and from Mount HorMount Hor is significant in the biblical narrative as the place where Aaron, the brother of Moses, died and was buried (
Numbers 20:22-29). It is located on the border of Edom, and its mention here marks a boundary point for the land of Canaan. The exact location of Mount Hor is debated, but it is traditionally identified with Jebel Harun near Petra in modern-day Jordan. This mountain serves as a reminder of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness and the transition of priestly leadership from Aaron to his son Eleazar.
to Lebo-hamath
Lebo-hamath is often understood as the entrance to Hamath, a city-state located in modern-day Syria. It represents the northernmost boundary of the land promised to the Israelites. Hamath was a significant city in ancient times, known for its strategic location on trade routes. The mention of Lebo-hamath as a boundary point underscores the extent of the land God promised to Israel, reaching far beyond their current position. This boundary is reiterated in other biblical passages, such asEzekiel 47:15-17, emphasizing its importance in defining the Promised Land.
then extend to Zedad
Zedad is a location mentioned as part of the northern boundary of the land of Canaan. Its exact location is uncertain, but it is thought to be in the region of modern-day Syria, possibly near the city of Sadad. The inclusion of Zedad in the boundary description highlights the comprehensive nature of the land grant to Israel, extending their territory to include significant northern regions. This extension reflects God's promise to Abraham inGenesis 15:18, where the land given to his descendants is described as stretching from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates. The boundaries outlined inNumbers 34 serve as a tangible expression of God's covenant with Israel, foreshadowing the ultimate fulfillment of His promises through Jesus Christ, who extends God's kingdom to all nations.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Mount HorA significant location in the Bible, known as the place where Aaron, the brother of Moses, died. It marks a boundary point in the land allocation for the Israelites.
2.
Lebo-hamathA northern boundary point for the land of Canaan, often associated with the entrance to Hamath, a region that was significant in defining the extent of the Promised Land.
3.
ZedadAnother boundary marker in the northern part of the land promised to the Israelites. Its exact location is uncertain, but it is part of the delineation of the land.
4.
The IsraelitesThe people of God, to whom the land is being apportioned as part of the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham.
5.
The Promised LandThe land of Canaan, which God promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This passage is part of the instructions for dividing this land among the tribes of Israel.
Teaching Points
God's Faithfulness to His PromisesThe delineation of the land boundaries in
Numbers 34:8 is a testament to God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to Abraham and his descendants. Believers can trust in God's promises in their own lives, knowing He is faithful to fulfill them.
The Importance of BoundariesJust as God set physical boundaries for the Israelites, He sets spiritual and moral boundaries for His people today. Understanding and respecting these boundaries is crucial for living a life that honors God.
The Role of Leadership in God's PlanMoses, as a leader, was responsible for communicating God's instructions regarding the land. This highlights the importance of godly leadership in guiding and directing God's people according to His will.
Inheritance and IdentityThe land was not just a physical inheritance but also a part of the Israelites' identity as God's chosen people. Believers today have an inheritance in Christ that shapes their identity and purpose.
Lists and Questions
Top 10 Lessons from Numbers 34
Why does Numbers 34 mention Mount Hor (v. 7-8) as a boundary marker when some scholars debate its actual location?
Numbers 33:38-39: How does Aaron's death on Mount Hor at 123 years old align with scientific understanding of human lifespans, and why is there no external evidence to confirm his death place?
Why does Deuteronomy 10:6-7 place Aaron's death at Moserah when Numbers 20:27-28 records it occurred on Mount Hor?
What and where is the Holy Land?(8)
From Mount Hor . . . --From Mount Hor the boundary line was to pass the unknown Ziphron to the village of Enan, or Hazar-enan, which is likewise unknown. (Comp.
Ezekiel 47:16-18.) This line probably crossed the northern portion of the Lebanon.
Verse 8. -
From Mount Hor ye shall point out your border unto the entrance of Hamath. Literally, "from Mount Hor point out (
תְּתָאוּ, as in the previous verse) to come to Hamath," which seems to mean, "from Mount Hor strike a line for the entrance to Hamath." The real difficulty lies in the expression
לְבאֹ חַמָת, which the Septuagint renders
εἰσπορευομέν ον εἰς Ἐμάθ, "as men enter into Hamath." The same expression occurs in
Numbers 13:21, and is similarly rendered by the Septuagint. A comparison with
Judges 3:3 and other passages will show that "Ibo Chamath" had a definite geographical meaning as the accepted name of a locality in the extreme north of Canaan. When we come to inquire where "the entrance to Hamath" was, we have nothing to guide us except the natural features of the country. Hamath itself, afterwards Epiphancia on the Orontes, lay far beyond the extremest range of Jewish settlement; nor does it appear that it was ever conquered by the greatest of the Jewish kings. The Hamath in which Solomon built store cities (
2 Chronicles 8:4), and the Hamath which Jeroboam II. "recovered" for Israel (
2 Kings 14:28), was not the city, but the kingdom (or part of the kingdom), of that name. We do not know how far south the territory of Hamath may have extended, but it is quite likely that it included at times the whole upper valley of the Leontes (now the Litany). The "entrance to Hamath" then must be looked for at some point, distinctly marked by the natural features of the country, where the traveler from Palestine would enter the territory of Hamath. This point has been usually fixed at the pass through which the Orontes breaks out of its upper valley between Lebanon and anti-Lebanon into the open plain of Hamath. This point, however, is more than sixty miles north of Damascus (which confessedly never belonged to Israel), and nearly a hundred miles north-north-west from Dan. It would require some amount of positive evidence to make it even probable that the whole of the long and narrow valley between Lebanon and anti-Lebanon, widening towards the north, and separated by mountainous and difficult country from the actual settlements of the Jews, was yet Divinely designated as part of their inheritance. No such positive evidence exists, and therefore we are perfectly free to look for "the entrance to Hamath" much further to the south. It is evident that the ordinary road from the land of Canaan or from the cities of Phoenicia to Hamath must have struck the valley of the Leontes, have ascended that river to its sources, and crossed the watershed to the upper stream of Orontes. The whole of this road, until it reached the pass already spoken of leading down to the Emesa of after days, and so to Hamath, lay through a narrow valley of which the narrowest part is at the southern end of the modern district of el Bekaa, almost in a straight line between Sidon and Mount Hermon. Here the two ranges approach most nearly to the bed of the Litany (Leontes), forming a natural gate by which the traveler to Hamath must needs have entered from the south. Here then, very nearly in lat. 88° 80', we may reasonably place the "entrance to Hamath" so often spoken of, and so escape the necessity of imagining an artificial and impracticable frontier for the northern boundary of the promised land. Zedad. Identified by some with the present village of Sadad or Sudad, to the south-east of Emesa (Hums); but this identification, which is at best very problematic, is wholly out of the question if the argument of the preceding note be accepted.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
and from Mountהָהָ֔ר(hā·hār)Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2022:Mountain, hill, hill countryHorמֵהֹ֣ר(mê·hōr)Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 2023:Hor -- two mountains in Palestineto Lebo-hamath,חֲמָ֑ת(ḥă·māṯ)Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 2574:Hamath -- a place North of Damascus[then]הַגְּבֻ֖ל(hag·gə·ḇul)Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1366:A cord, a boundary, the territory inclosedextendingוְהָי֛וּ(wə·hā·yū)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1961:To fall out, come to pass, become, beto Zedad,צְדָֽדָה׃(ṣə·ḏā·ḏāh)Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 6657:Zedad -- a place on the northern border of Canaan
Links
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OT Law: Numbers 34:8 From Mount Hor you shall mark out (Nu Num.) 
