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Pentateuch · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Numbers 34

Israel's wilderness journey, rebellion, divine faithfulness, and preparation for the land.

Old Testament

Numbers 34

1The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2“Command the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to its borders),

3then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the side of Edom, and your south border shall be from the end of the Salt Sea eastward.

4Your border shall turn about southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass along to Zin; and it shall pass southward of Kadesh Barnea; and it shall go from there to Hazar Addar, and pass along to Azmon.

5The border shall turn about from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and it shall end at the sea.

6“‘For the western border, you shall have the great sea and its border. This shall be your west border.

7“‘This shall be your north border: from the great sea you shall mark out for yourselves Mount Hor.

8From Mount Hor you shall mark out to the entrance of Hamath; and the border shall pass by Zedad.

9Then the border shall go to Ziphron, and it shall end at Hazar Enan. This shall be your north border.

10“‘You shall mark out your east border from Hazar Enan to Shepham.

11The border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain. The border shall go down, and shall reach to the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward.

12The border shall go down to the Jordan, and end at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to its borders around it.’”

13Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which the LORD has commanded to give to the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe;

14for the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their fathers’ houses, the tribe of the children of Gad according to their fathers’ houses, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.

15The two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, toward the sunrise.”

16The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

17“These are the names of the men who shall divide the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun.

18You shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land for inheritance.

19These are the names of the men: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

20Of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud.

21Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon.

22Of the tribe of the children of Dan a prince, Bukki the son of Jogli.

23Of the children of Joseph: of the tribe of the children of Manasseh a prince, Hanniel the son of Ephod.

24Of the tribe of the children of Ephraim a prince, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan.

25Of the tribe of the children of Zebulun a prince, Elizaphan the son of Parnach.

26Of the tribe of the children of Issachar a prince, Paltiel the son of Azzan.

27Of the tribe of the children of Asher a prince, Ahihud the son of Shelomi.

28Of the tribe of the children of Naphtali a prince, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.”

29These are they whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance to the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

Israel's wilderness journey, rebellion, divine faithfulness, and preparation for the land. Read Numbers 34 within the complete Numbers overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Numbers 34

Numbers 34 contains 29 verses and about 570 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 29 closes: “These are they whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance to the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include children, border, tribe, land, prince, inheritance. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Numbers 34

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Numbers 34:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer