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英語原文
In this chapter God directs Moses, and he is to direct Israel, I. Concerning the bounds and borders of the land of Canaan, Nu 34:1-15. II. Concerning the division and distribution of it to the tribes of Israel, Nu 34:16-29, etc.
1-29
The Boundaries of Canaan (1452 BC)
迦南的边界（主前1452年）
¹ 耶和华对摩西说：
² "你吩咐以色列人说：你们进迦南地的时候，这地就是所要归你们为业之地，就是迦南四境之地。
³ 南面要从寻的旷野，沿着以东的边界；你们的南界要从盐海的东边尽处起；
⁴ 此界要向南转到亚克拉滨坡，经过寻；其界南端出到加低斯巴尼亚，又到哈萨亚达，接连押们；
⁵ 界从押们转到埃及小河，直通到海为止。
⁶ 至于西边，你们要以大海为界；这要作你们的西界。
⁷ 北界要从大海起，向何珥山画线；
⁸ 从何珥山画线到哈马口；界线出到西达达；
⁹ 界又通到西弗伦，直到哈萨以难为止；这要作你们的北界。
¹⁰ 你们要从哈萨以难向东画东界，到示番；
¹¹ 界要从示番下到利比拉，在亚因东边；这界要下到基尼烈湖的东边；
¹² 界要下到约旦河，通到盐海为止；这要作你们四围之地。
¹³ 摩西吩咐以色列人说："这地就是你们要拈阄承受为业之地，是耶和华所吩咐给九个半支派的；
¹⁴ 因为流便子孙的支派，按着宗族，和迦得子孙的支派，按着宗族，已经受了产业；玛拿西半个支派也受了产业；
¹⁵ 这两个半支派已经在约旦河东、耶利哥对面，向着日出之地受了产业。"
此处我们看见对迦南地四周丈量划界的具体图样。神吩咐摩西在此定明，并不像地理学家在其地图上所画的那样，仅为满足好奇者的趣味，而是像君王在其封赐的文书里所记的那样，使所封赐的产业确实可知。神另曾应许他们一份更大的产业——他们若顺服，到了时候必能得着，甚至直达幼发拉底河（但11:24）。事实上，在大卫和所罗门的时代，以色列的版图确曾延伸到那里（代下9:26）。但此处所描述的只是迦南——九个半支派所得之分，因为另外两个半支派已经定居（民34:14、15）。关于迦南的疆界，请观察：
I. 它被限定在一定的界限之内；因为神"预先定准他们的年限和所住的疆界"（徒17:26）。为他们立定疆界，1. 好叫他们知道应当赶出哪些居民，以及所受的命令延伸到何处（民33:53）——他们要"赶出那地的居民"。唯有在这些疆界之内的，他们才要灭尽；他们染血的刀剑只可到此为止，不可越过。2. 好叫他们知道自己可以指望承受的地业。神不要他的百姓对属世的产业贪得无厌，而要知道何时为足，并知足而安。以色列人自己也必不"在世上独居"，而要为邻舍留出与之为邻的余地。神既为我们的分划定界限，我们就当为自己的欲望划定界限，使我们的心顺服我们的境遇。
II. 它相对来说处在很小的范围之内。按此处所划的界，其长不过约一百六十英里，宽不过约五十英里；也许它的面积还不及英格兰的一半，然而这就是应许给那信心之父的地，就是以色列后裔所得为业之地。就是这一小块地，在许多世代中只有在这里"神被认识，他的名为大"（诗76:1）。这就是耶和华的葡萄园、关锁的园子；但正如园子和葡萄园的情形一样，面积的狭窄由土壤出奇的肥沃充足地弥补了；否则它不可能养活那么众多的一国居民。那么请看：1. 神为自己在世上所得的份何等小。虽然"地和其中所充满的，都属乎他"，认识他并事奉他的人却寥寥；但这少数人有福了，非常喜乐，因为他们向神结果子。2. 神常常把他自己的百姓在世上所得的份赐得何等少。在天上有分的人，理当满足于地上一点点微薄之分；但正如这里所见的，数量上的不足由品质上的丰富补足——"义人所得的虽少"，因是出于神的爱并带着他的祝福，远胜过"许多恶人的富余"（诗37:16）。
III. 它的疆界究竟如何，值得留意。1. 迦南本身就是"那荣美之地"（但8:9如此称之），然而它的四围却毗邻旷野与海洋，被种种凄凉的景色环绕。教会的葡萄园同样四面被今世的荒漠环绕，这荒漠反倒成为陪衬，使教会因所处之地更显荣美。2. 它的许多边界也是它的屏障和天然的防御工事，使仇敌更难侵入，并向以色列暗示：自然之神是他们的保护者，他必以他的恩惠"如盾牌四面环绕他们"。3. 这边界延伸到"埃及小河"（民34:5），好叫他们从自己的地上望见那国时，便想起曾在那地所受的奴役，以及奇妙的拯救。4. 这边界起于"盐海"（民34:3），也在那里结束（民34:12）。这是所多玛、蛾摩拉被毁灭之后所留下的持久记念。这些城邑原所在的那荣美肥沃的山谷变成了湖——湖面从不为风所动，湖上不泊船只，湖中不产鱼，也不见任何活物，故称"死海"。这是他们边界的一部分，要常常警戒他们谨防那些曾使所多玛倾覆的罪；然而所多玛的罪孽后来仍被发现于以色列之中（结16:49），因此迦南虽未变成像所多玛那样的盐海，却成了贫瘠之地，直至今日仍是这样。5. 西边的边界是"大海"（民34:6），今称"地中海"。有人认为这海本身就是他们产业的一部分，凭着这一封赐，他们对此海拥有主权；若他们未因罪失了这权，本可作海上之主。
¹⁶ 耶和华对摩西说：
¹⁷ "这是给你们分地为业之人的名字：祭司以利亚撒和嫩的儿子约书亚。
¹⁸ 你们又要从每支派中取一个首领，使他们一同分这地为业。
¹⁹ 这些人的名字是这些：犹大支派有耶孚尼的儿子迦勒；
²⁰ 西缅子孙支派有亚米忽的儿子示母利；
²¹ 便雅悯支派有基斯伦的儿子以利达；
²² 但子孙支派的首领有约利的儿子布基；
²³ 约瑟子孙中玛拿西半个支派的首领，有以弗的儿子汉聂；
²⁴ 以法莲子孙支派的首领，有拾弗但的儿子基母利；
²⁵ 西布伦子孙支派的首领，有帕纳克的儿子以利撒番；
²⁶ 以萨迦子孙支派的首领，有阿散的儿子帕铁；
²⁷ 亚设子孙支派的首领，有示罗米的儿子亚希忽；
²⁸ 拿弗他利子孙支派的首领，有亚米忽的儿子比大黑。"
²⁹ 这些人就是耶和华所吩咐、在迦南地把产业分给以色列人的。
神在此指派了为他们分地的人。征服被视为既成之事——虽然此时一刀一枪也尚未动过。这里没有提名将要指挥战争的将军和总司令；因为他们得这地为业，"不是因自己的刀剑和弓，乃是因神的大能与恩惠"；他们既确信神为他们争战，便必得胜，所以现在就要指明将来受托分地的人——也就是主持掣签、裁决争议、确保凡事公允的人。1. 主要的委员，就是构成quorum的，是以利亚撒和约书亚（民34:17），预表基督——他既是祭司又是君王，把属天的迦南分给属灵的以色列人；然而他们要凭掣签而定，照样基督也承认：分派的权在乎父的旨意（太20:23）。参弗1:11。2. 此外，为免有偏私之嫌，每支派另立一位首领来监察这事，确保他所代表的支派不致在任何方面受损。公众之事当这样办理：不仅使各人得其应得，且若可能，要使众人都满意自己受了公正的对待。一国之福，在于能有百姓中的首领从各支派一同聚集，共商关乎全民的事务；这样的制度是有福之国的极大尊荣、安稳与安全。3. 有人观察到，此处支派的次序与以往在各场合所列的大不相同，而与分地时各支派所得之分的相邻关系相符。此处先列的犹大、西缅、便雅悯三个支派紧密相连；但的产业在一侧紧挨着他们，以法莲和玛拿西在另一侧；西布伦和以萨迦在稍北处并列，最后是亚设和拿弗他利在最北端——只要翻看迦南地图便一目了然。帕特里克主教（bishop Patrick）说：这正是摩西写作时受圣灵引导的明证。神对他一切的工作都预先知道；在我们看为新奇可惊的事，他早已完全预见，毫无混乱或不确定。
英語原文
The Boundaries of Canaan (1452 BC)
¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
² Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land of Canaan; (this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan with the coasts thereof:)
³ Then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the coast of Edom, and your south border shall be the outmost coast of the salt sea eastward:
⁴ And your border shall turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass on to Zin: and the going forth thereof shall be from the south to Kadesh-barnea, and shall go on to Hazar-addar, and pass on to Azmon:
⁵ And the border shall fetch a compass from Azmon unto the river of Egypt, and the goings out of it shall be at the sea.
⁶ And as for the western border, ye shall even have the great sea for a border: this shall be your west border.
⁷ And this shall be your north border: from the great sea ye shall point out for you mount Hor:
⁸ From mount Hor ye shall point out your border unto the entrance of Hamath; and the goings forth of the border shall be to Zedad:
⁹ And the border shall go on to Ziphron, and the goings out of it shall be at Hazar-enan: this shall be your north border.
¹⁰ And ye shall point out your east border from Hazar-enan to Shepham:
¹¹ And the coast shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain; and the border shall descend, and shall reach unto the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward:
¹² And the border shall go down to Jordan, and the goings out of it shall be at the salt sea: this shall be your land with the coasts thereof round about.
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.
We have here a particular draught of the line by which the land of Canaan was meted, and bounded, on all sides. God directs Moses to settle it here, not as a geographer in his map, merely to please the curious, but as a prince in his grant, that it may be certainly known what passes, and is conveyed, by the grant. There was a much larger possession promised them, which in due time they would have possessed if they had been obedient, reaching even to the river Euphrates, Da 11:24. And even so far the dominion of Israel did extend in David's time and Solomon's, 2Ch 9:26. But this which is here described is Canaan only, which was the lot of the nine tribes and a half, for the other two and a half were already settled, Nu 34:14,15. Now concerning the limits of Canaan observe,
I. That it was limited within certain bounds: for God appoints the bounds of our habitation, Ac 17:26. The borders are set them, 1. That they might know whom they were to dispossess, and how far the commission which was given them extended (Nu 33:53), that they should drive out the inhabitants. Those that lay within these borders, and those only, they must destroy; hitherto their bloody sword must go, and no further. 2. That they might know what to expect the possession of themselves. God would not have his people to enlarge their desire of worldly possessions, but to know when they have enough, and to rest satisfied with it. The Israelites themselves must not be placed alone in the midst of the earth, but must leave room for their neighbours to live by them. God sets bounds to our lot; let us then set bounds to our desires, and bring our mind to our condition.
II. That it lay comparatively in a very little compass: as it is here bounded, it is reckoned to be but about 160 miles in length and about fifty in breadth; perhaps it did not contain more than half as much ground as England, and yet this is the country which was promised to the father of the faithful and was the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground in which only, for many ages, God was known, and his name was great, Ps 76:1. This was the vineyard of the Lord, the garden enclosed; but, as it is with gardens and vineyards, the narrowness of the extent was abundantly compensated by the extraordinary fruitfulness of the soil, otherwise it could not have subsisted so numerous a nation as did inhabit it. See here then, 1. How small a part of the world God has for himself. Though the earth is his, and the fullness thereof, yet few have the knowledge of him and serve him; but those few are happy, very happy, because fruitful to God. 2. How small a share of the world God often gives to his own people. Those that have their portion in heaven have reason to be content with a small pittance of this earth; but, as here, what is wanting in quantity is made up in quality; a little that a righteous man has, having it from the love of God and with his blessing, is far better and more comfortable than the riches of many wicked, Ps 37:16.
III. It is observable what the bounds and limits of it were. 1. Canaan was itself a pleasant land (so it is called Da 8:9), and yet it bordered upon wilderness and seas, and was surrounded with divers melancholy prospects. Thus the vineyard of the church is compassed on all hands with the desert of this world, which serves as a foil to it, to make it appear the more beautiful for situation. 2. Many of its borders were its defences and natural fortifications, to render the access of enemies the more difficult, and to intimate to Israel that the God of nature was their protector, and with his favour would compass them as with a shield. 3. The border reached to the river of Egypt (Nu 34:5), that the sight of that country which they could look into out of their own might remind them of their bondage there, and their wonderful deliverance thence. 4. Their border is here made to begin at the Salt Sea (Nu 34:3), and there it ends, Nu 34:12. This was the remaining lasting monument of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. That pleasant fruitful vale in which these cities stood became a lake, which was never stirred by any wind, bore no vessels, was replenished with no fish, no living creature of any sort being found in it, therefore called the Dead Sea. This was part of their border, that it might be a constant warning to them to take heed of those sins which had been the ruin of Sodom; yet the iniquity of Sodom was afterwards found in Israel (Eze 16:49), for which Canaan was made, though not a salt sea as Sodom, yet a barren soil, and continues so to this day. 5. Their western border was the Great Sea (Nu 34:6), which is now called the Mediterranean. Some consider this sea itself to have been a part of their possession, and that by virtue of this grant, they had the dominion of it, and, if they had not forfeited it by sin, might have rode masters of it.
¹⁶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
¹⁷ These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun.
¹⁸ And ye shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land by inheritance.
¹⁹ And the names of the men are these: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
²⁰ And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud.
²¹ Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon.
²² And the prince of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli.
²³ The prince of the children of Joseph, for the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod.
²⁴ And the prince of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan.
²⁵ And the prince of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach.
²⁶ And the prince of the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan.
²⁷ And the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi.
²⁸ And the prince of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.
²⁹ These are they whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance unto the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.
God here appoints commissioners for the dividing of the land to them. The conquest of it is taken for granted, though as yet there was never a stroke struck towards it. Here is no nomination of the generals and commanders-in-chief that should carry on the war; for they were to get the land in possession, not by their own sword or bow, but by the power and favour of God; and so confident must they be of victory and success while God fought for them that the persons must now be named who should be entrusted with the dividing of the land, that is, who should preside in casting the lots, and determine controversies that might arise, and see that all was done fairly. 1. The principal commissioners, who were of the quorum, were Eleazar and Joshua (Nu 34:17), typifying Christ, who, as priest and king, divides the heavenly Canaan to the spiritual Israel; yet, as they were to go by the lot, so Christ acknowledges the disposal must be by the will of the Father, Mt 20:23. Compare, Eph 1:11. 2. Besides these, that there might be no suspicion of partiality, a prince of each tribe was appointed to inspect this matter, and to see that the tribe he served for was in no respect injured. Public affairs should be so managed as not only to give their right to all, but, if possible, to give satisfaction to all that they have justice done them., It is a happiness to a land to have the princes of their people meet together, some out of every tribe, to concert the affairs that are of common concern, a constitution which is the abundant honour, ease, and safety, of the nation that is blessed with it. 3. Some observe that the order of the tribes here very much differs from that in which they hitherto, upon all occasions, been named, and agrees with the neighbourhood of their lots in the division of the land. Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, the first three here named, lay close together; the inheritance of Dan lay next them on one side, that of Ephraim and Manasseh on another side; Zebulun and Issachar lay abreast more northerly, and, lastly, Asher and Naphtali most northward of all, as is easy to observe in looking over a map of Canaan; this (says bishop Patrick) is an evidence that Moses was guided by a divine Spirit in his writings. Known unto God are all his works beforehand, and what is new and surprising to us he perfectly foresaw, without any confusion or uncertainty.
本章中，神指示摩西，而摩西也要指示以色列人：I. 关于迦南地的疆界与边界（民 34:1-15）。II. 关于将此地分给以色列各支派的划分与分配（民 34:16-29 等）。