The Meaning of Numbers 34:2 Explained

Numbers 34:2

KJV: Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land of Canaan; (this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan with the coasts thereof:)

YLT: Command the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, When ye are coming in unto the land of Canaan -- this is the land which falleth to you by inheritance, the land of Canaan, by its borders --

Darby: Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land of Canaan, this shall be the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, the land of Canaan according to the borders thereof.

ASV: Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to the borders thereof),

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Command  the children  of Israel,  and say  unto them, When ye come  into the land  of Canaan;  (this [is] the land  that shall fall  unto you for an inheritance,  [even] the land  of Canaan  with the coasts  thereof:) 

What does Numbers 34:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 34:1-18 - The Borders Of The Promised Land
Here are set out the borders of the Promised Land, which were never fully reached in the days of Israel's occupation, except perhaps for one brief period in Solomon's glorious reign. God's ideal for His people far exceeded their realization of it. But is it not always so! Does not His peace pass understanding? Is not His joy unspeakable and full of glory? Does not the love of Christ pass knowledge? Jesus Christ is our inheritance; let us possess our possessions. Let us follow on to know the Lord; and remember that there is an allotted space for each of us in Christ, to which no other soul has a right.
It is a great honor to be chosen to divide the lots. Year by year we ought to set forth the believer's rights in Christ, that a divine discontent may urge to higher heights and deeper experiences. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 34

1  The borders of the land
16  The names of the men who shall divide the land

What do the individual words in Numbers 34:2 mean?

Command - the sons of Israel and say to them when you come into the land of Canaan this [is] the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance the land of Canaan to its boundaries
צַ֞ו אֶת־ בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כִּֽי־ אַתֶּ֥ם בָּאִ֖ים אֶל־ הָאָ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן זֹ֣את הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּפֹּ֤ל לָכֶם֙ בְּֽנַחֲלָ֔ה אֶ֥רֶץ כְּנַ֖עַן לִגְבֻלֹתֶֽיהָ

צַ֞ו  Command 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
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.
בְּנֵ֤י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וְאָמַרְתָּ֣  and  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲלֵהֶ֔ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
בָּאִ֖ים  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הָאָ֣רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
כְּנָ֑עַן  of  Canaan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּנַעַן 
Sense: the 4th son of Ham and the progenitor of the Phoenicians and of the various nations who peopled the seacoast of Palestine.
זֹ֣את  this  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
הָאָ֗רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
תִּפֹּ֤ל  shall  fall 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
לָכֶם֙  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
בְּֽנַחֲלָ֔ה  as  an  inheritance 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נַחֲלָה  
Sense: possession, property, inheritance, heritage.
אֶ֥רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
כְּנַ֖עַן  of  Canaan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּנַעַן 
Sense: the 4th son of Ham and the progenitor of the Phoenicians and of the various nations who peopled the seacoast of Palestine.
לִגְבֻלֹתֶֽיהָ  to  its  boundaries 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: גְּבוּלָה  
Sense: border, boundary.