Big Idea: Success requires obeying God and trusting in his promises.

Understanding the Text

Numbers 33:1–49 reviews the past: the places where Israel has gone from Egypt to the plains of Moab over the course of forty years. Now the focus moves to the future. In the immediate future Israel must carry out the conquest of Canaan, eradicating the Canaanites (Num. 33:50–55). Two and a half tribes have been assigned the Transjordan as their settlement. The text goes on to describe the coming division of the land among the nine and a half tribes not assigned to the Transjordan (Num. 34:1–15) and the names of the men who will oversee the land’s division (Num. 34:16–29).

Interpretive Insights

33:50  the plains of Moab.This refers to the arid1“steppes” (NJPS) of the east Jordan valley just no…