Numbers 34:21

Caleb son of Jephunneh is the only tribal leader mentioned elsewhere in Numbers (13:6, 30; 14:6–38). Most of the older generation had died during the wilderness period (Numbers 26:63–65). But the two faithful spies were still leading their people.

Eleazar (the high priest) and Joshua (the political leader) were to divide the land among the remaining tribes. The 10 tribal leaders who would help them are listed in 34:19–28.

Chapter 34 describes the borders of Canaan. This is where God commanded Israel to settle, following the guidelines in 26:52–56. Since Abraham's call, the promised land of Canaan has been central to the Old Testament story (Genesis 12:1–7). A generation of Hebrews died in the wilderness for not believing what the faithful spies reported (Numbers 13). Yet, God reaffirmed his promise of land (33:53).

Here, God reviews the plan and outlines the promised land's intended boundaries (compare Joshua 13–19; Ezekiel 47–48). Old Testament Israel did not fully capture this territory. It almost did during the time of the kings David and Solomon (see 2 Samuel 24:1–9). But these borders generally describe the region of Canaan as defined by Egyptian texts from 1500–1200 BC. This was when the Hebrews invaded. The region actually occupied by Israel changed from time to time.

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

And the Lord spake unto Moses. The question here arises, if the Israelites were to divide the land among themselves by lot, wherefore was the authority of the judges required, as if there was anything for them to decide? But if we consider what has been lately shown, that reference was to be had, in the distribution of the land, to the numbers in every tribe, it was requisite for two purposes, -- first, that God might show by His decree the districts respectively assigned to them; and, secondly, that their dimensions might be proportionate to the number of their occupants. For the casting of lots was still necessary, because many would have been averse to the sea-coast, or would have preferred the center of the land to its extremities, or would have been unwilling to be banished to the mountains; in short, they would have contended with each other beyond measure in murmurings and strife. On this account the lots were cast, by the decision of which God placed the several tribes in whatever position He pleased, although the judges, together with the High Priest and Joshua, had before divided the land into ten portions. But after it was declared in what district the several tribes were to dwell, as if God had there designated their abodes, the determination of men was again necessarily had recourse to, as to how far, and in what direction, the boundaries of the greater tribes were to extend; otherwise the lesser tribes would have refused to be cooped up in a less convenient position. And although the supreme authority was justly vested in Eleazar and Joshua, lest God should expose them to calumny and ill-will, He associated with them a council, in which also there was a prudent precaution against rivalry, for each of the twelve tribes contributed its judge to preside over the distribution, so that none might complain of being aggrieved. Moreover, inasmuch as it was of great importance that the possession, once established, should be secured to posterity, first of all the names of the princes are recorded, in order to give certainty to the history; and, secondly, as had been stated at the beginning of the chapter, so also it is repeated at the end that they were chosen by God, from whence the Israelites learnt that the boundaries then fixed could not be altered without overthrowing the authority of God Himself.

Footnotes:

[228] There has been much discussion amongst the commentators on this point. The conclusion to which Dr. Kitto comes, after due examination of the opposite theory, is, that "the river of Egypt," when mentioned as a boundary, cannot mean the Nile. "The present river of Egypt' (he adds) probably denotes a stream which formed the extreme boundary of the country eastward of the Nile, which Egypt, even in these early times, professed to claim, and which derived its name from that circumstance. It was probably not far from El-Arish, to which, under the name of Rhinocorura, it is expressly referred by the Septuagint. That it was a stream somewhere between the southern frontier of Palestine and the Nile we are deeply convinced." -- Illustr. Com., in loco.

[229] "La donation qui avoit este desia faite de la region de Basan;" the grant which had been already made of the district of Bashan. -- Fr.

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 Numbers 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, Numbers 1:1 or at the offerings for the dedication of the altar, Numbers 7:1 or at the taking the sum of them, Numbers 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.

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.