In the first fifteen verses the boundaries within the land of Canaan are set for the west side of the river Jordan. These boundaries do not affect the tribes of Gad, Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh. The map will show the formation of each of the tribes within those boundaries.

Numbers 34:1 "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,"

Numbers 34:2 "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:)"

So this set of instructions is given for the time after all has been accomplished that were set in the last part of Numbers 33:50-56. The coasts that this is talking about are the boundaries, not necessarily dealing with coastal waterways.

Numbers 34:3 "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:"

Of course this is not dealing with water, but border with Edom on the southern border. This time the children of Israel were told to leave the Edomites alone. Later under Saul and David, these people would be destroyed and scattered. The Salt sea is the Dead sea, and it establishes the south east corner of the national boundaries.

Numbers 34:4 "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:"

We can sort of plot where this border runs, but none of the biblical experts agree completely on where this border actually ran: Other than the few towns that it names.

Numbers 34:5 "And the border shall fetch a compass from Azmon unto the river of Egypt, and the goings out on it shall be at the sea."

Then the border turns about from Azmon, and it runs to the brook in Egypt. So what this is saying is that this border started at the base of the dead sea, and runs over to the Mediterranean Sea, drawing its line through the towns of Akrabbbin, Kadesh-barnea, and Azmon.

Numbers 34:6 "And as for the western border, ye shall even have the great sea for a border: this shall be your west border."

The west border was the Mediterranean Sea. All towns on the west border will be seaport town.

Numbers 34:7 "And this shall be your north border: from the great seat ye shall point out for you mount Hor:"

This is not the mount Hor that Aaron went up on and died, but it is another high point that can not be pinpointed with any uncertainty.

Numbers 34:8 "Form mount Hor ye shall point out your border unto the entrance of Hamath; and the goings forth of the border shall be to Zedad:"

There is both a city and a nation called Hamath, and these are the people called the Kenites. The tribe of Dan took the area of the nation of Hamath, but left the city alone for the Kenites. Under Saul and David much of this area was taken, but never the city.

Numbers 34:9 "And the border shall go on to Ziphron, and the goings out of it shall be at Hazar-enen: this shall be your north border."

So the north border starts at Hamath, and runs through Ziphron, and on to Hazar-enen.

Numbers 34:10 "And ye shall point out your east border from Hazar-enen to Shepham:"

Numbers 34:11 "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 sea of the sea of Chinnereth eastward:"

So this would be on the north east corner of the land, that starts at lake Chinnereth and runs eastward.

Numbers 34:12 "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."

Then it would go downward along the Jordan river, till the river empties into the Salt sea, the dead sea the starting point where we started. Since these event took place over 3,500 years ago, many of these markers, rivers and town sites have changed from their original locations.

Numbers 34:13 "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:"

So this territory on the west side of the Jordan will be the inheritance for nine and a half tribes of the children of Israel. Remember that the tribes of Gad, Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh will have their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan.

Numbers 34:14 "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:"

They have already settled their little one, families, and cattle into their homes in this area, before they even crossed the Jordan, and entered into the promise land.

Numbers 34:15 "The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance on this side [east] Jordan near Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising."

In the specific instructions to Joshua, the half tribe on Manasseh are to be settled directly across the Jordan border from the rest of their tribe in the land of Canaan.

Numbers 34:16 "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,"

Numbers 34:17 " "These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun."

God is now appointing those that will take part in dividing the land into lots, and giving out the inheritance to each man and family.

Numbers 34:18 "And ye shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land by inheritance."

God is assigning who he wants to be in charge of setting the borders with in each of the tribal areas.

Numbers 34:19 "And the names of the men are these: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

Numbers 34:20 "Of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammi-hud."

Numbers 34:21 "Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon."

Numbers 34:22 "And the prince of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli."

Numbers 34:23 "The prince of the children of Joseph, for the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod."

Numbers 34:24 "And the prince of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan."

Numbers 34:25 "And the prince of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach."

Numbers 34:26 "And the prince of the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan."

Numbers 34:27 "And the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi."

Numbers 34:28 "And the prince of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud."

Numbers 34:29 "These are they whom the Lord commanded to divide the inheritance unto the children of Israel in the land of Canaan."