Numbers 34 commentary

Canaan was of small extent; as it is here bounded, it is but about 160 miles in length, and about 50 in breadth; yet this was the country promised to the father of the faithful, and the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground, in which alone, for many ages, God was known. This was the vineyard of the Lord, the garden enclosed; but as it is with gardens and vineyards, the narrowness of the space was made up by the fruitfulness of the soil. Though the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof, yet few know him, and serve him; but those few are happy, because fruitful to God. Also, see how little a share of the world God gives to his own people. Those who have their portion in heaven, have reason to be content with a small pittance of this earth. Yet a little that a righteous man has, having it from the love of God, and with his blessing, is far better and more comfortable than the riches of many wicked. (Nu 34:16-29)

God here appoints men to divide the land to them. So sure must they feel of victory and success while God fought for them, that the persons are named who should be intrusted with the dividing of the land.

1. And the Lord spake unto Moses. God here undertakes the office of a prudent and careful father of a family, in fixing the boundaries of the land on every side, lest their right to posses it should ever be called in question. He begins on the southern side, where it must be observed that the district of Bashan is included in it, and all that the Israelites had acquired before their passage of the Jordan, so that this addition was approved of by God. He extends this part as far as the wilderness of Sin, and the borders of Edom, and brings it round from Kadesh-barnea to Addar, and the passage of Azmon, and, finally, to the stream which washes There has been much discussion amongst the commentators on this point. The conclusion to which Dr. Kitto comes, after due examination of the opposite theory, is, that “the river of Egypt,” when mentioned as a boundary, cannot mean the Nile. “The present ‘river of Egypt’ (he adds) probably denotes a stream which formed the extreme boundary of the country eastward of the Nile, which Egypt, even in these early times, professed to claim, and which derived its name from that circumstance. It was probably not far from El-Arish, to which, under the name of Rhinocorura, it is expressly referred by the Septuagint. That it was a stream somewhere between the southern frontier of Palestine and the Nile we are deeply convinced.” — Illustr. Com., in loco. the city of Rhinocorura, in the immediate vicinity of Egypt; for by “the river of Egypt” the Nile is by no means to be understood, the course of which was not at all in that direction. The southern boundary, therefore, was from the Mediterranean Sea towards Arabia. On the western side the land was washed by the Mediterranean Sea, which is here called “the Great Sea,” in comparison with the Lake of Gennesareth, and the Salt Sea, by which name the Lacus Asphaltires is here meant. The beginning of the northern boundary was the promontory of Hor, for it would not accord to suppose that the mountain is here referred to in which Aaron died, and which was far away, and situated on the opposite side of the land. It extended from hence to Epiphania in Syria, which is called Hamath; for I agree with Jerome in thinking that there were two cities of this name, and it is undoubtedly probable that Antioch is called “Hamath the great” by the Prophet Amos (Amos 6:2,) in comparison with the lesser city here mentioned, the name of which was given it by that wicked and cruel tyrant (Antiochus) Epiphanes; whether, however, the greater Antioch was formerly called Hamath and Riblab, as Jerome states, I leave undecided. It then passed on to Zedad and Ziphron, and its extremity was the village of Enan. The eastern boundary passed from thence through Shephan, Riblah, and Ain, until it reached the Lake of Gennesareth, a lake sufficiently well known, and here called the Sea of Chinnereth. Thus the eastern boundary pointed from Arabia in the direction of Persia, and Babylon was situated to the north-east of it.

13. And Moses commanded the children of Israel. Though this is a repetition, yet it is not a superfluous one; for he contrasts the new allotment of the nine tribes and a half with the former grant; “La donation qui avoit este desia faite de la region de Basan;” the grant which had been already made of the district of Bashan. — Fr. for the exception, which is immediately added, as to the lands beyond Jordan, given to the Reubenites, and Gadites, and half tribe of Manasseh, does not exclude them from their part of the promised inheritance was if they were disinherited, and therefore banished beyond the boundaries prescribed by God — but only from being subject to the casting of lots, because they had by special privilege obtained from their brethren what would else have been included in the common inheritance. Not that this had been revealed from the beginning, but because God in His indulgence had complied with their request, whereby they enlarged the boundaries of the land. And assuredly it would have been absurd that no place should be given them among their brethren in the promised land, as if they were cast off from the family of Abraham. We have lately seen that this part, which seemed to be separated from the others, was included in the limits laid down by God. Moses, therefore, merely wished to declare that what remained was to be divided by lot.

16 And the Lord spake unto Moses. The question here arises, if the Israelites were to divide the land among themselves by lot, wherefore was the authority of the judges required, as if there was anything for them to decide? But if we consider what has been lately shown, that reference was to be had, in the distribution of the land, to the numbers in every tribe, it was requisite for two purposes, — first, that God might show by His decree the districts respectively assigned to them; and, secondly, that their dimensions might be proportionate to the number of their occupants. For the casting of lots was still necessary, because many would have been averse to the sea-coast, or would have preferred the center of the land to its extremities, or would have been unwilling to be banished to the mountains; in short, they would have contended with each other beyond measure in murmurings and strife. On this account the lots were cast, by the decision of which God placed the several tribes in whatever position He pleased, although the judges, together with the High Priest and Joshua, had before divided the land into ten portions. But after it was declared in what district the several tribes were to dwell, as if God had there designated their abodes, the determination of men was again necessarily had recourse to, as to how far, and in what direction, the boundaries of the greater tribes were to extend; otherwise the lesser tribes would have refused to be cooped up in a less convenient position. And although the supreme authority was justly vested in Eleazar and Joshua, lest God should expose them to calumny and ill-will, He associated with them a council, in which also there was a prudent precaution against rivalry, for each of the twelve tribes contributed its judge to preside over the distribution, so that none might complain of being aggrieved. Moreover, inasmuch as it was of great importance that the possession, once established, should be secured to posterity, first of all the names of the princes are recorded, in order to give certainty to the history; and, secondly, as had been stated at the beginning of the chapter, so also it is repeated at the end that they were chosen by God, from whence the Israelites learnt that the boundaries then fixed could not be altered without overthrowing the authority of God Himself.

Deuteronomy 31

Deuteronomy 31:1-8

1. And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel.

1. Abiit itaque Moses, et loquutus est verba ista ad universum Israelem.

2. And he said unto them, I am an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the Lord hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

2. Dixitque eis, Centurn et viginti annerum suae hodie, non possum ultra egredi et ingredi: praeterea Jehova dixit ad me, Non transibis Jordanera istum.

3. The Lord thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the Lord hath said.

3. Jehova Deus tuus ipse transiturus est ante te, ipse disperdet gentes istas a facie tua, possidebisque eas: Josua ipse transiturus est ante te, quemadmodum dixit Jehova.

4. And the Lord shall do unto them as he did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and unto the land of them, whom he destroyed.

4. Facietque Jehova illis quemadmodum fecit Sihon et Og, regibus Emorrhaei, et terrae eorum quos disperdidit.

5. And the Lord shall give them up before your face, that ye may do unto them according unto all the commandments which I have commanded you.

5. Quum ergo dederit eos Jehova ante faciem vestram, tunc facietis eis omnino juxta praeceptum quod praecepi vobis.

6. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

6. Estote fortes, et roborate vos, ne timeatis, neque paveatis a facie eorum: Jehova enim Deus tuus est qui pergit tecum, non deseret te, neque te derelinquet.

7. And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong, and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.

7. Vocavit ergo Moses Josua, et dixit illi in oculis totius Israelis, Esto fortis, et robera te: tu enim ingredieris cum populo isto terram quam juravit Jehova patribus eorum se daturum illis, et ipse sorte divides eam illis.

8. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

8. Jehova autem est qui praecessurus est te, ipse erit tecum: non te deseret, neque derelinquet te, ne timeas, neque paveas.

CHAPTER 34

Nu 34:1-29. The Borders of the Land of Canaan.

2. this is the ... land of Canaan--The details given in this chapter mark the general boundary of the inheritance of Israel west of the Jordan. The Israelites never actually possessed all the territory comprised within these boundaries, even when it was most extended by the conquests of David and Solomon.

3-5. your south quarter--The line which bounded it on the south is the most difficult to trace. According to the best biblical geographers, the leading points here defined are as follows: The southwest angle of the southern boundary should be where the wilderness of Zin touches the border of Edom, so that the southern boundary should extend eastward from the extremity of the Dead Sea, wind around the precipitous ridge of Akrabbim ("scorpions"), thought to be the high and difficult Pass of Safeh, which crosses the stream that flows from the south into the Jordan--that is, the great valley of the Arabah, reaching from the Dead to the Red Sea.

6. the western border--There is no uncertainty about this boundary, as it is universally allowed to be the Mediterranean, which is called "the great sea" in comparison with the small inland seas or lakes known to the Hebrews.

7-9. north border--The principal difficulty in understanding the description here arises from what our translators have called mount Hor. The Hebrew words, however, Hor-ha-Hor, properly signify "the mountain of the mountain," or "the high double mountain," which, from the situation, can mean nothing else than the mountain Amana (So 4:8), a member of the great Lebanon range (Jos 13:5).

10-12. east border--This is very clearly defined. Shepham and Riblah, which were in the valley of Lebanon, are mentioned as the boundary line, which commenced a little higher than the sources of the Jordan. Ain is supposed to be the source of that river; and thence the eastern boundary extended along the Jordan, the sea of Chinnereth (Lake of Tiberias), the Jordan; and again terminated at the Dead Sea. The line being drawn on the east of the river and the seas included those waters within the territory of the western tribes.

13-15. The two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance on this side Jordan--The conquered territories of Sihon and Og, lying between the Arnon and mount Hermon, were allotted to them--that of Reuben in the most southerly part, Gad north of it, and the half Manasseh in the northernmost portion.

16-29. names of the men ... which shall divide the land--This appointment by the Lord before the Jordan tended not only to animate the Israelites faith in the certainty of the conquest, but to prevent all subsequent dispute and discontent, which might have been dangerous in presence of the natives. The nominees were ten princes for the nine and a half tribes, one of them being selected from the western section of Manasseh, and all subordinate to the great military and ecclesiastical chiefs, Joshua and Eleazar. The names are mentioned in the exact order in which the tribes obtained possession of the land, and according to brotherly connection.

The land of Canaan with the coasts thereof - All description here is useless. The situation and boundaries of the land of Canaan can only be known by actual survey, or by consulting a good map.

The salt sea - The Dead Sea, or lake Asphaltites. See the note on Gen 19:25.

The river of Egypt - The eastern branch of the river Nile; or, according to others, a river which is south of the land of the Philistines, and fails into the gulf or bay near Calieh.

Ye shall even have the great sea for a border - The Mediterranean Sea, called here the Great Sea, to distinguish it from the Dead Sea, the Sea of Tiberias, etc., which were only a sort of lakes. In Hebrew there is properly but one term, ים yam, which is applied to all collections of water apparently stagnant, and which is generally translated sea. The Greek of the New Testament follows the Hebrew, and employs, in general, the word θαλασσα, Sea, whether it speaks of the Mediterranean, or of the sea or lake of Galilee.

The sea of Chinnereth - The same as the sea of Galilee, sea of Tiberias, and sea of Gennesareth.

The border shall go down to Jordan - This river is famous both in the Old and New Testaments. It takes its rise at the foot of Mount Libanus, passes through the sea of Chinnereth or Tiberias, and empties itself into the lake Asphaltites or Dead Sea, from which it has no outlet. In and by it God wrought many miracles. God cut off the waters of this river as he did those of the Red Sea, so that they stood on a heap on each side, and the people passed over on dry ground. Both Elijah and Elisha separated its waters in a miraculous way, 2Kgs 2:8-14. Naaman, the Syrian general, by washing in it at the command of the prophet, was miraculously cured of his leprosy, 2Kgs 5:10-14. In this river John baptized great multitudes of Jews; and in it was Christ himself baptized, and the Spirit of God descended upon him, and the voice from heaven proclaimed him the great and only Teacher and Savior of men, Mat 3:16, Mat 3:17; Mar 1:5-11.

This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot - Much of what is said concerning this land is peculiarly emphatic. It is a land that contains a multitude of advantages in its climate, its soil, situation, etc. It is bounded on the south by a ridge of mountains, which separate it from Arabia, and screen it from the burning and often pestiferous winds which blow over the desert from that quarter. On the west it is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea; on the north, by Mount Libanus, which defends it from the cold northern blasts; and on the east by the river Jordan, and its fertile, well-watered plains. It is described by God himself as "a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains, and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey; a land wherein there was no scarcity of bread, and where both iron and copper mines abounded," Deu 8:7-9 : a land finely diversified with hills and valleys, and well watered by the rain of heaven, in this respect widely different from Egypt; a land which God cared for, on which his eyes were continually placed from the beginning to the end of the year; watched over by a most merciful Providence; in a word, a land which flowed with milk and honey, and was the most pleasant of all lands; Deu 11:11, Deu 11:12; Eze 20:6. Such was the land, and such were the advantages that this most favored people were called to possess. They were called to possess it by lot that each might be satisfied with his possession, as considering it to be appointed to him by the especial providence of God; and its boundaries were ascertained on Divine authority, to prevent all covetousness after the territories of others.

And the names of the men - are these - It is worthy of remark that Moses does not follow any order hitherto used of placing the tribes, neither that in Numbers 1, nor that in Numbers 7, nor that in Numbers 26, nor any other; but places them here exactly in that order in which they possessed the land.

1. Judah

2. Simeon

3. Benjamin

4. Dan

5. Manasseh

6. Ephraim

7. Zebulun

8. Issachar

9. Asher

10. Naphtali

Judah is first, having the first lot; and he dwelt in the south part of the land, Jos 15:1, etc.; and next to him Simeon, because his inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah, Jos 19:1. Benjamin was third; he had his inheritance by Judah, between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph, Jos 18:11. Dan was the fourth; his lot fell westward of that of Benjamin, in the country of the Philistines, as may be seen in Jos 19:40, Jos 19:41, etc. Fifth, Manasseh; and sixth, by him, his brother Ephraim, whose inheritances were behind that of Benjamin, Jos 16:7. Next to these dwelt, seventh, Zebulun; and eighth, Issachar; concerning whose lots see Jos 19:10-17. Ninth, Asher; and tenth, Naphtali; see Jos 19:24, Jos 19:32, etc.

And as in encamping about the tabernacle they were arranged according to their fraternal relationship, (see Numbers 2)., so they were in the division and inheriting of the promised land. Judah and Simeon, both sons of Leah, dwelt abreast of each other. Benjamin, son of Rachel, and Dan, son of Rachel's maid, dwelt next abreast. Manasseh and Ephraim, both sons of Joseph, son of Rachel, had the next place abreast. Zebulun and Issachar, who dwelt next together, were both sons of Leah; and the last pair were Asher, of Leah's maid, and Naphtali, of Rachel's maid. Thus God, in nominating princes that should divide the land, signified beforehand the manner of their possession, and that they should be so situated as to dwell together as brethren in unity, for the mutual help and comfort of each other. See Ainsworth. In this arrangement there is much skill, judgment, and kindness every where displayed.

Coasts - Or limits or bounds, to wit, of the land beyond Jordan. Which are here particularly described, to direct and bound them in their wars and conquests, that they might not seek the enlargement of their empire, after the manner of other nations, but be contented with their own portion. To encourage them in their attempt upon Canaan, and assure them of their success. There was a much larger possession promised them, if they were obedient, even to the river Euphrates. But this, which is properly Canaan, lay in a very little compass. 'Tis but about an hundred and fifty miles in length, and about fifty in breadth. This was that little spot of ground, in which alone for many ages God was known! But its littleness was abundantly compensated by its fruitfulness: otherwise it could not have sustained so numerous a nation. See, how little a share of the world God often gives to his own people! But they that have their portion in heaven, can be content with a small pittance of this earth.

Your fourth quarter - Which is here described from east to west by divers windings and turnings, by reason of the mountains and rivers. The salt sea - So called from the salt and sulphurous taste of its waters. Eastward - That is, at the eastern part of that sea, where the eastern and southern borders meet.

From the south - Or, on the south, that is, proceeding onward towards the south. Azmon - Which is at the west - end of the mount of Edom.

The river of Egypt - Called Sihor, Jos 13:3, which divided Egypt from Canaan. The sea - The midland sea, called the sea emphatically, whereas the other seas, as they are called, are indeed but lakes.

The great sea - This midland sea from the south to the north, so far as it runs parallel with mount Libanus.

Hor - Not that Hor where Aaron died, which was southward, and bordering upon Edom, but another mountain, and, as it is conceived, the mountain of Libanus, which is elsewhere mentioned as the northern border of the land, and which, in regard of divers parts, or by divers people, is called by divers names, and here Hor, which signifies a mountain, by way of eminency.

Eleazar - Who was to act in God's name, to cast lots, to prevent contentions, to consult with God in cases of difficulty, to transact the whole business in a solemn and religious manner.

Judah - The order of the tribes is here different from that, Nu 1:7,26, and in other places, being conformed to the order of their several inheritances, which afterwards fell to them by lots. Which is an evident demonstration of the infinite wisdom of God's providence, and of his peculiar care over his people.

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.)

Or, limits or bounds, to wit, of the land beyond Iordan. Which are here particularly described, 1. to direct and bound them in their wars and conquests, that they might not seek the enlargement of their empire, after the manner of other nations, but be contented with their own portion. 2. To encourage them in their attempt upon Can[illegible: 1+ letters]an, and assure them of their success. 3. to guide them in the approaching distribution of the land.

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 .

Which is here described from East to West by divers windings and turnings, by reason of the mountains, rivers, &c.

Bordering all along upon the Edomites.

So called from the salt and sulphureous tast of its waters.

(i. e.) At the eastern part of that sea, where the Eastern and Southern borders meet.

Marginal references: Josh. 15. 1.; Gen. 14. 3.

4 And your border shall turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim , and pass unto Zin: and the going forth thereof shall be from the south to Kadesh-Barnea , and shall go on to Hazar-addar , and pass on to Azmon .

Called Maaleh-akrabbim, Ios. 15. 3. which was at the south end of the salt or dead sea.

Or, on the south, i. e. proceeding onward towards the South.

Which was on the Southern part of Canaan, Numb. 13. 17.

Which in Ios. 15. 3. may seem distinguished into two places, Hezron and Addar, which here are united because peradventure they were contiguous or joyned together. Or, the village of Addar, and so this is the same place called Addar, Ios. 15. 3. and for Hezron, that may be another place here omitted and there supplied for more exactness.

Which is at the West end of the mount of Edom.

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 .

Called Sihon, Ios. 13. 3. which divided Egypt from Canaan. See Gen. 15. 18.

The midland sea, called the sea emphatically, whereas the other seas there, as they are called, are indeed but lakes.

6 And as for the western border: ye shall even have the great sea for a border: this shall be your west-border.

The midland sea from the South to the North so far as runs parallel with mount Libanus.

7 And this shall be your north border: from the great [illegible: 1+ letters]ea ye shall poin[illegible: 1+ letters] o[illegible: 1+ letters] for you mo[illegible: 1+ letters] H[illegible: 1+ letters]r .

Not that Hor where Aaron died, Numb. 20. 22. which was Southward, and bordering upon Edom, Numb. 33. 37, 38. and therefore could not be their northern border, but another mountain, and, as it is conceived, the mountain of Libanus, which is elsewhere mentioned as the Northern border of the land, and which, in regard of divers parts or by divers people is called by divers names, as Sirion and Senir, Deut. 3. 9. and Sion, Deut. 4. 48. and Hermon, Ios. 13. 5. and here Hor, which signifies a mountain, and this may be called so by way of eminency. Certain it is, that as Hor here, so Hermon Ios. 13. 5. is joyned with the entrance of Hamath, which makes it probable they are one and the same place.

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.

Called Hamath the great, Amos 6. 2. which is among the Northern borders, Ezek. 47. 16, 17. See Gen. 10. 15, 18. Numb. 13. 21. Iudg. 3. 3. 1 King. 8. 65.

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.

Of this name we have a city, Ios. 19. 35. and a country, Ios. 11. 2. 1 King. 15. 20. and a Sea or Lake, here and Ios. 12. 3. and 13. 27. which in the New Testament is called the sea of Genesareth, Luk. 5. 1. and of Galilee, and of T[illegible: 1+ letters]otrias, Ioh. 6. 1.

Marginal references: Heb. shoulder.

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.

(i. e.) All along the river of Iordan even to the end of it, which is the eastern border.

17 These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you: Eleazar the priest , and Joshua the son of Nun.

Who was to act in Gods name, to cast lots, to prevent differences and contentions, to consult with God in cases of difficulty, to transact the whole business in a solemn and religious manner.

Marginal references: Josh. 14. 1. and 19. 51.

19 And the names of the men are these: of the tribe of Judah , Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

The order of the Tribes is here differing from that Numb. 1, 7, 26. and in other places, being here, as also Ios. 16. and 17. and 18. and 19. conformed to the order of their several inheritances which afterwards fell to them by Lot. Which is an evident demonstration of the infinite wisdom of Gods providence and of his exact and peculiar care over his people.

Num 34:3-5

The southern boundary is the same as that given in Jos 15:2-4 as the boundary of the territory of the tribe of Judah. We have first the general description, “The south side shall be to you from the desert of Zin on the sides of Edom onwards,” i.e., the land was to extend towards the south as far as the desert of Zin on the sides of Edom. על־ידי, “on the sides,” differs in this respect from על־יד, “on the side” (Exo 2:5; Jos 15:46; 2Sa 15:2), that the latter is used to designate contact at a single point or along a short line; the former, contact for a long distance or throughout the whole extent (= כּל־יד, Deu 2:37). “On the sides of Edom” signifies, therefore, that the desert of Zin stretched along the side of Edom, and Canaan was separated from Edom by the desert of Zin. From this it follows still further, that Edom in this passage is not the mountains of Edom, which had their western boundary on the Arabah, but the country to the south of the desert of Zin or Wady Murreh, viz., the mountain land of the Azazimeh, which still bears the name of Seir or Serr among the Arabs (see Seetzen and Rowland in Ritter's Erdk. xiv. pp. 840 and 1087). The statement in Jos 15:1 also agrees with this, viz., that Judah’s inheritance was “to the territory of Edom, the desert of Zin towards the south,” according to which the desert of Zin was also to divide the territory of Edom from that of the tribe of Judah (see the remarks on Num 14:45). With Num 34:3 the more minute description of the southern boundary line commences: “The south border shall be from the end of the Salt Sea eastward,” i.e., start from “the tongue which turns to the south” (Jos 15:2), from the southern point of the Dead Sea, where there is now a salt marsh with the salt mountain at the south-west border of the lake. “And turn to the south side (מנּגב) of the ascent of Akrabbim” (ascensus scorpionum), i.e., hardly “the steep pass of es Sufah, 1434 feet in height, which leads in a south-westerly direction from the Dead Sea along the northern side of Wady Fikreh, a wady three-quarters of an hour’s journey in breadth, and over which the road from Petra to Heshbon passes,”See Robinson, vol. ii. pp. 587, 591; and v. Schubert, ii. pp. 443, 447ff. as Knobel maintains; for the expression נסב (turn), in Num 34:4, according to which the southern border turned at the height of Akrabbim, that is to say, did not go any farther in the direction from N.E. to S.W. than from the southern extremity of the Salt Sea to this point, and was then continued in a straight line from east to west, is not at all applicable to the position of this pass, since there would be no bend whatever in the boundary line at the pass of es Sufah, if it ran from the Arabah through Wady Fikreh, and so across to Kadesh. The “height of Akrabbim,” from which the country round was afterwards called Akrabattine, Akrabatene (1 Macc. 5:4; Josephus,Ant. 12:8, 1),It must be distinguished, however, from the Akrabatta mentioned by Josephus in his Wars of the Jews (iii. 3, 5), the modernAkrabeh in central Palestine (Rob. Bibl. Res. p. 296), and from the toparchy Akrabattene mentioned in Josephus (Wars of the Jews, ii. 12, 4; 20, 4; 22, 2), which was named after this place. is most probably the lofty row of “white cliffs” of sixty or eighty feet in height, which run obliquely across the Arabah at a distance of about eight miles below the Dead Sea and, as seen from the south-west point of the Dead Sea, appear to shut in the Ghor, and which form the dividing line between the two sides of the great valley, which is called el Ghor on one side, and el Araba on the other (Robinson, ii. 489, 494, 502). Consequently it was not the Wady Fikreh, but a wady which opened into the Arabah somewhat farther to the south, possibly the southern branch of the Wady Murreh itself, which formed the actual boundary.

“And shall pass over to Zin” (i.e., the desert of Zin, the great Wady Murreh, see at Num 14:21), “and its going forth shall be to the south of Kadesh-barnea,” at the western extremity of the desert of Zin (see at Num 20:16). From this point the boundary went farther out (יצא) “to Hazar-Addar, and over (עבר) to Azmon.” According to Jos 15:3-4, it went to the south of Kadesh-barnea over (עבר) to Hezron, and ascended (עלה) to Addar, and then turned to Karkaa, and went over to Azmon. Consequently Hazar-Addar corresponds to Hezron and Addar (in Joshua); probably the two places were so close to each other that they could be joined together. Neither of them has been discovered yet. This also applies to Karkaa and Azmon. The latter name reminds us of the Bedouin tribe Azazimeh, inhabiting the mountains in the southern part of the desert of Zin (Robinson, i. pp. 274, 283, 287; Seetzen, iii. pp. 45, 47). Azmon is probably to be sought for near the Wady el Ain, to the west of the Hebron road, and not far from its entrance into the Wady el Arish; for this is “the river (brook) of Egypt,” to which the boundary turned from Azmon, and through which it had “its outgoings at the sea,” i.e., terminated at the Mediterranean Sea. The “brook of Egypt,” therefore, is frequently spoken of as the southern boundary of the land of Israel (1Ki 8:65; 2Ki 24:7; 2Ch 7:8, and Isa 27:12, where the lxx express the name by Ῥινοκοροῦρα). Hence the southern boundary ran, throughout its whole length, from the Arabah on the east to the Mediterranean on the west, along valleys which form a natural division, and constitute more or less the boundary line between the desert and the cultivated land.On the lofty mountains of Madara, where the Wady Murreh is divided into two wadys (Fikreh and Murreh) which run to the Arabah,v. Schubert observed “some mimosen-trees,” with which, as he expresses it, “the vegetation of Arabia took leave of us, as it were, as they were the last that we saw on our road.” And Dieterici (Reisebilder, ii. pp. 156-7) describes the mountain ridge at Nakb es Sufah as “the boundary line between the yellow desert and green steppes,” and observes still further, that on the other side of the mountain (i.e., northwards) the plain spread out before him in its fresh green dress. “The desert journey was over, the empire of death now lay behind us, and a new life blew towards us from fields covered with green.” - In the same way the country between Kadesh and the Hebron road, which has become better known to us through the descriptions of travellers, is described as a natural boundary. Seetzen, in his account of his journey from Hebron to Sinai (iii. p. 47), observes that the mountains of Tih commence at the Wady el Ain (fountain-valley), which takes its name from a fountain that waters thirty date-palms and a few small corn-fields (i.e., Ain el Kuderat, in Robinson, i. p. 280), and describes the country to the south of the small flat Wady el Kdeis (el Kideise), in which many tamarisks grew (i.e., no doubt a wady that comes from Kadesh, from which it derives its name), as a “most dreadful wilderness, which spreads out to an immeasurable extent in all directions, without trees, shrubs, or a single spot of green” (p. 50), although the next day he “found as an unexpected rarity another small field of barley, which might have been an acre in extent” (pp. 52, 53). Robinson (i. pp. 280ff.) also found, upon the route from Sinai to Hebron, more vegetation in the desert between the Wady el Kusaimeh and el Ain than anywhere else before throughout his entire journey; and after passing the Wady el Ain to the west of Kadesh, he “came upon a broad tract of tolerably fertile soil, capable of tillage, and apparently once tilled.” Across the whole of this tract of land there were long ranges of low stone walls visible (called “el Muzeiriât,” “little plantations,” by the Arabs), which had probably served at some former time as boundary walls between the cultivated fields. A little farther to the north the Wady es Serâm opens into an extended plain, which looked almost like a meadow with its bushes, grass, and small patches of wheat and barley. A few Azazimeh Arabs fed their camels and flocks here. The land all round became more open, and showed broad valleys that were capable of cultivation, and were separated by low and gradually sloping hills. The grass become more frequent in the valleys, and herbs were found upon the hills. “We heard (he says at p. 283) this morning for the first time the songs of many birds, and among them the lark.”

Num 34:6

The western boundary was to be “the great sea and its territory,” i.e., the Mediterranean Sea with its territory or coast (cf. Deu 3:16-17; Jos 13:23, Jos 13:27; Jos 15:47).

Num 34:7-9

The northern boundary cannot be determined with certainty. “From the great sea, mark out to you (תּתאוּ, from תּאה = תּוה, to mark or point out), i.e., fix, Mount Hor as the boundary” - from thence “to come to Hamath; and let the goings forth of the boundary be to Zedad. And the boundary shall go out to Ziphron, and its goings out be at Hazar-enan.” Of all these places, Hamath, the modern Hamah, or the Epiphania of the Greeks and Romans on the Orontes (see at Num 13:21, and Gen 10:18), is the only one whose situation is well known; but the geographical description of the northern boundary of the land of Israel חמת לבא (Num 13:21; Jos 13:5; Jdg 3:3; 1Ki 8:65; 2Ki 14:25; 1Ch 13:5; 2Ch 7:8; Amo 6:14; Eze 47:15, Eze 47:20; Eze 48:1) is so indefinite, that the boundary line cannot be determined with exactness. For no proof can be needed in the present day that חמת לבא cannot mean “to Hamath” (Ges. thes. i. p. 185; Studer on Jdg 3:3, and Baur on Amo 6:2), in such a sense as would make the town of Hamath the border town, and בּא a perfectly superfluous pleonasm. In all the passages mentioned, Hamath refers, not to the town of that name (Epiphania on the Orontes), but to the kingdom of Hamath, which was named after its capital, as is proved beyond all doubt by 2Ch 8:4, where Solomon is said to have built store cities “in Hamath.” The city of Hamath never belonged to the kingdom of Israel, not even under David and Solomon, and was not reconquered by Jeroboam II, as Baur supposes (see my Commentary on the Books of Kings, and Thenius on 2Ki 14:25). How far the territory of the kingdom of Hamath extended towards the south in the time of Moses, and how much of it was conquered by Solomon (2Ch 8:4), we are nowhere informed. We simply learn from 2Ki 25:21, that Riblah (whether the same Riblah as is mentioned in Num 34:11 as a town upon the eastern boundary, is very doubtful) was situated in the land of Hamath in the time of the Chaldeans. Now if this Riblah has been preserved in the modern Ribleh, a miserable village on the Orontes, in the northern part of the Bekaa, ten or twelve hours’ journey to the south-west of Hums, and fourteen hours to the north of Baalbek (Robinson, iii. p. 461, App. 176, and Bibl. Researches, p. 544), the land of Canaan would have reached a little farther northwards, and almost to Hums (Emesa). Knobel moves the boundary still farther to the north. He supposes Mount Hor to be Mons Casius, to the south-west of Antioch, on the Orontes, and agrees with Robinson (iii. 461) in identifying Zedad, in the large village of Zadad (Sudud in Rob.), which is inhabited exclusively by Syriac Christians, who still speak Syriac according to Seetzen (i. 32 and 279), a town containing about 3000 inhabitants (Wetstein, Reiseber. p. 88), to the south-east of Hums, on the east of the road from Damascus to Hunes, a short day’s journey to the north of Nebk, and four (or, according to Van de Velde's memoir, from ten to twelve) hours’ journey to the south of Hasya (Robinson, iii. p. 461; Ritter, Erdk. xvii. pp. 1443-4).Ziphron, which was situated upon the border of the territory of Hamath and Damascus, if it is the same as the one mentioned in Eze 47:16, is supposed by Knobel and Wetstein (p. 88) to be preserved in the ruins of Zifran, which in all probability have never been visited by any European, fourteen hours to the north-east of Damascus, near to the road from Palmyra. Lastly, Hazar-enan (equivalent to fountain-court) is supposed to be the station called Centum Putea (Πούτεα in Ptol. v. 15, 24), mentioned in the Tabul. Peuting. x. 3, on the road from Apamia to Palmyra, twenty-seven miles, or about eleven hours, to the north-west of Palmyra. - But we may say with certainty that all these conclusions are incorrect, because they are irreconcilable with the eastern boundary described in Num 34:10, Num 34:11. For example, according to Num 34:10, Num 34:11, the Israelites were to draw (fix) the eastern boundary “from Hazar-enan to Shepham,” which, as Knobel observes, “cannot be determined with exactness, but was farther south than Hazar-enan, as it was a point on the eastern boundary which is traced here from north to south, and also farther west, as we may infer from the allusion to Riblah, probably at the northern end of Antilibanus”. From Shepham the boundary was “to go down to Riblah,” which Knobel finds in the Ribleh mentioned above. Now, if we endeavour to fix the situation of these places according to the latest and most trustworthy maps, the incorrectness of the conclusions referred to becomes at once apparent. From Zadad (Sudad) to Zifran, the line of the northern boundary would not have gone from west to east, but from north to south, or rather towards the south-west, and from Zifran to Centum Putea still more decidedly in a south-westerly direction. Consequently the northern boundary would have described a complete semicircle, commencing in the north-west and terminating in the south-east. But if even in itself this appears very incredible, it becomes perfectly impossible when we take the eastern boundary into consideration. For if this went down to the south-west from Hazar-enan to Shepham according to Knobel's conclusions, instead of going down (Num 34:11) from Shepham to Riblah, it would have gone up six or seven geographical miles from south to north, and then have gone down again from north to south along the eastern coast of the Lake of Gennesareth. Now it is impossible that Moses should have fixed such a boundary to the land of Israel on the north-east, and equally impossible that a later Hebrew, acquainted with the geography of his country, should have described it in this way.

If, in order to obtain a more accurate view of the extent of the land towards the north and north-east, we compare the statements of the book of Joshua concerning the conquered land with the districts which still remained to be taken at the time of the distribution; Joshua had taken the land “from the bald mountain which ascends towards Seir,” i.e., probably the northern ridge of the Azazimeh mountains, with its white masses of chalk (Fries, ut sup. p. 76; see also at Jos 11:17), “to Baal-Gad, in the valley of Lebanon, below Mount Hermon” (Jos 11:17; cf. Num 12:7). But Baal-Gad in the valley (בּקעה) of Lebanon is not Heliopolis (now Baalbek in the Bekaa, or Coelesyria), as many, from Iken and J. D. Michaelis down to Knobel, suppose; for “the Bekaa is not under the Hermon,” and “there is no proof, or even probability, that Joshua’s conquests reached so far, or that Baalbek was ever regarded as the northern boundary of Palestine, nor even that the adjoining portion of Anti-Lebanon was ever called Hermon” (Robinson, Biblical Researches, p. 409). Baal-Gad, which is called Baal-Hermon in Jdg 3:3 and 1Ch 5:23, was the later Paneas or Caesarea Philippi, the modern Banias, at the foot of the Hermon (cf. v. Raumer, Pal. p. 245; Rob. Bibl. Res. pp. 408-9, Pal. iii. pp. 347ff.). This is placed beyond all doubt by 1Ch 5:23, according to which the Manassites, who were increasing in numbers, dwelt “from Bashan to Baal-hermon, and Senir, and the mountains of Hermon,” since this statement proves that Baal-hermon was between Bashan and the mountains of Hermon. In harmony with this, the following places in the north of Canaan are mentioned in Jos 13:4-5, and Jdg 3:3, as being left unconquered by Joshua: - (1.) “All the land of the Canaanites (i.e., of the Phoenicians who dwelt on the coast), and the cave of the Sidonians to Aphek;” מערה, probably the spelunca inexpugnabilis in territorio Sidoniensi, quae vulgo dicitur cavea de Tyrum (Wilh. Tyr. xix. 11), the present Mughr Jezzin, i.e., caves of Jezzin, to the east of Sidon upon Lebanon (Ritter, Erdk. xvii. pp. 99, 100); and Aphek, probably the modern Afka, to the north-east of Beirut (Robinson, Bibl. Res.). (2.) “The land of the Giblites,” i.e., the territory of Byblos, and “all Lebanon towards the east, from Baal-Gad below Hermon, till you come to Hamath,” i.e., not Antilibanus, but Lebanon, which lies to the east of the land of the Giblites. The land of the Giblites, or territory of Gebal, which is cited here as the northernmost district of the unconquered land, so that its northern boundary must have coincided with the northern boundary of Canaan, can hardly have extended to the latitude of Tripoli, but probably only reached to the cedar grove at Bjerreh, in the neighbourhood of which the highest peaks of the Lebanon are found. The territory of the tribes of Asher and Naphtali (Josh 19:24-39) did not reach farther up than this. From all these accounts, we must not push the northern boundary of Canaan as far as the Eleutherus, Nahr el Kebir, but must draw it farther to the south, across the northern portion of the Lebanon; so that we may look for Hazar-enan (fountain-court), which is mentioned as the end of the northern boundary, and the starting-point of the eastern, near the fountain of Lebweh. This fountain forms the water-shed in the Bekaa, between the Orontes, which flows to the north, and the Leontes, which flows to the south (cf. Robinson, Bibl. Res. p. 531), and is not only a very large fountain of the finest clear water, springing at different points from underneath a broad piece of coarse gravel, which lies to the west of a vein of limestone, but the whole of the soil is of such a character, that “you have only to dig in the gravel, to get as many springs as you please.” The quantity of water which is found here is probably even greater than that at the Anjar. In addition to the four principal streams, there are three or four smaller ones (Robinson, Bibl. Res. p. 532), so that this place might be called, with perfect justice, by the name of fountain-court. The probability of this conjecture is also considerably increased by the fact, that the Ain, mentioned in Num 34:11 as a point upon the eastern boundary, can also be identified without any difficulty (see at Num 34:11).

Num 34:10-12

The Eastern Boundary. - If we endeavour to trace the upper line of the eastern boundary from the fountain-place just mentioned, it ran from Hazar-enan to Shepham, the site of which is unknown, and “from Shepham it was to go down to Riblah, on the east of Ain” (the fountain). The article הרבלה, and still more the precise description, “to the east of Ain, the fountain, or fountain locality” (Knobel), show plainly that this Riblah is to be distinguished from the Riblah in the land of Hamath (2Ki 23:33; 2Ki 25:21; Jer 39:9; Jer 52:27), with which it is mostly identified. Ain is supposed to be “the great fountain of Neba Anjar, at the foot of Antilibanus, which is often called Birket Anjar, on account of its taking its rise in a small reservoir or pool” (Robinson, Bibl. Res. p. 498), and near to which Mej-del-Anjar is to be seen, consisting of “the ruins of the walls and towers of a fortified town, or rather of a large citadel” (Robinson, p. 496; cf. Ritter, xvii. pp. 181ff.).Knobel regards Ain as the source of the Orontes, i.e., Neba Lebweh, and yet, notwithstanding this, identifies Riblah with the village of Ribleh mentioned above. But can this Ribleh, which is at least eight hours to the north of Neba Lebweh, be described as on the east of Ain, i.e., Neba Lebweh?

From this point the boundary went farther down, and pressed (מחה) “upon the shoulder of the lake of Chinnereth towards the east,” i.e., upon the north-east shore of the Sea of Galilee (see Jos 19:35). Hence it ran down along the Jordan to the Salt Sea (Dead Sea). According to these statements, therefore, the eastern boundary went from Bekaa along the western slopes of Antilibanus, over or past Rasbeya and Banyas, at the foot of Hermon, along the edge of the mountains which bound the Huleh basin towards the east, down to the north-east corner of the Sea of Galilee; so that Hermon itself (Jebel es Sheikh) did not belong to the land of Israel.

Num 34:13-15

This land, according to the boundaries thus described, the Israelites were to distribute by lot (Num 26:56), to give it to the nine tribes and a half, as the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh had already received their inheritance on the other side of the Jordan (Num 32:33.).

Num 34:16-29

List of the Men Appointed to Distribute the Land. - In addition to Eleazar and Joshua, the former of whom was to stand at the head as high priest, in accordance with the divine appointment in Num 27:21, and the latter to occupy the second place as commander of the army, a prince was selected from each of the ten tribes who were interested in the distribution, as Reuben and Gad had nothing to do with it. Of these princes, namely heads of fathers’ houses of the tribes (Jos 14:1), not heads of tribes (see at Num 13:2), Caleb, who is well known from Num 13, is the only one whose name if known. The others are not mentioned anywhere else. The list of tribes, in the enumeration of their princes, corresponds, with some exceptions, to the situation of the territory which the tribes received in Canaan, reckoning from south to north, and deviates considerably from the order in which the lots came out for the different tribes, as described in Josh 15-19. נחל in the Kal, in Num 34:17 and Num 34:18, signifies to give for an inheritance, just as in Exo 34:8, to put into possession. There is not sufficient ground for altering the Kal into Piel, especially as the Piel in Num 34:29 is construed with the accusative of the person, and with the thing governed by ב; whereas in Num 34:17 the Kal is construed with the person governed by ל, and the accusative of the thing.

The Boundaries of Canaan. (b. c. 1452.)

1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 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:) 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: 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 Kadesh-barnea, and shall go on to Hazar-addar, and pass on to Azmon: 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. 6 And as for the western border, ye shall even have the great sea for a border: this shall be your west border. 7 And this shall be your north border: from the great sea ye shall point out for you mount Hor: 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: 9 And the border shall go on to Ziphron, and the goings out of it shall be at Hazar-enan: this shall be your north border. 10 And ye shall point out your east border from Hazar-enan to Shepham: 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: 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. 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: 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: 15 The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance on this side Jordan near Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising.

We have here a particular draught of the line by which the land of Canaan was meted, and bounded, on all sides. God directs Moses to settle it here, not as a geographer in his map, merely to please the curious, but as a prince in his grant, that it may be certainly known what passes, and is conveyed, by the grant. There was a much larger possession promised them, which in due time they would have possessed if they had been obedient, reaching even to the river Euphrates, Deut. xi. 24. And even so far the dominion of Israel did extend in David's time and Solomon's, 2 Chron. ix. 26. But this which is here described is Canaan only, which was the lot of the nine tribes and a half, for the other two and a half were already settled, v. 14, 15. Now concerning the limits of Canaan observe,

I. That it was limited within certain bounds: for God appoints the bounds of our habitation, Acts xvii. 26. The borders are set them, 1. That they might know whom they were to dispossess, and how far the commission which was given them extended (ch. xxxiii. 53), that they should drive out the inhabitants. Those that lay within these borders, and those only, they must destroy; hitherto their bloody sword must go, and no further. 2. That they might know what to expect the possession of themselves. God would not have his people to enlarge their desire of worldly possessions, but to know when they have enough, and to rest satisfied with it. The Israelites themselves must not be placed alone in the midst of the earth, but must leave room for their neighbours to live by them. God sets bounds to our lot; let us then set bounds to our desires, and bring our mind to our condition.

II. That it lay comparatively in a very little compass: as it is here bounded, it is reckoned to be but about 160 miles in length and about fifty in breadth; perhaps it did not contain more than half as much ground as England, and yet this is the country which was promised to the father of the faithful and was the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground in which only, for many ages, God was known, and his name was great, Ps. lxxvi. 1. This was the vineyard of the Lord, the garden enclosed; but, as it is with gardens and vineyards, the narrowness of the extent was abundantly compensated by the extraordinary fruitfulness of the soil, otherwise it could not have subsisted so numerous a nation as did inhabit it. See here then, 1. How small a part of the world God has for himself. Though the earth is his, and the fullness thereof, yet few have the knowledge of him and serve him; but those few are happy, very happy, because fruitful to God. 2. How small a share of the world God often gives to his own people. Those that have their portion in heaven have reason to be content with a small pittance of this earth; but, as here, what is wanting in quantity is made up in quality; a little that a righteous man has, having it from the love of God and with his blessing, is far better and more comfortable than the riches of many wicked, Ps. xxxvii. 16.

III. It is observable what the bounds and limits of it were. 1. Canaan was itself a pleasant land (so it is called Dan. viii. 9), and yet it bordered upon wilderness and seas, and was surrounded with divers melancholy prospects. Thus the vineyard of the church is compassed on all hands with the desert of this world, which serves as a foil to it, to make it appear the more beautiful for situation. 2. Many of its borders were its defences and natural fortifications, to render the access of enemies the more difficult, and to intimate to Israel that the God of nature was their protector, and with his favour would compass them as with a shield. 3. The border reached to the river of Egypt (v. 5), that the sight of that country which they could look into out of their own might remind them of their bondage there, and their wonderful deliverance thence. 4. Their border is here made to begin at the Salt Sea (v. 3), and there it ends, v. 12. This was the remaining lasting monument of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. That pleasant fruitful vale in which these cities stood became a lake, which was never stirred by any wind, bore no vessels, was replenished with no fish, no living creature of any sort being found in it, therefore called the Dead Sea. This was part of their border, that it might be a constant warning to them to take heed of those sins which had been the ruin of Sodom; yet the iniquity of Sodom was afterwards found in Israel (Ezek. xvi. 49), for which Canaan was made, though not a salt sea as Sodom, yet a barren soil, and continues so to this day. 5. Their western border was the Great Sea (v. 6), which is now called the Mediterranean. Some consider this sea itself to have been a part of their possession, and that by virtue of this grant, they had the dominion of it, and, if they had not forfeited it by sin, might have rode masters of it.

16 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 17 These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun. 18 And ye shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land by inheritance. 19 And the names of the men are these: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 20 And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud. 21 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. 22 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli. 23 The prince of the children of Joseph, for the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod. 24 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. 25 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. 26 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan. 27 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. 28 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud. 29 These are they whom the Lord commanded to divide the inheritance unto the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.

God here appoints commissioners for the dividing of the land to them. The conquest of it is taken for granted, though as yet there was never a stroke struck towards it. Here is no nomination of the generals and commanders-in-chief that should carry on the war; for they were to get the land in possession, not by their own sword or bow, but by the power and favour of God; and so confident must they be of victory and success while God fought for them that the persons must now be named who should be entrusted with the dividing of the land, that is, who should preside in casting the lots, and determine controversies that might arise, and see that all was done fairly. 1. The principal commissioners, who were of the quorum, were Eleazar and Joshua (v. 17), typifying Christ, who, as priest and king, divides the heavenly Canaan to the spiritual Israel; yet, as they were to go by the lot, so Christ acknowledges the disposal must be by the will of the Father, Matt. xx. 23. Compare, Eph. i. 11. 2. Besides these, that there might be no suspicion of partiality, a prince of each tribe was appointed to inspect this matter, and to see that the tribe he served for was in no respect injured. Public affairs should be so managed as not only to give their right to all, but, if possible, to give satisfaction to all that they have justice done them., It is a happiness to a land to have the princes of their people meet together, some out of every tribe, to concert the affairs that are of common concern, a constitution which is the abundant honour, ease, and safety, of the nation that is blessed with it. 3. Some observe that the order of the tribes here very much differs from that in which they hitherto, upon all occasions, been named, and agrees with the neighbourhood of their lots in the division of the land. Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, the first three here named, lay close together; the inheritance of Dan lay next them on one side, that of Ephraim and Manasseh on another side; Zebulun and Issachar lay abreast more northerly, and, lastly, Asher and Naphtali most northward of all, as is easy to observe in looking over a map of Canaan; this (says bishop Patrick) is an evidence that Moses was guided by a divine Spirit in his writings. Known unto God are all his works beforehand, and what is new and surprising to us he perfectly foresaw, without any confusion or uncertainty.

CHAP. XXXIV.

ANd Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying; Command the sonnes of Israel, and say unto them; When yee come into the land of Canaan, that is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, the land of Canaan with the borders thereof. And your South quarter shall be from the wildernesse of Zin, by the sides of Edom: and your South border shall be the outmost coast of the salt sea Eastward. And your border shall turne about from the South, to the ascent of Akrabbim, and passe on to Zin; and the goings out thereof shall be from the South to Kadesh-barnea, and it shall goe out to Hazar Addar, and passe on to Azmon. And the border shall turne about from Azmon unto the river of Egypt, and the goings out of it shall be at the sea. And the sea border, you shall even have the great sea and the border thereof: this shall be your sea border. And this shall be your North border: from the great sea you shall point out for you mount Hor. From mount Hor ye shall point out unto the entrance of Hamath: and the goings out of the border shall be to Zedad. And the border shall goe out to Ziphron, and the goings out of it shall be at Hazar Enan: this shall be your North border. And yee shall point out for you for the East border from Hazar Enan, to Shepham. And the border shall goe downe from Shepham to Riblah on the East side of Ain: and the border shall goe downe, and shall reach unto the side of the sea of Chinnereth Eastward. And the border shall goe downe to Iordan, and the goings out of it shall be at the salt sea: this shall be your land with the borders thereof round about. And Moses commanded the sonnes of Israel, saying; This is the land, the which ye shall inherit by lot, which Iehovah commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the halfe tribe. For the tribe of the sonnes of the Reubenites, according to the house of their fathers; and the tribe of the sonnes of the Gadites, according to the house of their fathers, have received; and halfe the tribe of Manasses have received their inheritance. The two tribes, and the halfe tribe, have received their inheritance on this side Iordan [illegible: 1 span]re Iericho, Eastward toward the Sunne rising.

And Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying; These are the names of the men which shall divide the land by inheritance unto you: Eleazar the Priest, and Iosua the son of Nun. And ye shall take one Prince, one Prince of a tribe to divide the land by inheritance. And these are the names of the men: Of the tribe of Iudah, Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh. And of the tribe of the sonnes of Simeon, Samuel the son of Ammihud. Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the sonne of Chislon. And the Prince of the tribe of the sonnes of Dan, Bukki the sonne of Iogli. Of the sonnes of Ioseph, the Prince of the tribe of the sonnes of Manesses, Hanniel the son of Ephod. And the Prince of the tribe of the sonnes of Ephraim, Kemuel the sonne of Shiphtan. And the Prince of the tribe of the sonnes of Zabulon, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. And the Prince of the tribe of the sonnes of Issachar, Paltiel the sonne of Azzan. And the Prince of the tribe of the sonnes of Aser, Ahihud the sonne of Shelomi. And the Prince of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali, Pedahel the sonne of Ammihud. These are they whom Iehovah commanded to divide the inheritance unto the sonnes of Israel, in the land of Canaan.

Annotations. COmmand the sonnes of Israel] After the commandement to destroy the Canaanites, and to root out the monuments of their idolatry, the Lord now giveth lawes for Israels quiet inheritance of the promised land: which first hee limiteth out unto them, then sheweth who should possesse it, and appointeth twelve men by name to divide the possession. And this is by command from God, to signifie the weight of the precept and care which Israel should have to observeit. shall fall unto you] to wit, by lot, or by line: as, hee made them fall by line of inheritance, Psal. 78. 55. and, The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places, Psal. 16. 6. and, there fell tenne lines, (that is, tenne portions) to Manasses, Ios. 17. 5. with the borders] or, according to the borders or coasts, bounds, limits, or confines. God who set all the borders of the earth, Psal. 74. 17. and limited the bounds of all mens habitations, Act. 17. 26. doth here in speciall and exact manner determine the limits of the holy land, called the border of his holinesse (or Sanctuary) Psal. 78. 54. to the end that his people might behold his bounty and providence in giving them so large and good a land: wherefore hee after expostulateth with Israel, whether the border of the neighbour kingdomes were greater than their border, Amos 6. 2. Also that his people might not be defrauded of their right by other n[illegible: 1 span]ons which sometimes fought with Israel hereabout, Iudg. 11. 13. &c. as the Ammonites ript up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border, Amos 1. 13. Likewise, that Israel [illegible: 1 letter]ight rest conte[illegible: 1 letter]ted with their limits allotted them [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 letter]od, both generally and particularly, and not remove the ancient bound, Prov. 23. 10. and 22. 28. Deut. 2. 5. 9. 19. And these limits of Canaan figured the state and condition of the Church of Christ, (who rejoyceth that the lines are fallen unto him in pleasant places, and that he hath a goodly heritage, Psal. 16. 6.) which therefore is shewed to the Prophet in a vision, like the land of Canaan, inherited by the tribes of Israel, and the borders appointed of their habitations, Ezek. 47. 13, 14, 15, &c. Vers. 3. South quarter] or So[illegible: 1 letter]th corner, which the Chaldee calleth the South wind: as in Matth. 24. 31. the foure w[illegible: 1 letter]nds are put for the foure quarters of the world. The limits here are set towards all the foure quarters, South, West, North, and East: the order of proceeding is thus; for the South-side he beginneth at the East corner, and goeth along to the West; the West side beginneth at the South end, and extendeth to the North; the Northerne quarter likewise is from the West to the East; and the Easterne side from the North to the South. But in Ezek. 47. 15. &c. hee beginneth with the North, which here is begun at the South, and endeth at the West, as here at the East. wildernesse of Zin] whereof see Num. 33. 36. This was the uttermost part of the South coast, and [illegible: 1 letter]ell by lot unto the tribe of Iudah, Ios. 15. 1. the sides of Edom] Hebr. the hands of Edom, that is, the border of Edom, as is explained in Ios. 15. 1. the salt sea] or, sea of salt, so in vers. 12. This was the lake of Sodom, called also the dead sea, for that it had no fish or living thing in it; whereof see Gen. 14. 3. From the end of that sea, from the tongue (or [illegible: 1 letter]ay) thereof that looketh Southward, was their South border, Ios. 15. 2. This sea is in humane writers called Asphaltites, Plin. l. 5. c. 16. Vers. 4. shall turne about] that is, fetch a compasse; as the Greeke translateth it, shall compasse, for which in Ios. 15. 3. is said, it went out. from the South] or, on the South-side: so after. the ascent of A[illegible: 1 letter]rabbim] or, Maaleh Akrabbim, as in Ios. 15. 3. which is by interpretation, the ascent (or going [illegible: 1 word]) of Scorpions: which place some thinke was so named of the Scorpions which were in the wildernesse, Deut. 8. 15. the goings out thereof] for this, in Ios. 15. 3. is said, it ascended up. it shall go [illegible: 1 word] to Hazar Addar] by going out is meant a passing along, as is expounded in Ios. 15. 3. where Hazar Addar are two places, Hezron and Addar; for it is said, it passed along to Hezron, and went up to Addar. to Azmon] in Ios. 15. 3. 4. there is added, that it turned about (or fetched a compasse) to Karkaa, and passed on to Azmon. This Azmon is in Targum Ionathan called Kesam; in Greeke, Asel[illegible: 1 span]. Vers. 5. unto the river of Egypt] it went out unto the river of Egypt, Ios. 15. 4. the river called Sihor, Ios. 13. 3. in Targum Ionathan, Nilos. goings out of it] namely, of the coast (or border) Ios. 15. 4. at the sea] to wit, the great Sea, as the Greeke translateth it, whereof Moses speaketh in the verse following: the Chaldee calleth it the West sea. Vers. 6. the sea border] that is, as the Chaldee explaineth it, the West border: so called because the great sea lay Westward from the land of Canaan: see Gen. 12. 8. you shall even have] or, shall bee to you: which two phrases expound one another; as is noted on Gen. 12. 16. So after in vers. 7. and 12. the great sea] so called in respect of the lesser inland seas, as the salt sea, vers. 3. and the sea of Chinnereth, vers. 11. This great sea is commonly called the Mediterrane sea. and the border thereof] so the Chaldee here translateth it, supplying the word thereof: and so it is Englished in Ios. 15. 12. 47. The Greeke interpreteth it, the great sea shall bound (or shall limit.) Vers. 7. you shall point out] or, shall marke out, shall designe; in Greeke, yee shall measure out: so in vers. 8. and 10. mount Hor] This is not that mount Hor where Aaron died, which was South-ward in the edge of Edoms land, Num. 33. 37, 38. but another mountaine on the North side of Canaan, which in Ios. 13. 5. is called mount Hermon, and neere the entring into Hamath, as mount Hor is here. And Hermon had many names, as Moses sheweth in Deut. 3. 9. and 4. 48. Vers. 8. the entrance of Hamath] or, the entring into Chamath: this Hamath (in Greeke, Emath) is in Amos 6. 2. called Hemath the great. See the Annotations on Num. 13. 21. Hamath is also mentioned among the Northerne borders of the land, in Ezek. 47. 16, 17. Zedad] in Greeke, Sedada: so in Ezek. 47. 15. Vers. 9. Hazar-[illegible: 1 letter]nan] in Ezek. 47. 17. Hazarenon: in Greeke, Arsenain. This was the North-East part of the land. Vers. 10. Shepham] called in 1 Sam. 30. 28. Siphmoth: in Greeke, Sepphama: by Targum Ionathan, and some other, it is called Apamiah. Vers. 11. Riblah] a citie in the land of Hamath, where God executed his judgements on the Kings of Iudah, for their sinnes, by the Kings of Egypt and of Babylon, 2 King. 23. 33. and 25. 6. 20, 21. Ier. 39. 5, 6. east of Ain] Ain by interpretation is aneie, or a fountaine, and so is translated here in Greeke, Fountaines: and by the old Latine interpreter, the fountaine Daphnis. the side] or, the shoulder, that is, the shore of the sea. the sea of Chinnereth] called in Greeke, Chenereth; in Chaldee, Ginnosar; and in the New Testament, the lake of Gennesaret, Luk. 5. 1. and in 1 Mac. 11. 67. there is mentioned the water of Gennesar. And the countrey adjoyning was called the land of Gennesaret, Mat. 14. 34. Mar. 6. 53. This sea is also named the sea of Galilee, & the sea of Tibertas, Ioh. 6. 1. & a lake and sea are the same; as, they ran into the lake, Luk. 8. 33. that is, into the sea, Mat. 8. 32. Of the sea Chinnereth there is mention also in Ios. 12. 3. & 13. 27. & of a citie so named, Ios. 19. 35. and of the countrey, Ios. 11. 2. 1 King. 15. 20. It is thought to be called in Chaldee, Ginnosar and Genesar, of Princely gardens which were in those parts. This sea had store of fishes, and from hence our Lord tooke his foure first Apostles, fishers of Galilce, and made them fishers of men, by the preaching of his Gospell, Mat. 4. 18, 19, 20, 21. On this sea Christ walked, and allayed the waves thereof, Mark. 6. 45. 48. 51. 53. Iohn 6. 16,—21. and here he appeared to his Disciples after his resurrection, at what time they tooke at one draught an hundred fiftie and three great fishes, Iohn 21. 1,—11. Vers. 12. Iordan] in Hebrew Iarden; in Greeke, and in the New Testament, Iordanes. It was the goodliest river of all Canaan, famous thorowout the Scriptures. The waters of this river God did cut off, and made them stand upon an heape, (at that time when Iordan over-flowed all his bankes) untill his people Israel passed over it on dry groūd into the land of Canaan, Ios. 3. 13,—17. Elijah and Elisha the Prophets divided also the waters thereof, and went over on drie ground, 2 King. 2. 8. 14. Naaman the Syrian washing seven times in it, by the word of the Prophet, was cleansed of his leprosie, 2 King. 5. 10. 14. In this river our Lord Iesus him-selfe, and the nation of the Iewes were baptized, Marke 1. 5. 9. salt sea] or sea of salt: See vers. 3. The river Iordan ranne all along by the land of Canaan on the East side, from the North end of the countrey to the South, beginning at the foot of mount Lebanon, (where it is said to spring out of two fountaines, the one called Ior, and the other Dan,) and passed on to the lake of Merom, (by the waters whereof Ioshua vanquished the Canaanites, Ios. 11. 4, 5, 7, 8.) and from thence it ran and emptied it selfe into the sea of Chinnereth forementioned: and from that sea it passed along, till it ended at the salt sea, here spoken of, where also the limits of the land began, in vers. 3. The promised land being thus inclosed and guarded with the maine sea Westward, the inland seas and the river Iordan Eastward, and at each end North and South with mountaines, fore-shewed Gods providence towards his peple for their safe defence on every side. And so it is written, As the mountaines are round about Ierusalem, so the LORD is round about his people, from henceforth even for ever, Psal. 125. 2. Vers. 14. sonnes of the Reubenites] Hebr. of the Reubenite, and after, of the Gadite; which the Greeke and Chaldee translate, sonnes of Reuben, and of Gad. Of these two tribes receiving their inheritance, see Numb. 32. Vers. 17. shall divide the land by inheritance unto you] or, shall inherit the land for you, that is, shall take possession of the land for you, and in your names, and after divide it unto you, as in vers. 29. See vers. 18. Eleazar the Priest, and Ioshua] in Greeke, Iesus. These were the two chiefe Princes, and both of them figures of Christ, who divideth to his people the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven: the one figuring him in his Priesthood, the other in his kingdome: for if Iesus (that is, Ioshua) had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day, Hebr. 4. 8. The Priest had an hand in parting the inheritance, to signifie that it was an holy worke, and a shadow of heavenly things. Also, that if difficultie did arise, he might aske counsell for Ioshua, after the judgement of Vrim before Iehovah, Numb. 27. 21. And likewise for that the Priests and Levites, though they had no inheritance as the other tribes, yet had they cities and suburbs from among their brethren, Numb. 35. which also the Levites claimed of Eleazar the Priest, and of Ioshua, and the other Princes, and had the cities and suburbs given them by lot before the Lord, Ios. 21. Thus also the truth of Gods promise to Abraham was manifested; for hee had said, that in the fourth generation they should returne from their affliction and servitude into the land of Canaan, Gen. 15. 14, 15, 16. And so it came to passe, for Kohath the sonne of Levi was one of them that went with Iakob into Egypt, Gen. 46. 11. 26. of Koath proceeded Amram, of him Aaron, and of him Eleazar, 1 Chron. 6. 1, 2, 3. Vers. 18. one Prince, one Prince of a tribe] that is, of every tribe one Prince. See the like phrase in Numb. 13. 2. and 17. 6. Ios. 3. 12. and 4. 2. 4. to divide the land by inheritance] or, to inherit the land, as the Hebrew properly and usually signifieth; and this latter some of the Hebrewes, as larchi and Kimchi, do retaine, expounding it of the Princes, who in stead of the people, and as their tutors and governours, first tooke the possession in the name of their tribes, and after distributed it unto them by their families. But the Chaldee here, and againe in Ios. 19. 49. (where the like phrase is also used) both the Chaldee and Greeke doe there translate it, cause to inherit, or divide by inheritance; and so Moses explaineth it in vers. 29. Vers. 19. Caleb] he was one of the Spies sent to view the land: of whom see Num. 13. 7, 31. and 14. 24. Ios. 14. 6. &c. Vers. 20. Samuel] or Shemuel: the notation of which name, see in 1 Sam. 1. 20. The Greeke calleth him Salamiel, by a mistaking from Num. 1. 6. Ammihud] in Greeke, Semioud: so in Numb. 1. 10. Vers. 21. Elidad] in Greeke, Eldas the sonne of Chaslon. Vers. 22. Bukki] in Greeke, Bokk[illegible: 1 letter]r sonne of Iekli. Vers. 23. Hanniel] in Greeke, Aniel sonne of S[illegible: 2 letters]phid. Vers. 24. Kemuel] in Greeke, Kamouel sonne of Saphtan. Vers. 25. Parnach] or, Pharnach; in Greeke, Charnach. Vers. 26. Paltiel] or, Phaltiel; in Greeke, Phantiel sonne of Oza. Vers. 27. Ahihud] or, Achihud; in Greeke, Achiod sonne of Selemi. Vers. 28. Pedahel] in Greeke, Phadiel. Observe here the order of the tribes, as they were named with their Princes; 1. Iudah, 2. Si[illegible: 1 span] 3. Benjamin, 4. Dan, 5. Manasses, 6. Ephraim, 7. Zabulon, 8. Issachar, 9. Aser, 10. Naphtali. This order agreeth not with that in Numb. 1. nor with that in Numb. 7. nor in Numb. 26. nor any before set downe; but is thus disposed by Gods wisdome and providence before hand, as they did after inherit the land. Iudah is first, having the first lot, and he dwelt in the South part of the land, Ios. 15. 1, &c. Simeon is next him, because his inheritance was within the inheritance of the sons of Iudah, Ios. 19. 1. The next was Benjamin, who had his lot by Iudah, betweene the sons of Iudah and the sons of Ioseph, Ios. 18. 11. The fourth was Dan, for his lot [illegible: 1 letter]ell by Benjamins westward, in the Philistines country, as is to be seene by his cities, in Ios. 19. 40, 41, &c. Then Manasses, and by him Ephraim his brother, whose inheritances were behind Bejamins, as before is noted, Ios. 16. and 17. Next them dwelt Zabulon and Issachar, of whose lots see Ios. 19. 10. 17. Last of all dwelt Aser and Naphtali in the North parts of Canaan, of whose lots see Ios. 19. 24. 32, &c. And as when they encamped about Gods Tabernacle, they were ordered according to their brotherhoods, as is noted on Numb. 2. so in the dividing and inheriting of the land we may see the like. For Iudah and Simeon, both sonnes of Leah, dwelt abrest one by another. Benjamin of Rachel, and Dan of Rachels maid, dwelt next abrest, Manasses and Ephraim, both sons of Ioseph, by his mother Rachel, had the next place one by another. Zabulon and Issachar, who dwelt next together, were both sonnes of Leah. So the last paire were Aser of Leahs maid, and Naphtali of Rachels maid. Thus God, in nominating the Princes that should divide the land, foresignified the manner of their possession, and that they should be seated to dwell as bre [illegible: 1 span] together in unity, for the mutuall helpe and comfort one of another, as is noted of the first two, Iudah and Simeon, who joyned together in warre against the Canaanites, Iudg. 1. 1, 2, 3. Vers. 29. to divide the inheritance unto] or, to give the sonnes of Israel inheritance. According to this commandement, so was it fulfilled by Eleazar the Priest, and Iosua the sonne of Nun, and the beads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel, who divided the inheritance unto the people by lot, in Shiloh, before the LORD, at the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, Ios. 19. 51.