Wilderness Travels Reviewed

33 These were the stages of the Israelites’ journey when they went out of the land of Egypt by their military divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. At the Lord’s command, Moses wrote down the starting points for the stages of their journey; these are the stages listed by their starting points:

They departed from Rameses(A) in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the month. On the day after the Passover(B) the Israelites went out triumphantly[a](C) in the sight of all the Egyptians. Meanwhile, the Egyptians were burying every firstborn male the Lord had struck down among them, for the Lord had executed judgment against their gods.(D) The Israelites departed from Rameses and camped at Succoth.(E)
They departed from Succoth and camped at Etham,(F) which is on the edge of the wilderness.
They departed from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which faces Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol.(G)
They departed from Pi-hahiroth[b] and crossed through the middle of the sea(H) into the wilderness. They took a three-day journey into the Wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah.(I)
They departed from Marah and came to Elim.(J) There were 12 springs of water and 70 date palms at Elim, so they camped there.
10 They departed from Elim and camped by the Red Sea.
11 They departed from the Red Sea and camped in the Wilderness of Sin.(K)
12 They departed from the Wilderness of Sin and camped in Dophkah.
13 They departed from Dophkah and camped at Alush.
14 They departed from Alush and camped at Rephidim,(L) where there was no water for the people to drink.(M)
15 They departed from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai.(N)
16 They departed from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah.(O)
17 They departed from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.(P)
18 They departed from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.
19 They departed from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez.
20 They departed from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah.
21 They departed from Libnah and camped at Rissah.
22 They departed from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.
23 They departed from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.
24 They departed from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.
25 They departed from Haradah and camped at Makheloth.
26 They departed from Makheloth and camped at Tahath.
27 They departed from Tahath and camped at Terah.
28 They departed from Terah and camped at Mithkah.
29 They departed from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.
30 They departed from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.
31 They departed from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan.(Q)
32 They departed from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad.
33 They departed from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.
34 They departed from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.
35 They departed from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.(R)
36 They departed from Ezion-geber and camped in the Wilderness of Zin(S) (that is, Kadesh).
37 They departed from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor(T) on the edge of the land of Edom. 38 At the Lord’s command, Aaron the priest climbed Mount Hor and died there on the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year after the Israelites went out of the land of Egypt.(U) 39 Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. 40 At that time the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan,(V) heard the Israelites were coming.
41 They departed from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.
42 They departed from Zalmonah and camped at Punon.
43 They departed from Punon and camped at Oboth.(W)
44 They departed from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim on the border of Moab.(X)
45 They departed from Iyim[c] and camped at Dibon-gad.(Y)
46 They departed from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim.(Z)
47 They departed from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the Abarim(AA) range facing Nebo.(AB)
48 They departed from the Abarim range and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.(AC) 49 They camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth(AD) to the Acacia Meadow[d](AE) on the plains of Moab.

Instructions for Occupying Canaan

50 The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, 51 “Tell the Israelites: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 you must drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you, destroy all their stone images(AF) and cast images,(AG) and demolish all their high places. 53 You are to take possession of the land and settle in it because I have given you the land(AH) to possess. 54 You are to receive the land as an inheritance by lot according to your clans. Increase the inheritance for a large clan and decrease it for a small one. Whatever place the lot indicates for someone will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to your ancestral tribes. 55 But if you don’t drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become thorns in your eyes and in your sides; they will harass you in the land where you will live. 56 And what I had planned to do to them, I will do to you.”(AI)

Boundaries of the Promised Land

34 The Lord spoke to Moses, “Command the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, it will be allotted to you as an inheritance[e] with these borders:

Your southern side will be from the Wilderness of Zin along the boundary of Edom. Your southern border on the east will begin at the east end of the Dead Sea. Your border will turn south of the Ascent of Akrabbim,[f] proceed to Zin, and end south of Kadesh-barnea. It will go to Hazar-addar and proceed to Azmon.(AJ) The border will turn from Azmon(AK) to the Brook of Egypt,(AL) where it will end at the Mediterranean Sea.

Your western border will be the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea; this will be your western border.

This will be your northern border: From the Mediterranean Sea draw a line to Mount Hor;[g](AM) from Mount Hor draw a line to the entrance of Hamath,[h](AN) and the border will reach Zedad.(AO) Then the border will go to Ziphron and end at Hazar-enan.(AP) This will be your northern border.

10 For your eastern border, draw a line from Hazar-enan to Shepham. 11 The border will go down from Shepham to Riblah east of Ain.(AQ) It will continue down and reach the eastern slope of the Sea of Chinnereth.[i](AR) 12 Then the border will go down to the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea. This will be your land defined by its borders on all sides.”

13 So Moses commanded the Israelites, “This is the land you are to receive by lot as an inheritance, which the Lord commanded to be given to the nine and a half tribes. 14 For the tribe of the Reubenites and the tribe of the Gadites have received their inheritance according to their ancestral houses, and half the tribe of Manasseh has received its inheritance. 15 The two and a half tribes have received their inheritance(AS) across the Jordan from Jericho, eastward toward the sunrise.”

Leaders for Distributing the Land

16 The Lord spoke to Moses, 17 “These are the names of the men who are to distribute the land as an inheritance for you: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun. 18 Take one leader from each tribe to distribute the land. 19 These are the names of the men:

Caleb(AT) son of Jephunneh from the tribe of Judah;
20 Shemuel son of Ammihud from the tribe of Simeon;
21 Elidad son of Chislon from the tribe of Benjamin;
22 Bukki son of Jogli, a leader from the tribe of Dan;
23 from the sons of Joseph:
Hanniel son of Ephod, a leader from the tribe of Manasseh,
24 Kemuel son of Shiphtan, a leader from the tribe of Ephraim;
25 Eli-zaphan son of Parnach, a leader from the tribe of Zebulun;
26 Paltiel son of Azzan, a leader from the tribe of Issachar;
27 Ahihud son of Shelomi, a leader from the tribe of Asher;
28 Pedahel son of Ammihud, a leader from the tribe of Naphtali.”

29 These are the ones the Lord commanded to distribute the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 33:3 Lit with a raised hand; Ex 14:8
  2. Numbers 33:8 Some Hb mss, Sam, Syr, Vg; other Hb mss read from before Hahiroth
  3. Numbers 33:45 A shortened form of Iye-abarim
  4. Numbers 33:49 Or Abel-shittim
  5. Numbers 34:2 Lit inheritance—the land of Canaan
  6. Numbers 34:4 Lit of Scorpions; Jos 15:3; Jdg 1:36
  7. Numbers 34:7 In Lebanon; Nm 20:22-28; 33:37-56
  8. Numbers 34:8 Or to Lebo-hamath
  9. Numbers 34:11 = the Sea of Galilee; Jos 12:3; 13:27; Lk 5:1

Stages in Israel’s Journey

33 Here are the stages in the journey(A) of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt(B) by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.(C) At the Lord’s command Moses recorded(D) the stages in their journey(E). This is their journey by stages:

The Israelites set out(F) from Rameses(G) on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover.(H) They marched out defiantly(I) in full view of all the Egyptians, who were burying all their firstborn,(J) whom the Lord had struck down among them; for the Lord had brought judgment(K) on their gods.(L)

The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Sukkoth.(M)

They left Sukkoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the desert.(N)

They left Etham, turned back to Pi Hahiroth, to the east of Baal Zephon,(O) and camped near Migdol.(P)

They left Pi Hahiroth[a](Q) and passed through the sea(R) into the desert, and when they had traveled for three days in the Desert of Etham, they camped at Marah.(S)

They left Marah and went to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped(T) there.

10 They left Elim(U) and camped by the Red Sea.[b]

11 They left the Red Sea and camped in the Desert of Sin.(V)

12 They left the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah.

13 They left Dophkah and camped at Alush.

14 They left Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.(W)

15 They left Rephidim(X) and camped in the Desert of Sinai.(Y)

16 They left the Desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah.(Z)

17 They left Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.(AA)

18 They left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.

19 They left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez.

20 They left Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah.(AB)

21 They left Libnah and camped at Rissah.

22 They left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.

23 They left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.

24 They left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.

25 They left Haradah and camped at Makheloth.

26 They left Makheloth and camped at Tahath.

27 They left Tahath and camped at Terah.

28 They left Terah and camped at Mithkah.

29 They left Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.

30 They left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.(AC)

31 They left Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan.(AD)

32 They left Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad.

33 They left Hor Haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.(AE)

34 They left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.

35 They left Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber.(AF)

36 They left Ezion Geber and camped at Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.(AG)

37 They left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor,(AH) on the border of Edom.(AI) 38 At the Lord’s command Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor, where he died(AJ) on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year(AK) after the Israelites came out of Egypt.(AL) 39 Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.

40 The Canaanite king(AM) of Arad,(AN) who lived in the Negev(AO) of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming.

41 They left Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.

42 They left Zalmonah and camped at Punon.

43 They left Punon and camped at Oboth.(AP)

44 They left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim, on the border of Moab.(AQ)

45 They left Iye Abarim and camped at Dibon Gad.

46 They left Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim.

47 They left Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim,(AR) near Nebo.(AS)

48 They left the mountains of Abarim(AT) and camped on the plains of Moab(AU) by the Jordan(AV) across from Jericho.(AW) 49 There on the plains of Moab they camped along the Jordan from Beth Jeshimoth(AX) to Abel Shittim.(AY)

50 On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho(AZ) the Lord said to Moses, 51 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,(BA) 52 drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places.(BB) 53 Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.(BC) 54 Distribute the land by lot,(BD) according to your clans.(BE) To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one.(BF) Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes.(BG)

55 “‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns(BH) in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. 56 And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.(BI)’”

Boundaries of Canaan

34 The Lord said to Moses, “Command the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter Canaan,(BJ) the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance(BK) is to have these boundaries:(BL)

“‘Your southern side will include some of the Desert of Zin(BM) along the border of Edom. Your southern boundary will start in the east from the southern end of the Dead Sea,(BN) cross south of Scorpion Pass,(BO) continue on to Zin and go south of Kadesh Barnea.(BP) Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon,(BQ) where it will turn, join the Wadi of Egypt(BR) and end at the Mediterranean Sea.

“‘Your western boundary will be the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.(BS) This will be your boundary on the west.(BT)

“‘For your northern boundary,(BU) run a line from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor(BV) and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath.(BW) Then the boundary will go to Zedad, continue to Ziphron and end at Hazar Enan. This will be your boundary on the north.

10 “‘For your eastern boundary,(BX) run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. 11 The boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah(BY) on the east side of Ain(BZ) and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Galilee.[c](CA) 12 Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea.

“‘This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.’”

13 Moses commanded the Israelites: “Assign this land by lot(CB) as an inheritance.(CC) The Lord has ordered that it be given to the nine and a half tribes, 14 because the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.(CD) 15 These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance east of the Jordan across from Jericho, toward the sunrise.”

16 The Lord said to Moses, 17 “These are the names of the men who are to assign the land for you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua(CE) son of Nun. 18 And appoint one leader from each tribe to help(CF) assign the land.(CG) 19 These are their names:(CH)

Caleb(CI) son of Jephunneh,

from the tribe of Judah;(CJ)

20 Shemuel son of Ammihud,

from the tribe of Simeon;(CK)

21 Elidad son of Kislon,

from the tribe of Benjamin;(CL)

22 Bukki son of Jogli,

the leader from the tribe of Dan;

23 Hanniel son of Ephod,

the leader from the tribe of Manasseh(CM) son of Joseph;

24 Kemuel son of Shiphtan,

the leader from the tribe of Ephraim(CN) son of Joseph;

25 Elizaphan son of Parnak,

the leader from the tribe of Zebulun;(CO)

26 Paltiel son of Azzan,

the leader from the tribe of Issachar;

27 Ahihud son of Shelomi,

the leader from the tribe of Asher;(CP)

28 Pedahel son of Ammihud,

the leader from the tribe of Naphtali.”

29 These are the men the Lord commanded to assign the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.(CQ)

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 33:8 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch and Vulgate; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text left from before Hahiroth
  2. Numbers 33:10 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verse 11
  3. Numbers 34:11 Hebrew Kinnereth