Numbers 34

Boundaries of the Promised Land

1 The Lord spoke 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  * 34:2 Lit inheritance — the land of Canaan with these borders:

3 Your southern side will be from the Wilderness of Zin along the boundary of Edom. Your southern border on the east will begin at the east end of the Dead Sea. 4 Your border will turn south of the Scorpions’ Ascent,  * 34:4 Lit of Scorpions; Jos 15:3; Jdg 1:36 proceed to Zin, and end south of Kadesh-barnea. It will go to Hazar-addar and proceed to Azmon.  * 34:4 Jos 15:3; Jdg 1:365 The border will turn from Azmon  * 34:4–5 Jos 15:4 to the Brook of Egypt,  * 34:5 Jos 15:47; Is 27:12; Ezk 47:19 where it will end at the Mediterranean Sea.

6 Your western border will be the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea; this will be your western border.

7 This will be your northern border: From the Mediterranean Sea draw a line to Mount Hor;  * 34:7 Nm 20:22–28; 33:37–568 from Mount Hor draw a line to the entrance of Hamath,  * 34:8 Or to Lebo-hamath,* 34:8 Nm 13:21; 2Kg 14:25; 2Ch 7:8; Ezk 48:1 and the border will reach Zedad.  * 34:8 Ezk 47:159 Then the border will go to Ziphron and end at Hazar-enan.  * 34:9 Ezk 47:17; 48:1 This will be your northern border.

10 For your eastern border, draw a line from Hazar-enan to Shepham. 11 The border will go down from Shepham to Riblah east of Ain.  * 34:11 Jos 15:32 It will continue down and reach the eastern slope of the Sea of Chinnereth.  * 34:11 = the Sea of Galilee; Jos 12:3; 13:27; Lk 5:1,* 34:11 Jos 12:3; 13:27; Lk 5:112 Then the border will go down to the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea. This will be your land defined by its borders on all sides."

13 So Moses commanded the Israelites, "This is the land you are to receive by lot as an inheritance, which the Lord commanded to be given to the nine and a half tribes. 14 For the tribe of Reuben’s descendants and the tribe of Gad’s descendants have received their inheritance according to their ancestral families,  * 34:14 Lit the house of their fathers and half the tribe of Manasseh has received its inheritance. 15 The two and a half tribes have received their inheritance  * 34:15 Nm 32:33 across the Jordan east of Jericho, toward the sunrise."

Leaders for Distributing the Land

16 The Lord spoke to Moses, 17 "These are the names of the men who are to distribute the land as an inheritance for you: the priest Eleazar and Joshua son of Nun. 18 Take one leader from each tribe to distribute the land. 19 These are the names of the men:

Caleb  * 34:19 Nm 14:6,24,30,38; 26:65 son of Jephunneh from the tribe of Judah;

20 Shemuel son of Ammihud from the tribe of Simeon’s descendants;

21 Elidad son of Chislon from the tribe of Benjamin;

22 Bukki son of Jogli, a leader from the tribe of Dan’s descendants;

23 from the sons of Joseph:

Hanniel son of Ephod, a leader from the tribe of Manasseh’s descendants,

24 Kemuel son of Shiphtan, a leader from the tribe of Ephraim’s descendants;

25 Eli-zaphan son of Parnach, a leader from the tribe of Zebulun’s descendants;

26 Paltiel son of Azzan, a leader from the tribe of Issachar’s descendants;

27 Ahihud son of Shelomi, a leader from the tribe of Asher’s descendants;

28 Pedahel son of Ammihud, a leader from the tribe of Naphtali’s descendants."

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