SEV Biblia, Chapter 35:5
Luego mediréis fuera de la ciudad a la parte del oriente dos mil codos, y a la parte del mediodía dos mil codos, y a la parte del occidente dos mil codos, y a la parte del norte dos mil codos, y la ciudad en medio: esto tendrán por los ejidos de las ciudades.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Numbers 35:5
Verse 5. And ye shall measure from without the city-two thousand cubits, &c.] Commentators have been much puzzled with the accounts in these two verses. In ver. 4 the measure is said to be 1, 000 cubits from the wall; in ver. 5 the measure is said to be 2, 000 from without the city. It is likely these two measures mean the same thing; at least so it was understood by the Septuagint and Coptic, who have disciliouv phceiv, 2, 000 cubits, in the fourth, as well as in the fifth verse; but this reading of the Septuagint and Coptic is not acknowledged by any other of the ancient versions, nor by any of the MSS. collated by Kennicott and Deuteronomy Rossi. We must seek therefore for some other method of reconciling this apparently contradictory account. Sundry modes have been proposed by commentators, which appear to me, in general, to require full as much explanation as the text itself. Maimonides is the only one intelligible on the subject. "The suburbs," says he, "of the cities are expressed in the law to be 3, 000 cubits on every side from the wall of the city and outwards. The first thousand cubits are the suburbs, and the 2, 000, which they measured without the suburbs, were for fields and vineyards." The whole, therefore, of the city, suburbs, fields, and vineyards, may be represented by the following diagram:-
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 5. And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side two thousand cubits , etc.] Before only 1000 cubits were ordered to be measured, and now 2000, even 2000 more, which were to be added to the other, and to begin where they ended. The first 1000 were for their cattle and goods, these 2000 for their gardens, orchards, fields, and vineyards; and so the Jewish writers understand it. Jarchi observes, that 1000 cubits are ordered, and after that 2000; and asks, how is this? or how is it to be reconciled? to which he answers, 2000 are put to them round about, and of them the 1000 innermost are for suburbs, and the outermost (i.e. the 2000) are for fields and vineyards; and with this agrees the Misnah f502 , from whence he seems to have taken it; and the same was to be on every other side of the city, south, west, and north, as follows: and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits ; which, added to the other 1000 all around, must make a large circumference of land: and the city shall be in the midst ; in the midst of the circuit of three thousand cubits all around, so that it must stand very pleasant and convenient: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities ; such a quantity of ground, consisting of so many cubits, shall be assigned to every city; the suburbs or glebe land to a Levite’s city, on the four sides were four squares, and each square consisted of seventy six acres, one rood, twenty perches, and eighty square feet; all the four squares amounting to three hundred and five acres, two roods, one perch, besides fifty seven feet square, according to Bishop Cumberland.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - The cities of the priests and Levites were not only to accommodat them, but to place them, as religious teachers, in several parts of the land. For though the typical service of the tabernacle or temple wa only in one place, the preaching of the word of God, and prayer an praise, were not thus confined. These cities were to be given out of each tribe. Each thus made a grateful acknowledgement to God. Eac tribe had the benefit of the Levites dwelling amongst them, to teac them the knowledge of the Lord; thus no parts of the country were lef to sit in darkness. The gospel provides that he who is taught in the word, should communicate to him that teaches, in all good things, God 6:6. We are to free God's ministers from distracting cares, and to leave them at leisure for the duties of their station; so that they ma be wholly employed therein, and avail themselves of every opportunity by acts of kindness, to gain the good-will of the people, and to dra their attention.
Original Hebrew
ומדתם 4058 מחוץ 2351 לעיר 5892 את 853 פאת 6285 קדמה 6924 אלפים 505 באמה 520 ואת 853 פאת 6285 נגב 5045 אלפים 505 באמה 520 ואת 853 פאת 6285 ים 3220 אלפים 505 באמה 520 ואת 853 פאת 6285 צפון 6828 אלפים 505 באמה 520 והעיר 5892 בתוך 8432 זה 2088 יהיה 1961 להם מגרשׁי 4054 הערים׃ 5892
