HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 526
N U MBERS 3 5
these will be the boundaries. 3 The southern
portion of your country will extend from the
wilderness of Zin, along the edge of Edom. The
southern boundary will begin on the east at
the Dead Sea.* 4 It will then run south past Scorpion Pass* in the direction of Zin. Its southernmost point will be Kadesh-barnea, from which it
will go to Hazar-addar, and on to Azmon. 5 From
Azmon the boundary will turn toward the Brook
of Egypt and end at the Mediterranean Sea.*
6 “Your western boundary will be the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.
7 “Your northern boundary will begin at the
Mediterranean Sea and run east to Mount Hor,
8 then to Lebo-hamath, and on through Zedad
9 and Ziphron to Hazar-enan. This will be your
northern boundary.
10 “The eastern boundary will start at Hazarenan and run south to Shepham, 11 then down
to Riblah on the east side of Ain. From there the
boundary will run down along the eastern edge
of the Sea of Galilee,* 12 and then along the Jordan River to the Dead Sea. These are the boundaries of your land.”
13 Then Moses told the Israelites, “This territory is the homeland you are to divide among
yourselves by sacred lot. The Lord has commanded that the land be divided among the
nine and a half remaining tribes. 14 The families
of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of
Manasseh have already received their grants of
land 15 on the east side of the Jordan River, across
from Jericho toward the sunrise.”
Leaders to Divide the Land
16 And the Lord said to Moses, 17 “Eleazar the
priest and Joshua son of Nun are the men designated to divide the grants of land among the
• Justice
NU MB E R S 3 5 :9 -2 5
The cities of refuge represented God’s
concern and provision for justice in a
culture that did not always protect the
innocent. God’s strict laws about murder
and its consequences demonstrated his
justice; murder was never taken lightly.
But proof of guilt was required. In the
meantime, suspects might need to stay
in a city of refuge to protect themselves
from the retaliation of the deceased’s
family or tribe. This demonstrates the
balance between God’s justice and God’s
mercy. While we are not to grow tolerant
of sin and we are to seek justice, we can
only be sure that justice is served when
the truth about a matter is sought out.
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people. 18 Enlist one leader from each tribe to
help them with the task. 19 These are the tribes
and the names of the leaders:
Tribe
Leader
Judah . . . . . . . . . . . . . Caleb son of Jephunneh
20 Simeon . . . . . . . . . Shemuel son of Ammihud
21 Benjamin . . . . . . . . . . . . Elidad son of Kislon
22 Dan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bukki son of Jogli
23 Manasseh son of Joseph . . . . . Hanniel son of
Ephod
24 Ephraim son of Joseph . . . . . . Kemuel son of
Shiphtan
25 Zebulun . . . . . . . . . Elizaphan son of Parnach
26 Issachar . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Paltiel son of Azzan
27 Asher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ahihud son of Shelomi
28 Naphtali . . . . . . . . .Pedahel son of Ammihud
29 These are the men the Lord has appointed to
divide the grants of land in Canaan among the
Israelites.”
Towns for the Levites
While Israel was camped beside the Jordan on the plains of Moab across from
Jericho, the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Command the
people of Israel to give to the Levites from their
property certain towns to live in, along with
the surrounding pasturelands. 3 These towns will
be for the Levites to live in, and the surrounding
lands will provide pasture for their cattle, flocks,
and other livestock. 4 The pastureland assigned
to the Levites around these towns will extend
1,500 feet* from the town walls in every direction.
5 Measure off 3,000 feet* outside the town walls
in every direction—east, south, west, north—
with the town at the center. This area will serve
as the larger pastureland for the towns.
6 “Six of the towns you give the Levites will
be cities of refuge, where a person who has accidentally killed someone can flee for safety.
In addition, give them forty-two other towns.
7 In all, forty-eight towns with the surrounding
pastureland will be given to the Levites. 8 These
towns will come from the property of the people
of Israel. The larger tribes will give more towns
to the Levites, while the smaller tribes will give
fewer. Each tribe will give property in proportion to the size of its land.”
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Cities of Refuge
9 The Lord said to Moses, 10 “Give the following
instructions to the people of Israel.
“When you cross the Jordan into the land of
Canaan, 11 designate cities of refuge to which
people can flee if they have killed someone accidentally. 12 These cities will be places of protection from a dead person’s relatives who want
to avenge the death. The slayer must not be put
34:3 Hebrew Salt Sea; also in 34:12. 34:4 Or the ascent
of Akrabbim. 34:5 Hebrew the sea; also in 34:6, 7.
34:11 Hebrew Sea of Kinnereth. 35:4 Hebrew 1,000 cubits
[460 meters]. 35:5 Hebrew 2,000 cubits [920 meters].