Numbers 34:14
Ver. 14. For the tribe of the children of Reuben, according to the house of their fathers,.... That tribe, and all the families belonging to it: have received their inheritance, and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance; that is, it was agreed they should have it on condition of their going along with the other tribes over Jordan into the land of Canaan, and assist them in the conquest of it, Nu 32:1. Numbers 34:15Ver. 15. The two tribes and the half tribe,.... The tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh:have received their inheritance on this side Jordan near Jericho, eastward, toward the sun rising; that is, they received the grant of it there, even in the plains of Moab, opposite Jericho, which lay to the east of the land of Canaan. Numbers 34:16Ver. 16. 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. Numbers 34:17Ver. 17. These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you,.... Or "inherit the land for you" {z}; that is, as Jarchi interprets it, they were to take possession of it in their name and stead, as their representatives, and then distribute it unto them, or divide it to be inherited by them; but whatever may be said for the princes of the tribes, as acting for their respective tribes, and representing them, the same cannot be said of the two first named, as follow:Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun; the one the principal person in ecclesiastical affairs, and the other in civil ones; to divide the land being partly a sacred work, as it was a type of the heavenly Canaan, and a civil one, as it concerned the present welfare of the people of Israel; and both were types of Christ, the priest upon his throne, who is both priest and King; who, as the one, gives a right unto it, and, as the other, introduces into it.{z} Mkl wlxny "haereditabunt vobis", Montanus; "qui haereditario jure accipient pro vobis", Tigurine not. Numbers 34:18Ver. 18. And ye shall take one prince out of every tribe,.... That is, out of the nine tribes and the half, which are ten in all; of the tribes of Reuben and Gad none were taken, because they had had their inheritance granted them elsewhere; nor of the tribe of Levi, because they were to have no inheritance in the land: to divide the land by inheritance; who being men of honour, understanding, and probity, and naturally concerned for the good of the tribes to which they belonged, would take care that justice be done to each, and that no fraudulent methods were used in drawing the lot; and then take possession according to the lot, and impartially divide the portion assigned among the respective families in the tribes, according to their rank and numbers. Numbers 34:19Ver. 19-28. And the names of the men are these,.... Which were not left to the tribes to choose, but were nominated by the Lord himself, who best knew their capacities and qualifications for this service:of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh: who was one of the two spies that brought a good report of the land, and Joshua is the other; and these were the only two of the spies living, and who are the first that were appointed to this service, of overseeing the division of the land; the rest were all of the new generation, that were sprung up, whose fathers fell in the wilderness, and we know no more of them than their names; and therefore from hence, to the end of Nu 34:28, no further remarks are necessary, only that the tribes and the princes are reckoned in a different order than they were at any time before, either at the first numbering of them, Nu 1:1 or at the offerings for the dedication of the altar, Nu 7:1 or at the taking the sum of them, Nu 26:1 even according to the order of their situation in the land of Canaan by their lots, and which Moses did not live to see; and which therefore shows the prescience and predisposing providence of God, and that Moses, as Bishop Patrick observes, was guided by a divine Spirit in all his writings. Numbers 34:20Ver. 20. See Gill on "Nu 34:19". Numbers 34:21Ver. 21. See Gill on "Nu 34:19". Numbers 34:22Ver. 22. See Gill on "Nu 34:19". Numbers 34:23Ver. 23. See Gill on "Nu 34:19". Numbers 34:24Ver. 24. See Gill on "Nu 34:19". Numbers 34:25Ver. 25. See Gill on "Nu 34:19". Numbers 34:26Ver. 26. See Gill on "Nu 34:19". Numbers 34:27Ver. 27. See Gill on "Nu 34:19". Numbers 34:28Ver. 28. See Gill on "Nu 34:19". Numbers 34:29Ver. 29. These are they whom the Lord commanded,.... Not only named and appointed them, but laid his commands upon them, and obliged them:to divide the inheritance unto the children of Israel; even this order was made before the land was conquered by them, so sure and certain was it unto them; and accordingly they did divide it, and that in Shiloh, before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, as in the presence of God, doing it in the most impartial and solemn manner; see Jos 19:51.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.