Numbers 34

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “ Command the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, it will be allotted to you as an inheritance with these boundaries: 3 Your southern border will extend from the Wilderness of Zin along the border of Edom. On the east, your southern border will run from the end of the Salt Sea, 4 cross south of the Ascent of Akrabbim, continue to Zin, and go south of Kadesh-barnea. Then it will go on to Hazar-addar and proceed to Azmon, 5 where it will turn from Azmon, join the Brook of Egypt, and end at the Sea. 6 Your western border will be the coastline of the Great Sea; this will be your boundary on the west. 7 Your northern border will run from the Great Sea directly to Mount Hor, 8 and from Mount Hor to Lebo-hamath, then extend to Zedad, 9 continue to Ziphron, and end at Hazar-enan. This will be your boundary on the north. 10 And your eastern border will run straight from Hazar-enan to Shepham, 11 then go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Chinnereth. 12 Then the border will go down along the Jordan and end at the Salt Sea. This will be your land, defined by its borders on all sides.” 13 So Moses commanded the Israelites, “ Apportion this land by lot as an inheritance. The LORD has commanded that it be given to the nine and a half tribes. 14 For the tribes of the Reubenites and Gadites, along with the half-tribe of Manasseh, have already received their inheritance. 15 These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance across the Jordan from Jericho, toward the sunrise.” Leaders to Divide the Land 16 Then the LORD said to Moses, 17 “These are the names of the men who are to assign the land as an inheritance for you: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun. 18 Appoint one leader from each tribe to distribute the land. 19 These are their names: Caleb son of Jephunneh from the tribe of Judah; 20 Shemuel son of Ammihud from the tribe of Simeon; 21 Elidad son of Chislon from the tribe of Benjamin; 22 Bukki son of Jogli, a leader from the tribe of Dan; 23 Hanniel son of Ephod, a leader from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph; 24 Kemuel son of Shiphtan, a leader from the tribe of Ephraim; 25 Eli-zaphan son of Parnach, a leader from the tribe of Zebulun; 26 Paltiel son of Azzan, a leader from the tribe of Issachar; 27 Ahihud son of Shelomi, a leader from the tribe of Asher; 28 and Pedahel son of Ammihud, a leader from the tribe of Naphtali.” 29 These are the ones whom the LORD commanded to apportion the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.

✦ What the text says

## Summary Numbers 34 records Yahweh's instructions to Moses about the borders of the land of Canaan that Israel is to receive as an inheritance, followed by the appointment of specific leaders — Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and one leader from each tribe — to oversee the actual division of the territory among the nine and a half tribes not yet settled east of the Jordan. ## Key words - *gevul* ("border", H1366G) — recurs as a masculine singular noun throughout vv.2–12, marking each segment of the perimeter description; often used in construct ("border of...") to link directions or place names. - *nachalah* ("inheritance", H5159) — feminine singular noun describing the land as an allotted possession, distinct from land simply conquered or occupied. - *goral* ("lot", H1486) in v.13 — indicates the method (casting lots) by which the land is to be distributed among tribes. - *tzavah* ("to command", H6680) — piel verb appearing in vv.1, 2, 13, 29, framing the whole chapter as a chain of divine commands transmitted through Moses. - *nasi'* ("leader", H5387A) — masculine singular noun designating the tribal representatives named in vv.18–28, each paired with *echad* ("one", H0259) to stress one leader per tribe. ## What the text says The chapter divides structurally into two commands introduced by the formula *vayedabber Yahweh el-Moshe le'mor* ("and Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying," H1696G/H0559): first the boundary description (vv.2–12), then the appointment of land-dividing officials (vv.16–29). The boundary section uses a repetitive verbal pattern of sequential perfects (*ve-hayah*, *ve-yatza'*, *ve-yarad*, *ve-avar*) that in Hebrew narrative syntax expresses a continuous chain of future events — the border "will be," "will go out," "will go down," "will pass over" — creating the effect of tracing a line on a map through consecutive verbal clauses rather than static description. Verse 13 shifts to a summary statement using *titnachalu* ("you will inherit," H5157, hithpael imperfect), a reflexive/reciprocal stem suggesting the tribes are to "inherit for themselves," reinforced by *begoral* ("by lot"). Verses 14–15 explain retrospectively (*ki* — "for," H3588A) why only nine and a half tribes remain to divide western Canaan: Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasse

This explanation describes the text using linguistic data; it adds no doctrine or confessional interpretation.