The Meaning of Numbers 35:5 Explained

Numbers 35:5

KJV: And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.

YLT: And ye have measured from the outside of the city, the east quarter, two thousand by the cubit, and the south quarter, two thousand by the cubit, and the west quarter, two thousand by the cubit, and the north quarter, two thousand by the cubit; and the city is in the midst; this is to them the suburbs of the cities.

Darby: And ye shall measure, without the city, the east side two thousand cubits, and the south side two thousand cubits, and the west side two thousand cubits, and the north side two thousand cubits, and the city shall be in the midst: they shall have this as suburbs of the cities.

ASV: And ye shall measure without the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the midst. This shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And ye shall measure  from without  the city  on the east  side  two thousand  cubits,  and on the south  side  two thousand  cubits,  and on the west  side  two thousand  cubits,  and on the north  side  two thousand  cubits;  and the city  [shall be] in the midst:  this shall be to them the suburbs  of the cities. 

What does Numbers 35:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 35:1-15 - The Cities Of Refuge For The Manslayer
This chapter is full of provision for the Levites, the chosen ministers of God's house. They who serve there may be at rest about their maintenance. He is not unrighteous to forget their labor of love.
These forty-eight cities must have been centers of religious influence throughout the land. As cities set on a hill that could not be hid, as salt staying corruption, as lights along a rock-bound coast-so must they have stood in the Holy Land. So should our homes be in our land.
Six of the Levite cities were set apart for those who were guilty of manslaughter-i.e., those who had killed some one unwittingly. They were within easy access from all parts of the land, and offered sanctuary until a judicial inquiry could be held. In Jesus we find refuge, Hebrews 6:18. No avenger following the track of past sin can hurt the soul that shelters in Him. Only we must never venture beyond the precincts of His salvation. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 35

1  Forty-eight cities for the Levites, with their suburbs, and measure thereof
6  Six of them are to be cities of refuge
9  The laws of murder and manslaughter
31  No satisfaction for murder

What do the individual words in Numbers 35:5 mean?

And you shall measure outside the city - on the side east two thousand cubits and of the Negev cubits west cubits and on the side north cubits and the city [shall be] in the middle This shall belong to them as common-land for the cities
וּמַדֹּתֶ֞ם מִח֣וּץ לָעִ֗יר אֶת־ פְּאַת־ קֵ֣דְמָה אַלְפַּ֪יִם בָּֽאַמָּ֟ה וְאֶת־ נֶגֶב֩ בָּאַמָּ֜ה יָ֣ם ׀ בָּֽאַמָּ֗ה וְאֵ֨ת פְּאַ֥ת צָפ֛וֹן בָּאַמָּ֖ה וְהָעִ֣יר בַּתָּ֑וֶךְ זֶ֚ה יִהְיֶ֣ה לָהֶ֔ם מִגְרְשֵׁ֖י הֶעָרִֽים

וּמַדֹּתֶ֞ם  And  you  shall  measure 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: מָדַד  
Sense: to measure, stretch.
מִח֣וּץ  outside 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חוּץ  
Sense: outside, outward, street, the outside.
לָעִ֗יר  the  city 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
פְּאַת־  on  the  side 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: פֵּאָה 
Sense: corner, edge, side, quarter, extremity.
קֵ֣דְמָה  east 
Parse: Adverb, third person feminine singular
Root: קֶדֶם 
Sense: east, antiquity, front, that which is before, aforetime.
אַלְפַּ֪יִם  two  thousand 
Parse: Number, md
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
בָּֽאַמָּ֟ה  cubits 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַמָּה 
Sense: cubit—a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 8 in (.
נֶגֶב֩  of  the  Negev 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶגֶב  
Sense: south-country, Nekeb, south.
בָּאַמָּ֜ה  cubits 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַמָּה 
Sense: cubit—a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 8 in (.
יָ֣ם ׀  west 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
בָּֽאַמָּ֗ה  cubits 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַמָּה 
Sense: cubit—a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 8 in (.
פְּאַ֥ת  on  the  side 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: פֵּאָה 
Sense: corner, edge, side, quarter, extremity.
צָפ֛וֹן  north 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: צָפֹון  
Sense: north (of direction), northward.
בָּאַמָּ֖ה  cubits 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַמָּה 
Sense: cubit—a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 8 in (.
וְהָעִ֣יר  and  the  city  [shall  be] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
בַּתָּ֑וֶךְ  in  the  middle 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
זֶ֚ה  This 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
יִהְיֶ֣ה  shall  belong 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לָהֶ֔ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
מִגְרְשֵׁ֖י  as  common-land  for 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מִגְרָשׁ 
Sense: common, common land, open land, suburb.
הֶעָרִֽים  the  cities 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.

What are the major concepts related to Numbers 35:5?

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