Bible Strands
Numbers 34:4
cross south of the Ascent of Akrabbim, continue to Zin, and go south of Kadesh-barnea. Then it will go on to Hazar-addar and proceed to Azmon,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God dictates the precise southern boundary of the promised land to Moses during the wilderness encampment. The instruction defines a linear territorial limit extending from the Salt Sea eastward.
The words — נָסַב (na.Sav) means "it will turn," and עַקְרַבִּים ('ak.ra.Bim) literally translates to "scorpions," naming the specific landmark the border must pass. These terms anchor the abstract boundary in concrete, recognizable terrain.
The thread — The same route appears in Joshua 15:3 as the established southern limit of Judah’s inheritance. Kadesh-barnea is previously noted in Numbers 13:26 and 32:8 as the departure point for the wilderness generation.
Why it lands — The text demands exact geographical obedience to a divine survey rather than spiritual abstraction. It requires the reader to recognize that territorial allocation follows a fixed, surveyed line.
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
King James Version
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:
Cross-references
- Numbers 32:8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to inspect the land.
- Numbers 13:26 and they went back to Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh. They brought back a report for the whole congregation and showed them the fruit of the land.
- Joshua 15:3 proceeded south of the Ascent of Akrabbim, continued on to Zin, went over to the south of Kadesh-barnea, ran past Hezron up to Addar, and curved toward Karka.
- Numbers 13:21 So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, toward Lebo-hamath.
- Numbers 20:1 In the first month, the whole congregation of Israel entered the Wilderness of Zin and stayed in Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.
- Numbers 33:36 They set out from Ezion-geber and camped at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.
- Numbers 34:3 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,
- Judges 1:36 And the border of the Amorites extended from the Ascent of Akrabbim to Sela and beyond.