341 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 2 'Command the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, When ye are coming in unto the land of Canaan—this 'is' the land which falleth to you by inheritance, the land of Canaan, by its borders— 3 then hath the south quarter been to you from the wilderness of Zin, by the sides of Edom, yea, the south border hath been to you from the extremity of the Salt Sea, eastward; 4 and the border hath turned round to you from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim, and hath passed on to Zin, and its outgoings have been from the south to Kadesh-Barnea, and it hath gone out at Hazar-Addar, and hath passed on to Azmon; 5 and the border hath turned round from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and its outgoings have been at the sea. 6 'As to the west border, even the great sea hath been to you a border; this is to you the west border. 7 'And this is to you the north border: from the great sea ye mark out for yourselves mount Hor; 8 from mount Hor ye mark out to go in to Hamath, and the outgoings of the border have been to Zedad; 9 and the border hath gone out to Ziphron, and its outgoings have been at Hazar-Enan; this is to you the north border. 10 'And ye have marked out for yourselves for the border eastward, from Hazar-Enan to Shepham; 11 and the border hath gone down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east of Ain, and the border hath gone down, and hath smitten against the shoulder of the sea of Chinnereth eastward; 12 and the border hath gone down to the Jordan, and its outgoings have been at the Salt Sea; this is for you the land by its borders round about.' 13 And Moses commandeth the sons of Israel, saying, 'This 'is' the land which ye inherit by lot, which Jehovah hath commanded to give to the nine tribes and the half of the tribe; 14 for the tribe of the sons of Reuben have received, by the house of their fathers; and the tribe of the children of Gad, by the house of their fathers; and the half of the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance; 15 the two tribes and the half of the tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan, 'near' Jericho, eastward, at the 'sun'-rising.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 34:1-15
Commentary on Numbers 34:1-15
(Read Numbers 34:1-15)
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.