The Meaning of Numbers 34:8 Explained

Numbers 34:8

KJV: From mount Hor ye shall point out your border unto the entrance of Hamath; and the goings forth of the border shall be to Zedad:

YLT: from mount Hor ye mark out to go in to Hamath, and the outgoings of the border have been to Zedad;

Darby: from mount Hor ye shall mark out the entrance to Hamath, and the end of the border shall be toward Zedad;

ASV: from mount Hor ye shall mark out unto the entrance of Hamath; and the goings out of the border shall be at Zedad;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

From mount  Hor  ye shall point out  [your border] unto the entrance  of Hamath;  and the goings forth  of the border  shall be to Zedad: 

What does Numbers 34:8 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 34:8 mean?

From Hor Mount you shall mark out [your border] to the entrance of Hamath then shall be the direction of the border toward Zedad
מֵהֹ֣ר הָהָ֔ר תְּתָא֖וּ לְבֹ֣א חֲמָ֑ת וְהָי֛וּ תּוֹצְאֹ֥ת הַגְּבֻ֖ל צְדָֽדָה

מֵהֹ֣ר  From  Hor 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: הֹר  
Sense: the mountain on which Aaron died; situated on the eastern side of the valley of Arabah, the highest of the whole range of sandstone mountains in Edom; on the eastern side is the ancient city of Petra.
הָהָ֔ר  Mount 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
תְּתָא֖וּ  you  shall  mark  out  [your  border] 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: תָּאָה  
Sense: (Piel) to mark out, point out.
לְבֹ֣א  to  the  entrance 
Parse: Preposition, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
חֲמָ֑ת  of  Hamath 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֲמָת 
Sense: the principle city of upper Syria in the valley of the Orontes.
וְהָי֛וּ  then  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
תּוֹצְאֹ֥ת  the  direction 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: תֹּוצָאֹות  
Sense: outgoing, border, a going out, extremity, end, source, escape.
הַגְּבֻ֖ל  of  the  border 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גְּבוּל  
Sense: border, territory.
צְדָֽדָה  toward  Zedad 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: צָדָד  
Sense: one of the landmarks on the northern border of Israel as promised by Moses and restated by Ezekiel.