God’s Word Translation
Numbers 33:54
54Divide the land among your families by drawing lots. Give more land to larger families and less land to smaller ones. The land must be given to each family by drawing lots. Divide it among your ancestors’ tribes.
Numbers 33:54 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)Distribute the land by lot, according to your clans. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one. Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes.
- English Standard Version (ESV)You shall inherit the land by lot according to your clans. To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance. Wherever the lot falls for anyone, that shall be his. According to the tribes of your fathers you shall inherit.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And you shall divide the land by lot as an inheritance among your families; to the larger you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance; there everyone’s inheritance shall be whatever falls to him by lot. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.
Context of Numbers 33:54
52As you advance, force out all the people who live there. Get rid of all their stone and metal idols, and destroy all their places of worship. 53Take possession of the land and live there, because I will give it to you for your own. Divide the land among your families by drawing lots. Give more land to larger families and less land to smaller ones. The land must be given to each family by drawing lots. Divide it among your ancestors’ tribes. 55“ ‘But if you do not force out those who live in the land, they will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will constantly fight with you over the land you live in. 56Then I will do to you what I planned to do to them.’ ”
Read all of Numbers 33Numbers 33:54 word by word
וְהִתְנַחַלְתֶּם֩ אֶת־הָאָ֨רֶץ בְּגוֹרָ֜ל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹֽתֵיכֶ֗ם לָרַ֞ב תַּרְבּ֤וּ אֶת־נַחֲלָתוֹ֙ וְלַמְעַט֙ תַּמְעִ֣יט אֶת־נַחֲלָת֔וֹ אֶל֩ אֲשֶׁר־יֵ֨צֵא ל֥וֹ שָׁ֛מָּה הַגּוֹרָ֖ל ל֣וֹ יִהְיֶ֑ה לְמַטּ֥וֹת אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖ם תִּתְנֶחָֽלוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And ye shall divideנָחַלnâchal · to inheritH5157
- the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- by lotגּוֹרָלgôrâl gôrâl · allottedH1486
- among your familiesמִשְׁפָּחָהmishpâchâh · familyH4940
- to the moreרַבrab · manyH7227
- ye shall give the moreרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
- inheritanceנַחֲלָהnachălâh · inheritanceH5159
- and to the fewerמְעַטme‛aţ me‛âţ · littleH4592
- ye shall give the lessמָעַטmâ‛aţ · to diminishH4591
- fallethיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: casting(lot)H3318
- according to the tribesמַטֶּהmaţţeh maţţâh · tribeH4294
- of your fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
Cross-references for Numbers 33:54
- Numbers 26:53“The land these people will possess must be divided using the list of names ⌞from the census⌟.
- Numbers 26:54Give more land to larger tribes and less land to smaller ones. Use the totals ⌞from the census⌟ in giving land to each tribe.
- Joshua 15:1The lot was drawn for the families of the tribe of Judah. Their territory extends as far south as the territory of Edom and the desert of Zin.
- Joshua 16:1The lot was drawn for Joseph. The border of Joseph’s territory goes from the Jordan River at Jericho to the springs of Jericho on the east, through the desert that goes up from Jericho, and through the mountains to Bethel.
- Joshua 17:1The lot was drawn for the tribe of Manasseh, because Manasseh was Joseph’s firstborn. Machir, Manasseh’s firstborn, the ancestor of the people living in Gilead, had received Gilead and Bashan because he was a soldier.
- Joshua 18:11The lot was drawn for the families of the tribe of Benjamin. Their territory lies between Judah’s and Joseph’s.
- Joshua 19:1The second lot was drawn for the families of the tribe of Simeon. Their inheritance was within Judah.
Commentaries on Numbers 33:54
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 50-56Verses 50-56 The expulsion of the Canaanites and the destruction of their monuments of idolatry had been already enjoined (see the marginal references); and Numbers 33:54 is substantially a repetition from Numbers 33:55-56 is new. A call for it had been furnished by their past transgressions in the matter of Baal-peor, and by their imperfect fulfillment, at the first, of Moses‘ orders in the Midianite war.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 50-56Verses 50-56 Now that they were to pass over Jordan, they were entering again into temptation to follow idols; and they are threatened that, if they spared either the idols or the idolaters, their sin would certainly be their punishment. They would foster vipers in their own bosoms. The remnant of the Canaanites, if they made any peace with them, though but for a time, would be pricks in their eyes, and thorns in their sides. We must expect trouble and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 54divide the land by lot: See 26:53–56. Chapter 34 describes the boundaries of the land of Canaan, which they would soon conquer and divide.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5454. ye shall divide the land by lot--The particular locality of each tribe was to be determined in this manner while a line was to be used in measuring the proportion (Jos 18:10; Psa 16:5, 6).Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 33:54
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 33
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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