The Meaning of Numbers 34:3 Explained

Numbers 34:3

KJV: Then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the coast of Edom, and your south border shall be the outmost coast of the salt sea eastward:

YLT: then hath the south quarter been to you from the wilderness of Zin, by the sides of Edom, yea, the south border hath been to you from the extremity of the Salt Sea, eastward;

Darby: Then your south side shall be from the wilderness of Zin alongside of Edom, and your southern border shall be from the end of the salt sea eastward;

ASV: then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the side of Edom, and your south border shall be from the end of the Salt Sea eastward;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then your south  quarter  shall be from the wilderness  of Zin  along by the coast  of Edom,  and your south  border  shall be the outmost coast  of the salt  sea  eastward: 

What does Numbers 34:3 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 34:3 mean?

And shall be Your border on the Negev from the Wilderness of Zin along the border of Edom then shall extend your border on the Negev to the end of Sea the Salt eastward
וְהָיָ֨ה לָכֶ֧ם פְּאַת־ נֶ֛גֶב מִמִּדְבַּר־ צִ֖ן עַל־ יְדֵ֣י אֱד֑וֹם וְהָיָ֤ה לָכֶם֙ גְּב֣וּל נֶ֔גֶב מִקְצֵ֥ה יָם־ הַמֶּ֖לַח קֵֽדְמָה

וְהָיָ֨ה  And  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לָכֶ֧ם  Your 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
פְּאַת־  border  on 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: פֵּאָה 
Sense: corner, edge, side, quarter, extremity.
נֶ֛גֶב  the  Negev 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶגֶב  
Sense: south-country, Nekeb, south.
מִמִּדְבַּר־  from  the  Wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
צִ֖ן  of  Zin 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צִן  
Sense: name given to a portion of the desert tract between the Dead Sea and Arabah on the east in which Kadesh-barnea was located.
עַל־  along 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יְדֵ֣י  the  border 
Parse: Noun, fdc
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אֱד֑וֹם  of  Edom 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱדֹום 
Sense: Edom.
וְהָיָ֤ה  then  shall  extend 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לָכֶם֙  your 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
גְּב֣וּל  border  on 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: גְּבוּל  
Sense: border, territory.
נֶ֔גֶב  the  Negev 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶגֶב  
Sense: south-country, Nekeb, south.
מִקְצֵ֥ה  to  the  end 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָצֶה 
Sense: end, extremity.
יָם־  of  Sea 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
הַמֶּ֖לַח  the  Salt 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלַח  
Sense: salt.
קֵֽדְמָה  eastward 
Parse: Adverb, third person feminine singular
Root: קֶדֶם 
Sense: east, antiquity, front, that which is before, aforetime.