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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1706)
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<CENTER>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>N U M B E R S</B></FONT>
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<BR>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>CHAP. XXXIV.</FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=50>
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<FONT SIZE=-1>
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<P>
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In this chapter God directs Moses, and he is to direct Israel,
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I. Concerning the bounds and borders of the land of Canaan,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Nu+34:1-15">ver. 1-15</A>.
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II. Concerning the division and distribution of it to the tribes of
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Israel,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Nu+34:16-29">ver. 16</A>, &c.</P>
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</FONT>
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<A NAME="Nu34_1"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_2"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_3"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_4"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_5"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_6"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_7"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_8"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_9"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_10"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_11"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_12"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_13"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_14"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_15"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec1"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>The Boundaries of Canaan.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 1452.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>1 And the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> spake unto Moses, saying,
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2 Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye
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come into the land of Canaan; (this <I>is</I> the land that shall fall
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unto you for an inheritance, <I>even</I> the land of Canaan with the
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coasts thereof:)
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3 Then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin
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along by the coast of Edom, and your south border shall be the
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outmost coast of the salt sea eastward:
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4 And your border shall turn from the south to the ascent of
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Akrabbim, and pass on to Zin: and the going forth thereof shall
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be from the south to Kadesh-barnea, and shall go on to Hazar-addar,
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and pass on to Azmon:
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5 And the border shall fetch a compass from Azmon unto the
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river of Egypt, and the goings out of it shall be at the sea.
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6 And <I>as for</I> the western border, ye shall even have the great
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sea for a border: this shall be your west border.
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7 And this shall be your north border: from the great sea ye
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shall point out for you mount Hor:
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8 From mount Hor ye shall point out <I>your border</I> unto the
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entrance of Hamath; and the goings forth of the border shall be
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to Zedad:
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9 And the border shall go on to Ziphron, and the goings out of
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it shall be at Hazar-enan: this shall be your north border.
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10 And ye shall point out your east border from Hazar-enan to
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Shepham:
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11 And the coast shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the
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east side of Ain; and the border shall descend, and shall reach
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unto the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward:
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12 And the border shall go down to Jordan, and the goings out
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of it shall be at the salt sea: this shall be your land with the
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coasts thereof round about.
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13 And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This
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<I>is</I> the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>
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commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half tribe:
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14 For the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the
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house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad
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according to the house of their fathers, have received <I>their
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inheritance;</I> and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their
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inheritance:
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15 The two tribes and the half tribe have received their
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inheritance on this side Jordan <I>near</I> Jericho eastward, toward
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the sunrising.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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We have here a particular draught of the line by which the land of
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Canaan was meted, and bounded, on all sides. God directs Moses to
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settle it here, not as a geographer in his map, merely to please the
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curious, but as a prince in his grant, that it may be certainly known
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what passes, and is conveyed, by the grant. There was a much larger
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possession promised them, which in due time they would have possessed
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if they had been obedient, reaching even to the river Euphrates,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Da+11:24">Deut. xi. 24</A>.
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And even so far the dominion of Israel did extend in David's time and
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Solomon's,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+9:26">2 Chron. ix. 26</A>.
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But this which is here described is Canaan only, which was the lot of
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the nine tribes and a half, for the other two and a half were already
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settled,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Nu+34:14,15"><I>v.</I> 14, 15</A>.
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Now concerning the limits of Canaan observe,</P>
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<P>
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I. That it was limited within certain bounds: for God <I>appoints the
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bounds of our habitation,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ac+17:26">Acts xvii. 26</A>.
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The borders are set them,
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1. That they might know whom they were to dispossess, and how far the
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commission which was given them extended
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Nu+33:53"><I>ch.</I> xxxiii. 53</A>),
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that they should <I>drive out the inhabitants.</I> Those that lay
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within these borders, and those only, they must destroy; hitherto their
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bloody sword must go, and no further.
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2. That they might know what to expect the possession of themselves.
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God would not have his people to enlarge their desire of worldly
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possessions, but to know when they have enough, and to rest satisfied
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with it. The Israelites themselves must not be <I>placed alone in the
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midst of the earth,</I> but must leave room for their neighbours to
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live by them. God sets bounds to our lot; let us then set bounds to our
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desires, and bring our mind to our condition.</P>
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<P>
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II. That it lay comparatively in a very little compass: as it is here
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bounded, it is reckoned to be but about 160 miles in length and about
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fifty in breadth; perhaps it did not contain more than half as much
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ground as England, and yet this is the country which was promised to
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the father of the faithful and was the possession of the seed of
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Israel. This was that little spot of ground in which only, for many
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ages, <I>God was known, and his name was great,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+76:1">Ps. lxxvi. 1</A>.
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This was the vineyard of the Lord, the garden enclosed; but, as it is
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with gardens and vineyards, the narrowness of the extent was abundantly
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compensated by the extraordinary fruitfulness of the soil, otherwise it
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could not have subsisted so numerous a nation as did inhabit it. See
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here then,
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1. How small a part of the world God has for himself. Though the
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<I>earth is his, and the fullness thereof,</I> yet few have the
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knowledge of him and serve him; but those few are happy, very happy,
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because fruitful to God.
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2. How small a share of the world God often gives to his own people.
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Those that have their portion in heaven have reason to be content with
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a small pittance of this earth; but, as here, what is wanting in
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quantity is made up in quality; <I>a little that a righteous man
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has,</I> having it from the love of God and with his blessing, is far
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better and more comfortable <I>than the riches of many wicked,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+37:16">Ps. xxxvii. 16</A>.</P>
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<P>
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III. It is observable what the bounds and limits of it were.
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1. Canaan was itself a <I>pleasant land</I> (so it is called
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Da+8:9">Dan. viii. 9</A>),
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and yet it bordered upon wilderness and seas, and was surrounded with
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divers melancholy prospects. Thus the vineyard of the church is
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compassed on all hands with the desert of this world, which serves as a
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foil to it, to make it appear the more beautiful for situation.
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2. Many of its borders were its defences and natural fortifications, to
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render the access of enemies the more difficult, and to intimate to
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Israel that the God of nature was their protector, and with his favour
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would <I>compass them as with a shield.</I>
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3. The border reached to the <I>river of Egypt</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Nu+34:5"><I>v.</I> 5</A>),
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that the sight of that country which they could look into out of their
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own might remind them of their bondage there, and their wonderful
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deliverance thence.
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4. Their border is here made to begin at the <I>Salt Sea</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Nu+34:3"><I>v.</I> 3</A>),
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and there it ends,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Nu+34:12"><I>v.</I> 12</A>.
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This was the remaining lasting monument of the destruction of Sodom and
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Gomorrah. That pleasant fruitful vale in which these cities stood
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became a lake, which was never stirred by any wind, bore no vessels,
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was replenished with no fish, no living creature of any sort being
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found in it, therefore called the <I>Dead Sea.</I> This was part of
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their border, that it might be a constant warning to them to take heed
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of those sins which had been the ruin of Sodom; yet the iniquity of
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Sodom was afterwards found in Israel
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Eze+16:49">Ezek. xvi. 49</A>),
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for which Canaan was made, though not a salt sea as Sodom, yet a barren
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soil, and continues so to this day.
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5. Their western border was the <I>Great Sea</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Nu+34:6"><I>v.</I> 6</A>),
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which is now called the <I>Mediterranean.</I> Some consider this sea
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itself to have been a part of their possession, and that by virtue of
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this grant, they had the dominion of it, and, if they had not forfeited
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it by sin, might have rode masters of it.</P>
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<A NAME="Nu34_16"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_17"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_18"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_19"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_20"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_21"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_22"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_23"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_24"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_25"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_26"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_27"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_28"> </A>
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<A NAME="Nu34_29"> </A>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>16 And the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> spake unto Moses, saying,
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17 These <I>are</I> the names of the men which shall divide the land
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unto you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun.
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18 And ye shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the
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land by inheritance.
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19 And the names of the men <I>are</I> these: Of the tribe of Judah,
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Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
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20 And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son
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of Ammihud.
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21 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon.
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22 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki
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the son of Jogli.
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23 The prince of the children of Joseph, for the tribe of the
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children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod.
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24 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Ephraim,
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Kemuel the son of Shiphtan.
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25 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Zebulun,
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Elizaphan the son of Parnach.
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26 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Issachar,
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Paltiel the son of Azzan.
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27 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud
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the son of Shelomi.
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28 And the prince of the tribe of the children of Naphtali,
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Pedahel the son of Ammihud.
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29 These <I>are they</I> whom the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> commanded to divide the
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inheritance unto the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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God here appoints commissioners for the dividing of the land to them.
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The conquest of it is taken for granted, though as yet there was never
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a stroke struck towards it. Here is no nomination of the generals and
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commanders-in-chief that should carry on the war; for they were to get
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the land in possession, <I>not by their own sword or bow, but by the
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power and favour of God;</I> and so confident must they be of victory
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and success while God fought for them that the persons must now be
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named who should be entrusted with the dividing of the land, that is,
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who should preside in casting the lots, and determine controversies
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that might arise, and see that all was done fairly.
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1. The principal commissioners, who were of the <I>quorum,</I> were
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Eleazar and Joshua
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Nu+34:17"><I>v.</I> 17</A>),
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typifying Christ, who, as priest and king, divides the heavenly Canaan
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to the spiritual Israel; yet, as they were to go by the lot, so Christ
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acknowledges the disposal must be by the will of the Father,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Mt+20:23">Matt. xx. 23</A>.
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Compare,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Eph+1:11">Eph. i. 11</A>.
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2. Besides these, that there might be no suspicion of partiality, a
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prince of each tribe was appointed to inspect this matter, and to see
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that the tribe he served for was in no respect injured. Public affairs
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should be so managed as not only to give their right to all, but, if
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possible, to give satisfaction to all that they have justice done
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them., It is a happiness to a land to have the princes of their people
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meet together, some out of every tribe, to concert the affairs that are
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of common concern, a constitution which is the abundant honour, ease,
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and safety, of the nation that is blessed with it.
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3. Some observe that the order of the tribes here very much differs
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from that in which they hitherto, upon all occasions, been named, and
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agrees with the neighbourhood of their lots in the division of the
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land. Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, the first three here named, lay
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close together; the inheritance of Dan lay next them on one side, that
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of Ephraim and Manasseh on another side; Zebulun and Issachar lay
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abreast more northerly, and, lastly, Asher and Naphtali most northward
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of all, as is easy to observe in looking over a map of Canaan; this
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(says bishop Patrick) is an evidence that Moses was guided by a divine
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Spirit in his writings. Known unto God are all his works beforehand,
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and what is new and surprising to us he perfectly foresaw, without any
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confusion or uncertainty.</P>
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