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The Boundaries of Canaan

(Genesis 15:8-21; Romans 4:13-25)

¹ Then the LORD said to Moses,² “Command the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, it will be allotted to you as an inheritance with these boundaries:³ Your southern border will extend from the Wilderness of Zin along the border of Edom. On the east, your southern border will run from the end of the Salt Sea,⁴ cross south of Scorpion Pass, continue to Zin, and go south of Kadesh-barnea. Then it will go on to Hazar-addar and proceed to Azmon,⁵ where it will turn from Azmon, join the Brook of Egypt, and end at the Sea^(a).⁶ Your western border will be the coastline of the Great Sea; this will be your boundary on the west.⁷ Your northern border will run from the Great Sea directly to Mount Hor,⁸ and from Mount Hor to Lebo-hamath, then extending to Zedad,⁹ continuing to Ziphron, and ending at Hazar-enan. This will be your boundary on the north.¹⁰ And your eastern border will run straight from Hazar-enan to Shepham,¹¹ then go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Chinnereth^(a).¹² Then the border will go down along the Jordan and end at the Salt Sea^(a). This will be your land, defined by its borders on all sides.”¹³ So Moses commanded the Israelites, “Apportion this land by lot as an inheritance, which the LORD commanded to be given to the nine and a half tribes.¹⁴ For the tribes of the Reubenites and Gadites, along with the half-tribe of Manasseh, have already received their inheritance.¹⁵ These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance across the Jordan from Jericho, toward the sunrise.”

Leaders for Dividing the Land

¹⁶ Then the LORD said to Moses,¹⁷ “These are the names of the men who are to assign the land as an inheritance for you: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun.¹⁸ Appoint one leader from each tribe to distribute the land.¹⁹ These are their names: Caleb 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 Hanniel son of Ephod, a leader from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph;²⁴ Kemuel son of Shiphtan, a leader from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph;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 and Pedahel son of Ammihud, a leader from the tribe of Naphtali.”²⁹ These are the ones whom the LORD commanded to apportion the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.