The Meaning of Numbers 33:54 Explained

Numbers 33:54

KJV: 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.

YLT: 'And ye have inherited the land by lot, by your families; to the many ye increase their inheritance, and to the few ye diminish their inheritance; whither the lot goeth out to him, it is his; by the tribes of your fathers ye inherit.

Darby: And ye shall take for yourselves the land as an inheritance by lot according to your families: to the many ye shall increase their inheritance, and to the few thou shalt diminish their inheritance: where the lot falleth to him, there shall be each man's inheritance; according to the tribes of your fathers shall ye take for yourselves the inheritance.

ASV: And ye shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer thou shalt give the less inheritance: wheresoever the lot falleth to any man, that shall be his; according to the tribes of your fathers shall ye inherit.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Numbers 33:54 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 33:38-56 - No Compromise With Idolatry
Aaron's death must have been deeply felt by his brother Moses. During the great crisis of Hebrew history they had been so closely associated that the wrench must have been very considerable. In addition, there was the recollection of the sin which had excluded the two brothers from Canaan. In the Epistle to the Hebrews the death of Aaron is recorded to set forth the eternal priesthood of Christ, Hebrews 7:17. Our High Priest has no successor; His office cannot be passed to another. It is not after Aaron, but Melchizedek.
The last paragraph, Numbers 33:50-56, is especially impressive. There must be no complicity with evil; for if there be, it will eat out the very heart of our character and happiness. It is much better to root out evil with a strong hand than to suffer it in any form, for, like the boomerang of the savage, our sinful permissions will come back on ourselves. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 33

1  The forty-two journeys of the Israelites
50  The Canaanites are to be destroyed

What do the individual words in Numbers 33:54 mean?

and you shall divide as an inheritance - the land by lot among your families to the larger you shall give a larger inheritance and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance In the place where whatever falls everyone's [inheritance] in it by lot to him there shall be according to the tribes of your fathers You shall inherit
וְהִתְנַחַלְתֶּם֩ אֶת־ הָאָ֨רֶץ בְּגוֹרָ֜ל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹֽתֵיכֶ֗ם לָרַ֞ב תַּרְבּ֤וּ נַחֲלָתוֹ֙ וְלַמְעַט֙ תַּמְעִ֣יט נַחֲלָת֔וֹ אֶל֩ אֲשֶׁר־ יֵ֨צֵא ל֥וֹ שָׁ֛מָּה הַגּוֹרָ֖ל ל֣וֹ יִהְיֶ֑ה לְמַטּ֥וֹת אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖ם תִּתְנֶחָֽלוּ

וְהִתְנַחַלְתֶּם֩  and  you  shall  divide  as  an  inheritance 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: נָחַל  
Sense: to get as a possession, acquire, inherit, possess.
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.
הָאָ֨רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
בְּגוֹרָ֜ל  by  lot 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֹּורָל  
Sense: lot.
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹֽתֵיכֶ֗ם  among  your  families 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: מִשְׁפָּחָה  
Sense: clan, family.
לָרַ֞ב  to  the  larger 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
תַּרְבּ֤וּ  you  shall  give  a  larger 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
נַחֲלָתוֹ֙  inheritance 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נַחֲלָה  
Sense: possession, property, inheritance, heritage.
וְלַמְעַט֙  and  to  the  smaller 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
תַּמְעִ֣יט  you  shall  give  a  smaller 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: מָעַט  
Sense: to be or become small, be few, be diminished.
נַחֲלָת֔וֹ  inheritance 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נַחֲלָה  
Sense: possession, property, inheritance, heritage.
אֶל֩  In  the  place  where 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אֲשֶׁר־  whatever 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יֵ֨צֵא  falls 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
ל֥וֹ  everyone's  [inheritance] 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
שָׁ֛מָּה  in  it 
Parse: Adverb, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
הַגּוֹרָ֖ל  by  lot 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֹּורָל  
Sense: lot.
ל֣וֹ  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
יִהְיֶ֑ה  there  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְמַטּ֥וֹת  according  to  the  tribes 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַטֶּה  
Sense: staff, branch, tribe.
אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖ם  of  your  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
תִּתְנֶחָֽלוּ  You  shall  inherit 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: נָחַל  
Sense: to get as a possession, acquire, inherit, possess.