Introduction
The land of Canaan is described, [Num 34:1], [Num 34:2]. The south quarter, [Num 34:3-5]. The western border, [Num 34:6]. The north border, [Num 34:7-9]. The east border, [Num 34:10-12]. This land to be divided by lot among the nine tribes and half, [Num 34:13]; two tribes and half, Reuben and Gad, and the half of Manasseh, having already got their inheritance on the east side of Jordan, [Num 34:14], [Num 34:15]. Eleazar the priest, and Joshua, to assist in dividing the land, [Num 34:16], [Num 34:17]; and with them a chief out of every tribe, [Num 34:18]. The names of the twelve chiefs, [Num 34:19-29].
Verse 2
The land of Canaan with the coasts thereof - All description here is useless. The situation and boundaries of the land of Canaan can only be known by actual survey, or by consulting a good map.
Verse 3
The salt sea - The Dead Sea, or lake Asphaltites. See the note on [Gen 19:25].
Verse 5
The river of Egypt - The eastern branch of the river Nile; or, according to others, a river which is south of the land of the Philistines, and fails into the gulf or bay near Calieh.
Verse 6
Ye shall even have the great sea for a border - The Mediterranean Sea, called here the Great Sea, to distinguish it from the Dead Sea, the Sea of Tiberias, etc., which were only a sort of lakes. In Hebrew there is properly but one term, ים yam, which is applied to all collections of water apparently stagnant, and which is generally translated sea. The Greek of the New Testament follows the Hebrew, and employs, in general, the word θαλασσα, Sea, whether it speaks of the Mediterranean, or of the sea or lake of Galilee.
Verse 11
The sea of Chinnereth - The same as the sea of Galilee, sea of Tiberias, and sea of Gennesareth.
Verse 12
The border shall go down to Jordan - This river is famous both in the Old and New Testaments. It takes its rise at the foot of Mount Libanus, passes through the sea of Chinnereth or Tiberias, and empties itself into the lake Asphaltites or Dead Sea, from which it has no outlet. In and by it God wrought many miracles. God cut off the waters of this river as he did those of the Red Sea, so that they stood on a heap on each side, and the people passed over on dry ground. Both Elijah and Elisha separated its waters in a miraculous way, [2Kgs 2:8-14]. Naaman, the Syrian general, by washing in it at the command of the prophet, was miraculously cured of his leprosy, [2Kgs 5:10-14]. In this river John baptized great multitudes of Jews; and in it was Christ himself baptized, and the Spirit of God descended upon him, and the voice from heaven proclaimed him the great and only Teacher and Savior of men, [Mat 3:16], [Mat 3:17]; [Mar 1:5-11].
Verse 13
This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot - Much of what is said concerning this land is peculiarly emphatic. It is a land that contains a multitude of advantages in its climate, its soil, situation, etc. It is bounded on the south by a ridge of mountains, which separate it from Arabia, and screen it from the burning and often pestiferous winds which blow over the desert from that quarter. On the west it is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea; on the north, by Mount Libanus, which defends it from the cold northern blasts; and on the east by the river Jordan, and its fertile, well-watered plains. It is described by God himself as "a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains, and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey; a land wherein there was no scarcity of bread, and where both iron and copper mines abounded," [Deu 8:7-9] : a land finely diversified with hills and valleys, and well watered by the rain of heaven, in this respect widely different from Egypt; a land which God cared for, on which his eyes were continually placed from the beginning to the end of the year; watched over by a most merciful Providence; in a word, a land which flowed with milk and honey, and was the most pleasant of all lands; [Deu 11:11], [Deu 11:12]; [Eze 20:6]. Such was the land, and such were the advantages that this most favored people were called to possess. They were called to possess it by lot that each might be satisfied with his possession, as considering it to be appointed to him by the especial providence of God; and its boundaries were ascertained on Divine authority, to prevent all covetousness after the territories of others.
Verse 19
And the names of the men - are these - It is worthy of remark that Moses does not follow any order hitherto used of placing the tribes, neither that in Numbers 1, nor that in Numbers 7, nor that in Numbers 26, nor any other; but places them here exactly in that order in which they possessed the land.
1. Judah
2. Simeon
3. Benjamin
4. Dan
5. Manasseh
6. Ephraim
7. Zebulun
8. Issachar
9. Asher
10. Naphtali
Judah is first, having the first lot; and he dwelt in the south part of the land, [Jos 15:1], etc.; and next to him Simeon, because his inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah, [Jos 19:1]. Benjamin was third; he had his inheritance by Judah, between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph, [Jos 18:11]. Dan was the fourth; his lot fell westward of that of Benjamin, in the country of the Philistines, as may be seen in [Jos 19:40], [Jos 19:41], etc. Fifth, Manasseh; and sixth, by him, his brother Ephraim, whose inheritances were behind that of Benjamin, [Jos 16:7]. Next to these dwelt, seventh, Zebulun; and eighth, Issachar; concerning whose lots see [Jos 19:10-17]. Ninth, Asher; and tenth, Naphtali; see [Jos 19:24], [Jos 19:32], etc.
And as in encamping about the tabernacle they were arranged according to their fraternal relationship, (see Numbers 2)., so they were in the division and inheriting of the promised land. Judah and Simeon, both sons of Leah, dwelt abreast of each other. Benjamin, son of Rachel, and Dan, son of Rachel's maid, dwelt next abreast. Manasseh and Ephraim, both sons of Joseph, son of Rachel, had the next place abreast. Zebulun and Issachar, who dwelt next together, were both sons of Leah; and the last pair were Asher, of Leah's maid, and Naphtali, of Rachel's maid. Thus God, in nominating princes that should divide the land, signified beforehand the manner of their possession, and that they should be so situated as to dwell together as brethren in unity, for the mutual help and comfort of each other. See Ainsworth. In this arrangement there is much skill, judgment, and kindness every where displayed.
Introduction
The Israelites are commanded to give the Levites, out of their inheritances, cities and their suburbs for themselves and for their cattle, goods, etc., [Num 35:1-3]. The suburbs to be 3,000 cubits round about from the wall of the city, [Num 35:4], [Num 35:5]. The cities to be forty-two, to which six cities of refuge should be added, in all forty-eight cities, [Num 35:6], [Num 35:7]. Each tribe shall give of these cities in proportion to its possessions, [Num 35:8]. These cities to be appointed for the person who might slay his neighbor unawares, [Num 35:9-12]. Of these six cities there shall be three on each side Jordan, [Num 35:13], [Num 35:14]. The cities to be places of refuge for all who kill a person unawares, whether they be Israelites, strangers, or sojourners, [Num 35:15]. Cases of murder to which the benefit of the cities of refuge shall not extend, [Num 35:16-21]. Cases of manslaughter to which the benefits of the cities of refuge shall extend, [Num 35:22], [Num 35:23]. How the congregation shall act between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, [Num 35:24], [Num 35:25]. The manslayer shall abide in the city of refuge till the death of the high priest; he shall then return to the land of his possession, [Num 35:26-28]. Two witnesses must attest a murder before a murderer can be put to death, [Num 35:29], [Num 35:30]. Every murderer to be put to death, [Num 35:31]. The manslayer is not to be permitted to come to the land of his inheritance till the death of the high priest, [Num 35:32]. The land must not be polluted with blood, for the Lord dwells in it, [Num 35:33], [Num 35:34].
Verse 4
And the suburbs of the cities - shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.
Verse 5
And ye shall measure from without the city - two thousand cubits, etc. - Commentators have been much puzzled with the accounts in these two verses. In [Num 35:4] the measure is said to be 1,000 cubits from the wall; in [Num 35:5] the measure is said to be 2,000 from without the city. It is likely these two measures mean the same thing; at least so it was understood by the Septuagint and Coptic, who have δισχιλιους πηχεις, 2,000 cubits, in the fourth, as well as in the fifth verse; but this reading of the Septuagint and Coptic is not acknowledged by any other of the ancient versions, nor by any of the MSS. collated by Kennicott and De Rossi. We must seek therefore for some other method of reconciling this apparently contradictory account. Sundry modes have been proposed by commentators, which appear to me, in general, to require full as much explanation as the text itself. Maimonides is the only one intelligible on the subject. "The suburbs," says he, "of the cities are expressed in the law to be 3,000 cubits on every side from the wall of the city and outwards. The first thousand cubits are the suburbs, and the 2,000, which they measured without the suburbs, were for fields and vineyards." The whole, therefore, of the city, suburbs, fields, and vineyards, may be represented by the diagram.
Verse 11
Ye shall appoint - cities of refuge - The cities of refuge among the Israelites were widely different from the asyla among the Greeks and Romans, as also from the privileged altars among the Roman Catholics. Those among the Hebrews were for the protection of such only as had slain a person involuntarily. The temples and altars among the latter often served for the protection of the most profligate characters. Cities of refuge among the Hebrews were necessary, because the old patriarchal law still remained in force, viz., that the nearest akin had a right to avenge the death of his relation by slaying the murderer; for the original law enacted that whosoever shed man's blood, by man should his blood be shed, [Gen 9:6], and none was judged so proper to execute this law as the man who was nearest akin to the deceased. As many rash executions of this law might take place, from the very nature of the thing, it was deemed necessary to qualify its claims, and prevent injustice; and the cities of refuge were judged proper for this purpose. Nor do we ever read that they were ever found inefficient, or that they were ever abused.
Verse 12
Until he stand before the congregation in judgment - So one of these cities was not a perpetual asylum; It was only a pro tempore refuge, till the case could be fairly examined by the magistrates in the presence of the people, or the elders their representatives; and this was done in the city or place where he had done the murder, [Jos 20:4], [Jos 20:6]. If he was found worthy of death, they delivered him to the avenger that he might be slain, [Deu 19:12]; if not, they sent him back to the city of refuge, where he remained till the death of the high priest, [Num 35:25]. Before the cities of refuge were appointed, the altar appears to have been a sanctuary for those who had killed a person unwittingly; see on [Exo 21:13] (note), and [Exo 21:14] (note).
Verse 19
The revenger of blood - גאל הדם goel haddam, the redeemer of blood; the next in blood to him who was slain. See on [Num 35:12] (note).
Verse 30
But one witness shall not testify against any - This was a just and necessary provision. One may be mistaken, or so violently prejudiced as to impose even on his own judgment, or so wicked as to endeavor through malice to compass the life of his neighbor: but it is not likely that two or more should be of this kind; and even were they, their separate examination would lead to a discovery of the truth, and to their conviction.
Verse 31
Ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer - No atonement could be made for him, nor any commutation, so as to save him from death. All the laws of the civilized world have either adjudged the murderer to death, or to a punishment equivalent to it; such as perpetual imprisonment, in a dungeon, under ground, on a stone floor, without light, and to be fed on a small portion of bread and water. In such circumstances a man could live but a short time; and though it is not called the punishment of death, yet, from its inevitable consequences, it only differed from it by being a little longer respite than was usual where the punishment of death was awarded. See the note on [Gen 9:6].