Numbers 34:10

Study note

Setting — God addresses Moses and the Israelite leadership during the wilderness period to finalize the territorial boundaries before the conquest of Canaan. This directive follows the northern boundary description and precedes the eastern descent toward the Sea of Chinnereth.

The words — הִתְאַוִּיתֶ֥ם (hit’a.vi.tem) translates as “you will mark,” and קֵדְמָה (ked.ma) means “eastward.” These terms anchor the verse’s command to delineate a specific directional boundary.

The thread — The verse continues the systematic survey of the land’s perimeter, linking Hazar-enan to Shepham as the eastern marker. It operates within the broader boundary narrative of Numbers 34:9–11, which maps the north, east, south, and west limits.

Why it lands — It requires the reader to acknowledge the eastern border as a fixed, non-negotiable line established by divine instruction. The text leaves no room for arbitrary expansion or contraction of the territory.

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.