Numbers 34:17

“These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you, etc.] Or “inherit the land for you” f500; that is, as Jarchi interprets it, they were to take possession of it in their name and stead, as their representatives, and then distribute it unto them, or divide it to be inherited by them; but whatever may be said for the princes of the tribes, as acting for their respective tribes, and representing them, the same cannot be said of the two first named, as follow: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun; the one the principal person in ecclesiastical affairs, and the other in civil ones; to divide the land being partly a sacred work, as it was a type of the heavenly Canaan,…”

“Of the representatives now selected through Moses beforehand, who were all princes, i. e. heads of chief families, in their respective tribes (see Numbers 13:2), Caleb alone, of the tribe of Judah, is otherwise known to us (see Numbers 13:4 ff). The order in which the tribes are named is peculiar to this passage. If they be taken in pairs, Judah and Simeon, Benjamin and Dan, Manasseh and Ephraim, Zebulun and Issachar, Asher and Naphtali, the order of the pairs agrees with the order in which the allotments in the Holy land, taken also in couples, followed each other in the map from south to north. return to 'Top of Page' Footnotes: Copyright Statement These files are public domain.…”

“Eleazar - Who was to act in God's name, to cast lots, to prevent contentions, to consult with God in cases of difficulty, to transact the whole business in a solemn and religious manner. Numbers 34:19”

“are the names: It is worthy of remark, that Moses does not follow any order hitherto used in arranging the tribes, but places them exactly in the order in which they possessed the land, and according to their fraternal relationship. Judah is first, having the first lot, in the South ( Jos 15:1); and next to him is Simeon, because his inheritance was "within the inheritance of the children of Judah" ( Jos 19:1). Benjamin, the third, had his portion between "Judah and the children of Joseph" ( Jos 18:11). Dan was the fourth, and his lot was westward of Benjamin ( Jos 19:40, Jos 19:41). Manasseh and his brother Ephraim had their inheritances behind that of Benjamin ( Jos 16:7). Next these dwelt…”