# Numbers 34 📖: The Boundaries of Canaan
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#💬 Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#📂 Internal Notes]]
## 📜 Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### Boundaries of the Land
[[#Verse 01.]] Then the Lord spoke to Moses:
[[#Verse 02.]] “Give these instructions to the Israelites, and tell them: ‘When you enter Canaan, the land that has been assigned to you as an inheritance, the land of Canaan with its borders,
[[#Verse 03.]] your southern border 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,
[[#Verse 04.]] and then the border will turn from the south to the Scorpion Ascent, continue to Zin, and then its direction will be from the south to Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and pass over to Azmon.
[[#Verse 05.]] There the border will turn from Azmon to the Stream of Egypt, and then its direction is to the sea.
[[#Verse 06.]] “‘And for a western border you will have the Great Sea. This will be your western border.
[[#Verse 07.]] “‘And this will be your northern border: From the Great Sea you will draw a line to Mount Hor;
[[#Verse 08.]] from Mount Hor you will draw a line to Lebo Hamath, and the direction of the border will be to Zedad.
[[#Verse 09.]] The border will continue to Ziphron, and its direction will be to Hazar Enan. This will be your northern border.
[[#Verse 10.]] “‘For your eastern border you will draw a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham.
[[#Verse 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.
[[#Verse 12.]] Then the border will continue down the Jordan River and its direction will be to the Salt Sea. This will be your land by its borders that surround it.’”
[[#Verse 13.]] Then Moses commanded the Israelites: “This is the land that you will inherit by lot, which the Lord has commanded to be given to the nine-and-a-half tribes,
[[#Verse 14.]] because the tribe of the Reubenites by their families, the tribe of the Gadites by their families, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.
[[#Verse 15.]] The two-and-a-half tribes have received their inheritance on this side of the Jordan, east of Jericho, toward the sunrise.”
### Leaders to Divide the Land
[[#Verse 16.]] The Lord said to Moses:
[[#Verse 17.]] “These are the names of the men who are to allocate the land to you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun.
[[# verser 17]] “Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun are the men designated to divide the grants of land among the people.
[[#Verse 18.]] You must take one leader from every tribe to assist in allocating the land as an inheritance.
[[#Verse 19.]] These are the names of the men: from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh;
[[#Verse 20.]] from the tribe of the Simeonites, Shemuel son of Ammihud;
[[#Verse 21.]] from the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad son of Kislon;
[[#Verse 22.]] and from the tribe of the Danites, a leader, Bukki son of Jogli.
[[#Verse 23.]] From the Josephites, Hanniel son of Ephod, a leader from the tribe of Manasseh;
[[#Verse 24.]] from the tribe of the Ephraimites, a leader, Kemuel son of Shiphtan;
[[#Verse 25.]] from the tribe of the Zebulunites, a leader, Elizaphan son of Parnach;
[[#Verse 26.]] from the tribe of the Issacharites, a leader, Paltiel son of Azzan;
[[#Verse 27.]] from the tribe of the Asherites, a leader, Ahihud son of Shelomi;
[[#Verse 28.]] and from the tribe of the Naphtalites, a leader, Pedahel son of Ammihud.”
| Tribe | Leader |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| Judah | Caleb son of Jephunneh |
| 20 Simeon | Shemuel son of Ammihud |
| 21 Benjamin | Elidad son of Kislon |
| 22 Dan | Bukki son of Jogli |
| 23 Manasseh son of Joseph | Hanniel son of Ephod |
| 24 Ephraim son of Joseph | Kemuel son of Shiphtan |
| 25 Zebulun | Elizaphan son of Parnach |
| 26 Issachar | Paltiel son of Azzan |
| 27 Asher | Ahihud son of Shelomi |
| 28 Naphtali | Pedahel son of Ammihud |
[[#Verse 29.]] These are the ones whom the Lord commanded to divide up the inheritance among the Israelites in the land of Canaan.
## 📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary
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## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. The southern border ran from the wilderness of Zin past Kadesh Barnea to the Wadi of Egypt (34:3-5).
2. The western border was the Great Sea, the Mediterranean (34:6).
3. The northern border reached Mount Hor and Lebo-hamath (34:7-8). This Mount Hor is different from where Aaron died.
4. The eastern border ran along the Sea of Kinnereth (the Sea of Galilee) and the Jordan to the Salt Sea (34:11-12).
5. The Salt Sea is the Dead Sea, the lowest place on land on earth.
6. The land was divided among nine and a half tribes, since two and a half settled east of the Jordan (34:13-15).
7. Eleazar the priest and Joshua led the division (34:17).
8. Caleb son of Jephunneh represented Judah (34:19).
9. Israel's borders came closest to these boundaries during the reigns of David and Solomon (1 Kings 8:65).
10. Of the ten tribal leaders named (34:19-28), only Caleb had also been one of the twelve spies.
## 🧠 Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the One who gives us an inheritance with clear boundaries and certain promise. God marked out the borders of Canaan (34:2-12), and in Christ we have an inheritance kept in heaven (1 Peter 1:4) and will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).
## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## 💬 Discussion Questions
1. God described the land in exact detail before Israel ever entered (34:2-12). What does that say about the certainty of His promises?
2. Leaders from every tribe helped divide the land (34:16-29). Why does it matter that every tribe had a voice?
3. Caleb, now an old man, was chosen to represent Judah (34:19). What does his long faithfulness teach you?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- 📖 verse 2: This is the land of Canaan that will be your inheritance.
- 📖 verse 13: Divide the land by lot among the nine and a half tribes.
- 📖 verses 17-18: Eleazar, Joshua, and one leader from each tribe will divide the land.
## 🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference
- 🔗 [[Genesis 15#Verse 18.|Genesis 15:18-21]] - God promises the land to Abraham.
- 🔗 [[Joshua 14#Verse 01.|Joshua 14:1-5]] - Eleazar and Joshua divide the land.
- 🔗 [[Ezekiel 47#Verse 15.|Ezekiel 47:15-20]] - The boundaries of the restored land.
- 🔗 [[Matthew 05#Verse 05.|Matthew 5:5]] - The meek will inherit the earth.
- 🔗 [[1 Peter 01#Verse 04.|1 Peter 1:4]] - An inheritance kept in heaven.
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## 📂 Internal Notes