New American Standard Bible 1995

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Numbers

34

:

15

"The two and a half tribes have received their possession across the Jordan opposite Jericho, eastward toward the sunrising."

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
"The two two (a card. number) Noun H8147 שְׁנֵ֥י she·nei
Analysis:

Two: Two divergent opinions

The classic example for the number "two" is found in Matthew chapter 26. There, Yeshua says to His disciples,

"You know that after two days comes the Passover, and the Son of Man will be given over for crucifixion."  Matthew 26:2

The phrase "after two days" is somewhat meaningless because after two days can mean three or more days. The period is unspecified. The reason for such ambiguous language is because the purpose of the number two in this passage is not solely numerical. This means that the text is not intending to provide the reader with some definite information concerning a time period. Rather, the purpose of the number two in this context is one of the numerological meanings of the number two.  Often the number two relates to two divergent opinions. In the aforementioned verse, the author wants to inform the reader that there are two very different understandings for this coming Passover. Yeshua wants to emphasize that He is going up to Jerusalem in order to die as the true Passover sacrifice. Even though Yeshua states this emphatically, the disciples did not receive this. In fact, the disciples did not perceive at all what was going to take place during Passover in regard to Yeshua. In other words, Yeshua and the disciples have two divergent opinions concerning the Passover.

This same principle is also found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Covenant). In the book of Amos one reads,

"Can two walk together without them having agreed" Amos 3:3

The word which was translated into English with the phrase "them having agreed" is נועדו. The root of this word is יעד, which relates to a specific destination. The word which precedes this word is בלתי and in this context the word implies a change to the condition. In other words, had there not been a change in the condition, then the two could not walk together, i.e. they could not have arrived at the common destination.

The concept of divergent or different is also seen in the book of Genesis. In speaking about the sun and moon one reads, "And God made two great lights…" (Genesis 1:16). Obviously the sun and moon are very different, as one is a source of light, while the latter just reflects light. Also in the book of Genesis, one encounters the account of the flood. Here Noah is commanded to bring onto the ark two sorts of each type of animal. In this passage, the two relates to two different (or divergent) kinds of the same sort, i.e. male and female. 

Likewise, two angels came to Sodom, demonstrating that the people of Sodom had a very different way of living from that of the Law of God. Once again, the reader should not assume that every occurrence of the number two in the Bible demands this interpretation. However, one will find in a great majority of Biblical passages, the reader will be assisted in arriving at the proper interpretation, when he considers this divergent quality for the number two. 

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016 

and a half half Noun H2677 וַחֲצִ֣י va·cha·tzi
tribes a staff, rod, shaft, branch, a tribe Noun H4294 הַמַּטֹּ֖ות ham·mat·to·vt
have received to take Verb H3947 לָקְח֣וּ la·ke·chu
their possession possession, property, inheritance Noun H5159 נַחֲלָתָ֗ם na·cha·la·tam
across from H4480    
the Jordan the principal river of Pal. Noun H3383 לְיַרְדֵּ֥ן le·yar·den
opposite Jericho, a city in the Jordan Valley captured by Joshua Noun H3405 יְרֵחֹ֖ו ye·re·chov
Analysis:
Read more about: Jericho
eastward eastward, toward the east Noun H6924 קֵ֥דְמָה ke·de·mah
toward the sunrising." place of sunrise, the east Noun H4217 מִזְרָֽחָה׃ miz·ra·chah.

Locations

Jericho

JERICHOjer'-i-ko (the word occurs in two forms. In the Pentateuch, in 2 Kings 25:5 and in Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles it is written yerecho; yericho, elsewhere): In 1 Kings 16:34 the final Hebrew letter is he (h), instead of waw (w). The termination waw (w) thought to preserve the peculiarities of the old Canaanite. dialect. In the Septuagint we have the inde... View Details

Parallel Verses

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New American Standard Bible 1995 "The two and a half tribes have received their possession across the Jordan opposite Jericho, eastward toward the sunrising."
King James Bible "The The two and a half tribes and the half tribe have received their possession across the inheritance on this side Jordan opposite Jericho, eastward near Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising."
Hebrew Greek English "The two and a half tribes have received their possession across the Jordan opposite Jericho, eastward toward the sunrising."