Numbers 34:16

34:16-29 Eleazar (the high priest) and Joshua (the political leader) were to divide the land among the remaining tribes. The ten tribal leaders who would help them are listed in 34:19-28.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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.

Next: Numbers Chapter 35

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

16–29. Ten princes were appointed to superintend the allotment of the land, one from each of the nine and a halt tribes who settled west of the Jordan. In supreme command are Joshua and Eleazar, the successors of Moses and Aaron as the civil and religious beads of the nation.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... At the same time that he gave him the bounds of the land of Canaan, which was to be divided between the nine tribes and a half; and that this might be done in the most impartial manner, and to the satisfaction of them all, he gave orders to Moses:

saying; as follows.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Of the representatives now selected through Moses beforehand, who were all princes, i. e. heads of chief families, in their respective tribes (see Num 13:2), Caleb alone, of the tribe of Judah, is otherwise known to us (see Num 13:4 ff). The order in which the tribes are named is peculiar to this passage. If they be taken in pairs, Judah and Simeon, Benjamin and Dan, Manasseh and Ephraim, Zebulun and Issachar, Asher and Naphtali, the order of the pairs agrees with the order in which the allotments in the Holy land, taken also in couples, followed each other in the map from south to north.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

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.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

The Princes in Charge of the Division

v. 16. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

v. 17. These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you, the men in charge of the lot-casting which should determine the location of each individual tribe: Eleazar, the priest, and Joshua, the son of Nun.

v. 18. And ye shall take one prince of every tribe to divide the land by inheritance.

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

v. 20. And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel, the son of Ammihud.

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

v. 22. And the prince of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki, the son of Jogli.

v. 23. The prince of the children of Joseph, for the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel, the son of Ephod.

v. 24. And the prince of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel, the son of Shiphtan.

v. 25. And the prince of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan, the son of Parnach.

v. 26. And the prince of the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel, the son of Azzan.

v. 27. And the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud, the son of Shelomi.

v. 28. And the prince of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel, the son of Ammihud.

v. 29. These are they whom the Lord commanded to divide the inheritance unto the children of Israel in the land of Canaan. of these princes only Caleb is mentioned elsewhere. The list of tribes in the order named corresponds, with some exceptions, to the situation of the territory which the tribes received in Canaan, reckoning from the south to the north. It should be remembered also here that the position of the several inheritances was determined by lot; but their dimensions were proportioned to the numerical size of the tribes to which they fell, the largest tribe getting the most territory. The care of the covenant God for the people whom He had chosen appears throughout.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

divide the land for your inheritance

Here "your" is plural and refers to the people of Israel. These men will cast lots to divide the land. Then they will distribute it to the tribes. (See: Forms of You)

translationWords

inherit

Eleazar

priest

Joshua

clan

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.