The Allotment of the Land and the Gates of the City

¹ And¹ these are the names of the tribes: At the end of the north, ⌞along the way to Hethlon⌟² from Lebo-hamath to Hazar Enan on the boundary of Damascus ⌞beside Hamath northward⌟,³ there will be one portion for Dan from the eastern border to the ⌞west⌟.⁴

1. Or “Now”
2. Literally “to the side of the way of Hethlon”
3. Literally “northward to the side of Hamat,”
4. Literally “sea”

² And next to the territory of Dan, from ⌞the eastern border⌟¹ up to ⌞the western border⌟,² one portion for Asher.

1. Literally “the side of the east
2. Literally “the side of the sea/west”

³ And next to the territory of Asher, from ⌞the eastern border⌟¹ and up to ⌞the western border⌟,² one portion for Naphtali.

1. Literally “the side of the east”
2. Literally “the side of the west/sea”

⁴ And next to the territory of Naphtali, from ⌞the eastern border⌟¹ up to ⌞the western border⌟,² one portion for Manasseh.

1. Literally “the side of the east”
2. Literally “the side of the sea/west”

⁵ And next to the territory of Manasseh, from ⌞the eastern border⌟¹ up to ⌞the western border⌟,² one portion for Ephraim.

1. Literally “the side of the east”
2. Literally “the side of the sea/west”

⁶ And next to the territory of Ephraim, from ⌞the eastern border⌟¹ and up to ⌞the western border⌟,² one portion for Reuben.

1. Literally “the side of the east”
2. Literally “the side of the sea/west

⁷ And next to the territory of Reuben, from ⌞the eastern border⌟¹ up to ⌞the western border⌟,² one portion for Judah.

1. Literally “the side of the east
2. Literally “the side of the sea/west

⁸ And next to the territory of Judah, from ⌞the eastern border⌟¹ up to ⌞the western border⌟,² shall be located the contribution that you set apart, twenty-five thousand cubits³ in width, and its length just like one of the portions from ⌞the eastern border⌟⁴ up to ⌞the western border⌟,⁵ and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it.

1. Literally “the side of the east
2. Literally “the side of the sea/west
3. That is, 8.33 miles
4. Literally “the side of the east
5. Literally “the side of the sea/west

⁹ The contribution that you shall set apart for Yahweh, its length shall be twenty-five thousand cubits,¹ and its width ten thousand cubits.²

1. That is, 8.33 miles
2. That is, 3.5 miles; cf. 48:13 and 45:1

¹⁰ And to these shall be ⌞the holy district⌟:¹ to the priests northwards twenty-five thousand cubits,² and westwards its width ten thousand cubits,³ and eastwards its width ten thousand cubits,⁴ and southwards its length twenty-five thousand cubits,⁵ and the sanctuary of Yahweh shall be in the midst of it.

1. Literally “the contribution of the holiness”
2. That is, 8.33 miles
3. That is, 3.5 miles
4. That is, 3.5 miles
5. That is, 8.33 miles

¹¹ To the priests, the ones being consecrated from the descendants¹ of Zadok, who took care of my service and who ⌞did not go astray⌟² ⌞when the Israelites went astray⌟,³ ⌞just as⌟⁴ the Levites went astray.

1. Or “sons”
2. Literally “who not they went astray”
3. Literally “at going astray the children of Israel”
4. Literally “as that”

¹² And it will be for them a special gift from the contribution of the land ⌞as a most holy object⌟¹ next to the territory of the Levites.

1. Literally “as a holiness of holinesses”

¹³ And the Levites ⌞alongside⌟¹ the territory of the priests shall have twenty-five thousand cubits² in length and in width ten thousand cubits,³ its ⌞full length⌟,⁴ twenty-five thousand cubits⁵ and its full width, ten thousand cubits.⁶

1. Literally “to corresponding”
2. That is, 8.33 miles
3. That is, 3.5 miles
4. Literally “all/every of its length ….”
5. That is, 8.33 miles
6. That is, 3.5 miles

¹⁴ And they shall not sell any part from it, and shall not exchange, and shall not transfer the best of the land, for it is holy to Yahweh.

¹⁵ And ⌞the remaining part⌟¹ of five thousand cubits² in the width ⌞by⌟³ twenty-five thousand cubits,⁴ is unholy;⁵ it is for the city as dwelling and as pastureland; and the city will be located ⌞in the middle of it⌟.⁶

1. Literally “the being a part left over”
2. That is, 1.75 miles
3. Literally “in front of”
4. That is, 8.33 miles
5. Or “common”
6. Literally “will be the city in its middle”

¹⁶ And these shall be its measurements: on its side to the north, four thousand five hundred cubits;¹ and on its side to the south, four thousand five hundred cubits;² and on ⌞the eastern side⌟,³ four thousand five hundred cubits;⁴ and on ⌞the western side⌟,⁵ four thousand five hundred cubits.⁶

1. That is, 1.5 miles
2. That is, 1.5 miles
3. Literally “from the side of the east”
4. That is, 1.5 miles
5. Literally “and the side of the sea/west + directive”
6. That is, 1.5 miles

¹⁷ And a pastureland shall be for the city northwards, two hundred and fifty cubits,¹ southwards two hundred and fifty cubits,² and eastwards two hundred and fifty cubits,³ and westwards two hundred and fifty cubits.⁴

1. That is, 150 yards
2. That is, 150 yards
3. That is, 150 yards
4. That is, 150 yards

¹⁸ And the rest in its length ⌞alongside⌟¹ ⌞the holy district⌟,² ten thousand cubits³ eastwards and ten thousand⁴ westwards; and it shall be ⌞alongside⌟⁵ ⌞the holy district⌟⁶ and its yield⁷ shall be as food for the workers of the city.

1. Literally “to corresponding”
2. Literally “the contribution of the holiness”
3. That is, 3.5 miles
4. That is, 3.5 miles
5. Literally “to corresponding”
6. Literally “the contribution of the holiness”
7. According to the reading tradition (Qere); cf. BHS

¹⁹ And the workers of the city from all the tribes of Israel shall cultivate it.

²⁰ All of the contribution, twenty-five thousand by twenty five thousand cubits¹ square, you shall set apart as ⌞the holy district⌟² along with the property of the city.

1. That is, 8.33 square miles
2. Literally “the contribution of the holiness”

²¹ And the rest shall be to¹ the prince, ⌞on both sides⌟² ⌞of the holy district⌟³ and of the property of the city ⌞extending from⌟⁴ twenty-five thousand cubits of the contribution up to the boundary of the east, and westwards ⌞extending⌟⁵ twenty-five thousand cubits⁶ to the boundary of the sea ⌞alongside⌟⁷ the tribal portions. They shall be for the prince, and it shall be ⌞the holy district⌟,⁸ and the sanctuary of the temple⁹ will be in its middle.

1. Or “for”
2. Literally “from this and from this”
3. Literally “of the contribution of the holiness”
4. Literally “to in front of”
5. Literally “to in front of”
6. That is, 8.33 miles
7. Literally “to corresponding”
8. Literally “the contribution of the holiness”
9. Or “house”

²² And also the property of the Levites and the property of the city will be in the midst of the property which is for the prince; between the territory of Judah and between the territory of Benjamin the land will be for the prince.

²³ And for the remainder of the tribes: From the side on the east up to the side on the west, Benjamin one portion;

²⁴ and next to the territory of Benjamin, from the side on the east up to the side of the sea, Simeon one portion;

²⁵ and next to the territory of Simeon, from the side of the east up to the side of the sea, Issachar one portion;

²⁶ and next to the territory of Issachar, from the side of the east up to the side of the sea, Zebulun one portion;

²⁷ and next to the territory of Zebulun, from the side of the east up to the side of the sea, Gad one portion;

²⁸ and next to the territory of Gad, to the side of the south, ⌞southward⌟;¹ and the territory will be from Tamar to the waters of Meribath Kadesh, toward the wadi,² on to the Great Sea.³

1. Literally “south”
2. That is, the Wadi of Egypt
3. That is, the Mediterranean

²⁹ This is the land that you shall allot as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions,” ⌞declares⌟¹ the Lord Yahweh.

1. Literally “declaration of”

³⁰ And these shall be the exits of the city: From¹ ⌞the north side⌟,² four thousand and five hundred cubits³ by measurement.

1. Or “on” or “along”
2. Literally “the side of the north”
3. That is, 1.5 miles

³¹ And the gates of the city shall be according to the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates to the north, the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of Levi, one.

³² And on the east side, four thousand five hundred cubits,¹ and three gates, and so the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one.

1. That is, 1.5 miles

³³ And on the south side, four thousand five hundred cubits¹ by measurement, and so three gates, the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one.

1. That is, 1.5 miles

³⁴ And on the west¹ side, four thousand five hundred cubits,² and their gates three, the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one.

1. Or “sea”
2. That is, 1.5 miles

³⁵ All around the city is eighteen thousand cubits,¹ and the name of the city from that day is “Yahweh Is There”!

1. That is, 6 miles