Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.

NUMBERS 26:53KJV
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Numbers 26:53 (KJV)

What does Numbers 26:53 mean?

Numbers 26:53 states that the land of Canaan will be divided among the Israelites as an inheritance, with the amount each group receives based on the number of people in each group. This verse sets the principle that the land is to be distributed fairly, according to the size of each tribe.

In this verse, God is speaking to Moses after a new census of the Israelites has been taken in the wilderness. The context is the preparation for entering the Promised Land, and the verse explains how the land will be allotted to the tribes. The focus is on an orderly and proportional division, ensuring each tribe receives a share that matches its population.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 26:53

  • "Land" (אֶרֶץ, ’erets): This word refers to the physical territory of Canaan, emphasizing that the promise is about a real, tangible inheritance.
  • "Divided" (חָלַק, ḥalaq): This word means to apportion or distribute, highlighting that the land will be carefully assigned, not taken randomly or by force.
  • "Inheritance" (נַחֲלָה, naḥălah): This term means a possession passed down, stressing that the land is a lasting gift from God to the tribes, not just a temporary settlement.
  • "Number" (מִסְפָּר, mispar): This word means a count or total, showing that the distribution is based on an official census, not guesswork.
  • "Names" (שֵׁם, shem): Here, "names" refers to the registered individuals or families, making clear that the inheritance is tied to specific people and their descendants.

Why Numbers 26:53 matters

  • Numbers 26:53 clarifies that the land was not to be divided equally, but proportionally, based on the tribe’s population, which prevents misunderstandings about fairness in the distribution.
  • This verse connects the promise of land to the actual people counted in the census, showing that God’s promises are specific and personal, not just abstract.
  • The verse sets the stage for the detailed allotment process in later chapters, helping the reader understand the practical steps Israel took to settle the land.

Where else these words appear

“divided” Hebrew H2505 · used in 64 verses

  • Genesis 14:15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
  • 1 Chronicles 16:3 And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine.
  • Proverbs 7:5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.

“number” Hebrew H4557 · used in 129 verses

  • Genesis 34:30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
  • Deuteronomy 33:6 Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.
  • Ezra 3:4 They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required;