English Standard Version
Numbers 35:5
5And you shall measure, outside 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, the city being in the middle. This shall belong to them as pastureland for their cities.
Numbers 35:5 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)Outside the town, measure two thousand cubits on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west and two thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And you shall measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, on the south side two thousand cubits, on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits. The city shall be in the middle. This shall belong to them as common-land for the cities.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Measure off 3,000 feet outside the town walls in every direction—east, south, west, north—with the town at the center. This area will serve as the larger pastureland for the towns.
Context of Numbers 35:5
3The cities shall be theirs to dwell in, and their pasturelands shall be for their cattle and for their livestock and for all their beasts. 4The pasturelands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around. And you shall measure, outside 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, the city being in the middle. This shall belong to them as pastureland for their cities. 6"The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. 7All the cities that you give to the Levites shall be forty-eight, with their pasturelands.
Read all of Numbers 35Numbers 35:5 word by word
וּמַדֹּתֶ֞ם מִח֣וּץ לָעִ֗יר אֶת־פְּאַת־קֵ֣דְמָה אַלְפַּ֪יִם בָּֽאַמָּ֟ה וְאֶת־פְּאַת־נֶגֶב֩ אַלְפַּ֨יִם בָּאַמָּ֜ה וְאֶת־פְּאַת־יָ֣ם׀ אַלְפַּ֣יִם בָּֽאַמָּ֗ה וְאֵ֨ת פְּאַ֥ת צָפ֛וֹן אַלְפַּ֥יִם בָּאַמָּ֖ה וְהָעִ֣יר בַּתָּ֑וֶךְ זֶ֚ה יִהְיֶ֣ה לָהֶ֔ם מִגְרְשֵׁ֖י הֶעָרִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And ye shall measureמָדַדmâdad · to measureH4058
- from withoutחוּץchûts chûts · outsideH2351
- the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- on the eastקֵ֫דֶםqedem qêdmâh · eastH6924
- sideפֵּאָהpê'âh · sideH6285
- two thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- cubitsאַמָּה'ammâh · cubitH520
- and on the southנֶ֫גֶבnegeb · southH5045
- and on the westיָםyâm · sea: westH3220
- and on the northצָפוֹןtsâphôn tsâphôn · northH6828
- in the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
- this shall be to them the suburbsמִגְרָשׁmigrâsh migrâshâh · pastureH4054
Commentaries on Numbers 35:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5And ye shall measure from without the city - two thousand cubits, etc. - Commentators have been much puzzled with the accounts in these two verses. In Numbers 35:4; the measure is said to be 1,000 cubits from the wall; in Numbers 35:5; the measure is said to be 2,000 from without the city. It is likely these two measures mean the same thing; at least so it was understood by the Septuagint and Coptic, who have , 2,000 cubits, in the fourth, as well as in…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5From without the city - Omit “from.” The demarcation here intended would run parallel to the wall of the city, outside which it was made. To guard against any restrictions of area, due to such causes as the irregular forms of the cities or the physical obstacles of the ground, it was ordained that the suburb should, alike on north, south, east, and west, present, at a distance of one thousand cubits (or, nearly one-third of a mile) from the wall, a front…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5Some have tried to explain the supposed contradiction between the 1,000 cubits (457 meters or 1,500 feet) and the 2,000 cubits (914 meters or 3,000 feet). One explanation is that the Hebrews thought of a town as a fixed center point. If so, the land around each town would form a square that measured 914 meters (3,000 feet) on each side. Another explanation is that there is a difference between the smaller pastureland mentioned in Numbers 35:4 and the…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-52. give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in--As the Levites were to have no territorial domain allocated to them like the other tribes on the conquest of Canaan, they were to be distributed throughout the land in certain cities appropriated to their use; and these cities were to be surrounded by extensive suburbs. There is an apparent discrepancy between Nu 35:4 and Nu 35:5, with regard to the extent of these…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 35:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 35
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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