins at the end of the Salt Sea (the Dead Sea), passes through the Wilderness of Zin and Kadesh-barnea, and reaches the river of Egypt and the sea.
• Verse 6 The western boundary is the Great Sea (the Mediterranean).
• Verses 7–9 The northern boundary runs from the Great Sea past Mount Hor, the entrance of Hamath, Zedad, and Ziphron to Hazar-enan.
• Verses 10–12 The eastern boundary runs from Hazar-enan past Shepham, Riblah, and the east side of Chinnereth (the Sea of Galilee), then along the Jordan to the Salt Sea.
• Verses 13–15 This land is to be divided by lot among the nine and a half tribes. The tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance (land held as a hereditary portion) east of the Jordan.
• Verses 16–29 Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun are appointed to divide the land. One leader from each tribe is also named, ten in all.

Key Verses

• Numbers 34:2 "When ye come into the land of Canaan; (this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance" — The land is defined as an inheritance given by God.
• Numbers 34:13 "This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot" — This verse establishes the principle that the distribution is left to the lot rather than to human will.
• Numbers 34:17 "Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun" — The leaders of the next generation are charged with dividing the land.

People and Places

• Moses: Conveys the LORD's commands to the people.
• Eleazar: The son of Aaron and the high priest.
• Joshua: The successor of Moses.
• Caleb: The leader from the tribe of Judah and one of the men who had spied out Canaan. The other nine leaders (Shemuel, Elidad, Bukki, Hanniel, Kemuel, Elizaphan, Paltiel, Ahihud, and Pedahel) appear in Scripture only in this chapter.
• The Salt Sea and the Great Sea: The Dead Sea and the Mediterranean, respectively.
• Mount Hor: A mountain on the northern boundary. It is generally regarded as distinct from the Mount Hor where Aaron died (Numbers 20).
• The Jordan River and Jericho: Reference points for the eastern boundary and for the location of the tribes east of the Jordan.

Points for Reflection

• The boundaries described here do not necessarily correspond to the territory Israel actually ruled. For this reason, many interpreters read them as the ideal extent of the land God promised. They are sometimes compared with the boundary description in Ezekiel 47.
• The present-day locations of most of the place names are uncertain, and scholars propose differing identifications.
• The actual distribution is recorded in Joshua 13–19.
• The New Testament speaks of the inheritance believers will receive as incorruptible and heavenly (1 Peter 1:4). For this reason, the division of the land in this chapter is sometimes preached in connection with the spiritual inheritance of the faithful.