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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.
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The Boundaries of Canaan (1452 BC)
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迦南的疆界（主前 1452 年）
¹ 耶和華對摩西說： ² 「你吩咐以色列人說：你們到了迦南地，這就是歸你們為業之地，迦南地及其四圍的邊界。 ³ 南角要從尋的曠野，貼著以東的邊界；南界要從鹽海東邊起， ⁴ 繞到亞克拉濱坡的南邊，經過到尋；其界限要從南直到加低斯巴尼亞，又到哈薩亞達，接連到押們， ⁵ 從押們轉到埃及小河，直通到海為止。 ⁶ 「西邊要以大海為界；這就是你們的西界。 ⁷ 「北界要從大海起，劃到何珥山， ⁸ 從何珥山劃到哈馬口，直通到西達達， ⁹ 又通到西斐崙，直到哈薩以難。這是你們的北界。 ¹⁰ 「東界要從哈薩以難劃到示番， ¹¹ 從示番下到亞延東邊的利比拉，又要使界址從亞實突這邊直到基尼烈海， ¹² 這界要下到約旦河，通到鹽海為止。這四圍的邊界以內，就是你們的地。 ¹³ 摩西吩咐以色列人說：「這地就是耶和華吩咐拈鬮給九個半支派承受為業的。 ¹⁴ 因為流便支派按著宗族、迦得支派按著宗族，已經受了產業；瑪拿西半個支派也已經受了產業。 ¹⁵ 這兩個半支派已經在約旦河東，耶利哥對面，向日出之地受了產業。」
此處我們看到迦南地四面界線的精確劃定。神吩咐摩西在此確立，不是像地理學家在他的地圖上，僅為滿足好奇者，而是像君王在他的封地上，使人確知所賜的是甚麼、所轉讓的是甚麼。神曾應許他們更大的版圖，若他們順服，到了時候就必得著，甚至遠達伯拉大河（參但 11:24）。大衛和所羅門時代以色列的版圖確也延伸至此（代下 9:26）。但此處所描述的只是迦南，這是九個半支派的分地，因為另外兩個半支派已經定居了（民 34:14-15）。論到迦南的疆界，請觀察：
一、它被限制在一定範圍之內：因為神「預先定準了他們的年限和所住的疆界」（徒 17:26）。邊界為他們設定：1. 使他們知道當趕出哪些居民，以及所賜的命令延伸到何處（民 33:53）——他們當「趕出那地的居民」。凡在這些邊界之內的、也只有這些，他們必須毀滅；他們殺伐的刀劍到此為止，不可越過。2. 使他們知道自己可指望得著哪些地業。神不願他的百姓擴大對世上財物的貪慾，而要他們知道何為足夠，並以此為滿足。以色列人自己也不可「在地上獨處」，而要為鄰舍留下與他們同住的空間。神為我們的產業設定界限；那麼我們也當為自己的慾望設定界限，使我們的心意順服我們的處境。
二、相對而言，它處於很小的範圍之內：按此處所劃定的界線計算，其長度約一百六十哩，寬度約五十哩；也許它的面積還不及英國的一半，然而這就是應許給信心之父、並歸以色列子民為業的國家。這就是那個小小的地土，在許多世代中，唯獨在那裏「神被人認識，他的名為大」（詩 76:1）。這是耶和華的葡萄園，是封闭的園子；但正如園子和葡萄園一樣，範圍的狹小由土壤的異常肥沃豐足地補償了，否則它無法供養如此眾多的居民。由此請看：1. 神在世上為自己存留的部分何等小。雖然「地和其中所充滿的都是他的」，但認識他、事奉他的人卻少；然而那些少數的人是有福的，極其有福的，因為向神結果子。2. 神常常賜給他自己百姓的世上分額何等小。那些在天上有產業的人，有理由以地上的一點微薄分額為滿足；但正如這裏一樣，數量上的不足由質量來補足；「義人所得的雖少」——因著出於神的愛並帶著他的賜福——「勝過許多惡人的富餘」（詩 37:16）。
三、它的邊界和範圍是甚麼，也值得留意。1. 迦南本身是「佳美之地」（但 8:9 如此稱呼），然而它與曠野和海洋相連，四面環繞著各種令人憂鬱的景色。教會這個葡萄園就這樣四面被這世界的荒漠所環繞，這正好襯托出它，使其因位置而顯得更加秀美。2. 它的許多邊界就是它的防禦和天然的堡壘，使敵人更難接近，並向以色列暗示自然之神是他們的保護者，他要以他的恩惠「像盾牌一樣四面圍繞他們」。3. 邊界直達「埃及小河」（民 34:5），使他們從自己的地業可以望見那國，藉以記念他們在那裏的奴役，以及奇妙地從那裏得釋放。4. 他們的邊界在此從「鹽海」開始（民 34:3），也在此結束（民 34:12）。這是所多瑪和蛾摩拉毀滅所留下的持久記念。這些城市原來所在的佳美肥沃山谷，成了一個湖——這湖從不被任何風吹動，不載船隻，不產魚類，找不到任何活物，因此被稱為「死海」。這是他們邊界的一部分，為要成為對他們的經常警戒，使他們謹防那些曾使所多瑪傾覆的罪；然而所多瑪的罪孽後來在以色列中也被發現（結 16:49），迦南因此——雖沒有成為像所多瑪那樣的鹽海——卻成了貧瘠之地，至今仍是如此。5. 他們的西界是「大海」（民 34:6），如今稱為「地中海」。有人認為這海本身也是他們產業的一部分，憑著這個封賜，他們就對它擁有主權，若非因罪失去，本可作它的主人。
¹⁶ 耶和華對摩西說： ¹⁷ 「給你們分地為業之人的名字是這些：祭司以利亞撒和嫩的兒子約書亞。 ¹⁸ 你們要從每支派中選一個首領，幫助他們將地分給你們為業。 ¹⁹ 這些人的名字是：猶大支派有耶孚尼的兒子迦勒。 ²⁰ 西緬子孫支派有亞米忽的兒子示母利。 ²¹ 便雅憫支派有基斯倫的兒子以利達。 ²² 但子孫支派的首領是約利的兒子布基。 ²³ 約瑟子孫中瑪拿西半支派的首領是以弗的兒子漢聶。 ²⁴ 以法蓮子孫支派的首領是拾弗但的兒子基母利。 ²⁵ 西布倫子孫支派的首領是帕納的兒子以利薩番。 ²⁶ 以薩迦子孫支派的首領是阿散的兒子帕鐵。 ²⁷ 亞設子孫支派的首領是示羅米的兒子亞希忽。 ²⁸ 拿弗他利子孫支派的首領是亞米忽的兒子比大黑。」 ²⁹ 這些人就是耶和華所吩咐在迦南地把產業分給以色列人的。
神在此指定了為他們分地的委員。征服之舉已被視為當然，雖然那時尚未動一兵一卒。此處沒有提名將要進行戰爭的將領和元帥；因為他們得地為業，「不是因自己的刀劍和弓」，乃是「靠神的能力和恩寵」；他們既因神為他們爭戰，就當對得勝和成功滿有把握，以致如今就要提名那些將受託分地的人——也就是那些將主持拈鬮、裁決可能發生的爭議、並監督一切公平進行的人。1. 主要的委員，即屬於「法定人數」的，是以利亞撒和約書亞（民 34:17），他們預表了基督——他作為祭司和君王，將屬天的迦南分給屬靈的以色列人；然而正如他們要憑拈鬮而行，基督也承認分派的權柄在於父的旨意（太 20:23）。參弗 1:11。2. 此外，為免有偏私之嫌，每支派都指定一位首領來監察此事，確保他所代表的支派不受任何虧待。公眾的事務當如此辦理，不僅使各人得其應得的，且盡可能使各人都滿意自己已受了公正的對待。一個國家有百姓的領袖們齊聚一堂——每支派都有人出來——商議共同關切的事，這實在是那國的福分；這樣的體制，使蒙此福的國家大得尊榮、安穩與安全。3. 有人注意到，此處各支派的次序與迄今為止在各種場合所列的次序大不相同，卻與他們在分地時產業彼此鄰接的次序相符。猶大、西緬和便雅憫——這裏所列的頭三個支派——彼此緊鄰；但的產業與他們接壤，以法蓮和瑪拿西在另一側與之相連；西布倫和以薩迦位於較北之處並列；最後，亞設和拿弗他利在最北。在迦南地圖上一覽即易於辨認；畢主教（Patrick）說，這正是摩西寫作時受聖靈引導的證據。神對他一切的工作都瞭如指掌；那些對我們是新奇的事，他早已完全預見，毫無混亂或含糊。
英文原文
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，而摩西又要指示以色列人：一、關於迦南地的疆界與邊界，民 34:1-15。二、關於將這地分給以色列各支派的事，民 34:16-29 等。