Text -- Numbers 34:1-6 (NET)

The Southern Border of the Land

34:1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 34:2 “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, 34:3 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, 34:4 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. 34:5 There the border will turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, and then its direction is to the sea.

The Western Border of the Land

34:6 “‘And for a western border you will have the Great Sea. This will be your western border.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Num 34:1

¹ sn This chapter falls into several sections: the south (vv. 1-5), the west (v. 6), the north (vv. 7-9), the east (vv. 10-15), and then a list of appointed officials (vv. 16-29).

NET Notes: Num 34:2

¹ tn Or “command.”

² tn Heb “this is the land that will fall to you as an inheritance.”

NET Notes: Num 34:3

¹ tn The expression refers to the corner or extremity of the Negev, the South.

NET Notes: Num 34:4

¹ tn Or “the Ascent of Scorpions” (עַקְרַבִּים [’aqrabbim] means “scorpions” in Hebrew).

² tn Heb “its going forth,” or the way it runs.

NET Notes: Num 34:5

¹ sn That is, the Mediterranean.

NET Notes: Num 34:6

¹ tn The word for west is simply “sea,” because the sea is west of Israel.

² sn That is, the Mediterranean Sea (also in the following verse).