The Meaning of Numbers 34:5 Explained

Numbers 34:5

KJV: And the border shall fetch a compass from Azmon unto the river of Egypt, and the goings out of it shall be at the sea.

YLT: and the border hath turned round from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and its outgoings have been at the sea.

Darby: And the border shall turn from Azmon unto the torrent of Egypt, and shall end at the sea.

ASV: and the border shall turn about from Azmon unto the brook of Egypt, and the goings out thereof shall be at the sea.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the border  shall fetch a compass  from Azmon  unto the river  of Egypt,  and the goings out  of it shall be at the sea. 

What does Numbers 34:5 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 34:5 mean?

And shall turn the border from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt and it shall end at the Sea
וְנָסַ֧ב הַגְּב֛וּל מֵעַצְמ֖וֹן נַ֣חְלָה מִצְרָ֑יִם וְהָי֥וּ תוֹצְאֹתָ֖יו הַיָּֽמָּה

וְנָסַ֧ב  And  shall  turn 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
הַגְּב֛וּל  the  border 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גְּבוּל  
Sense: border, territory.
מֵעַצְמ֖וֹן  from  Azmon 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עַצְמֹון  
Sense: a place on the extreme southern border of Canaan.
נַ֣חְלָה  to  the  Brook 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: נַחַל 
Sense: torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley.
מִצְרָ֑יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
וְהָי֥וּ  and  it  shall 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
תוֹצְאֹתָ֖יו  end 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: תֹּוצָאֹות  
Sense: outgoing, border, a going out, extremity, end, source, escape.
הַיָּֽמָּה  at  the  Sea 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.