Numbers 33:54

And you are to divide the land by lot according to your clans. Give a larger inheritance to a larger clan and a smaller inheritance to a smaller one. Whatever falls to each one by lot will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to the tribes of your fathers.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — God addresses the Israelite leadership to instruct the nation on how to distribute the promised territory upon entry. This command occurs after the wilderness wanderings and immediately precedes a warning about failing to remove the land’s current inhabitants.

The words — וְ/הִתְנַחַלְתֶּם֩ (hit.na.chal.Tem) translates literally as “and you will inherit,” while בְּ/גוֹרָ֜ל (be./go.Ral) means “by lot.”

The thread — The inheritance distribution pattern reappears in Numbers 26:53, which ties allotment size to the number of names. The actual execution of this lot-based division is recorded in Joshua 15:1 and Joshua 16:1.

Why it lands — It requires accepting the lot-determined allocation as final and sufficient. It demands no clan demand more or less than what is assigned.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְהִתְנַחַלְתֶּם֩ve./hit.na.chal.Temand/ you will inherit אֶת־'et-<obj.>הָאָ֨רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ land בְּגוֹרָ֜לbe./go.Ralby/ lot לְמִשְׁפְּחֹֽתֵיכֶ֗םle./mish.pe.cho.tei./Khemto/ clans/ your לָרַ֞בla./Ravfor the/ many תַּרְבּ֤וּtar.Buyou will make great אֶת־'et-<obj.>נַחֲלָתוֹ֙na.cha.la.T/oinheritance/ its וְלַמְעַט֙ve./la/m.'Atand/ for the/ few תַּמְעִ֣יטtam.'Ityou will make small אֶת־'et-<obj.>נַחֲלָת֔וֹna.cha.la.T/oinheritance/ its אֶל֩'el<to>אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-where יֵ֨צֵאYe.tze'it will come outל֥וֹl/ofor <the>/ himשָׁ֛מָּהSha.ma/hthere/ <towards>הַגּוֹרָ֖לha./go.Ralthe/ lotל֣וֹl/oto <the>/ himיִהְיֶ֑הyih.Yehit will belong לְמַטּ֥וֹתle./ma.Totto/ [the] tribes of אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖ם'a.vo.tei./Khemfathers/ your תִּתְנֶחָֽלוּ׃tit.ne.Cha.luyou will inherit

King James Version

And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man’s inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit.

Cross-references

Numbers 26:53 “The land is to be divided among the tribes as an inheritance, according to the number of names.
Joshua 15:1 Now the allotment for the clans of the tribe of Judah extended to the border of Edom, to the Wilderness of Zin at the extreme southern boundary:
Joshua 16:1 The allotment for the descendants of Joseph extended from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east, through the wilderness that goes up from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel.
Joshua 17:1 Now this was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh as Joseph’s firstborn son, namely for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh and father of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead and Bashan because Machir was a man of war.
Joshua 18:11 The first lot came up for the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph: