Numbers 34:13-15 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

‘And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which Yahweh has commanded to give to the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe; for the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their fathers' houses, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to their fathers' houses, have received, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received, their inheritance: the two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising.” '

What he has described was to be seen as the land which was to be divided among them by lot. It was the land which Yahweh had commanded should be given to the nine and a half tribes. The other two and a half tribes have received theirs in Transjordan, east of Jordan. But note the tacit assumption that this had been given to them by Yahweh as well. It is ‘their inheritance' (see Deuteronomy 2:30-31; Deuteronomy 3:2; Deuteronomy 3:18).

So the land that they were to possess was marked out before them. It remained for them to take possession in the name of Yahweh, and with His powerful assistance. He had brought them safely from Egypt (Numbers 33:1-49), now He would take them safely into the promised land (Numbers 33:51-53).

Numbers 34:13-15

13 And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which the LORD commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half tribe:

14 For the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their inheritance; and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance:

15 The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance on this side Jordan near Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising.