（民35）东量二千肘 Measure two thousand cubits to the east

(This week two Torah portions are combined: 本周两个读经进度合并：

matot“各支派” 民数记numbers 30-32, masei“行程” 民数记numbers33-36）

2025 Commentary: (ChatGPT was applied for translation from Chinese. English Commentary is below.)

Numbers 民数记

35:5 And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities. 另外东量二千肘，南量二千肘，西量二千肘，北量二千肘，为边界，城在当中。这要归他们作城邑的郊野。

2025注释: “ 东量二千肘 ”，这里希伯来语圣经的唱音标记用了两个极少的符号，一个叫“一天大的月亮”，https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerach_ben_yomo

一个叫“母牛的角”，https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karne_parah

而且这些符号的形状也与这些名称相似。希伯来圣经附有很多种唱音符号，像汉语的四声，只不过有更多种类，但“一天大的月亮”，和“母牛的角”，整个圣经只各出现一次，就在此处。好像在提醒我们注意什么？

“月亮”，让我们想起隐没以后又重新出现，这个唱音也和另一个段落结束时所用的“句末”唱音听起来很像，它被标在经文“两千”下面，但出人意料的是，停顿以后经文没有结束，而是接着开始经文“（以）肘（为单位）” ，上面标上“母牛的角” 这个奇特音标，而“（以）肘（为单位）”的希伯来文””b-amah”, 也好像隐含着一个问题，因为这些字母可以分解成“ba-mah”，像是在问“正在来的是什么”的意思？

我们再看看这节经文的位置，它处于民数记的最后一个读经进度，这在列举以色列人旷野四十年四十二站旅程结束之时。而旷野路, 犹太人认为象征今世的人生路，https://www.chabad.org/kabbalah/article_cdo/aid/380049/jewish/Mystical-Forty-two-Journeys.htm

基督徒也有赞美诗使用相同的解释，参见

https://hymnary.org/text/guide_me_o_thou_great_jehovah

当如果说经文的位置象征今世人生路将走完的时候，那么希伯来文的特殊唱音标志提醒我们注意，“那正在来的是什么”？

这让我们很好奇，这里的经文的内容“东量二千肘”在暗示着什么吗？我们先列举一些可能的线索。

这里的经文说“东量二千肘”。圣经里说到二千肘的地方不多，另一处是在约书亚记，在过约旦河进应许地之前。约书亚记3:1-4说: “约书亚清早起来，和以色列众人都离开什亭，来到约旦河，就住在那里，等候过河。过了三天，官长走遍营中，吩咐百姓说，你们看见耶和华你们神的约柜，又见祭司利未人抬着，就要离开所住的地方，跟着约柜去。只是你们和约柜相离要量二千肘，不可与约柜相近，使你们知道所当走的路，因为这条路你们向来没有走过。” 所以这是过约旦河进应许地的路！是旷野的以色列人向来没有走过的路！对走完今世人生路的信徒来说，这“正在来的是什么”？就是渡过死亡，进入来世的应许之地！

圣经里还有另一处隐含的“东量二千肘”。

利未人的城，对应于旷野的利未营https://www.sefaria.org/Makkot.12b?lang=bi

而旷野的利未营，对应于后来的圣殿山。

https://www.sefaria.org/Zevachim.116b.15?lang=en

利未人的城“东量二千肘”（约1000米），https://trustconverter.com/en/length-conversion/cubit/cubit-to-meters.html

对应于圣殿山东面的二千肘，是橄榄山的位置。

https://www.answers.com/food-ec/How_far_is_temple_mount_from_the_mount_of_olives

橄榄山，这是将来主降临的地方，撒迦利亚9:3，4 说，“那时耶和华必出去与那些国争战，好像从前争战一样。那日，他的脚必站在耶路撒冷前面朝东的橄榄山上。 …” 我相信，那日，是来世的开始，并且主将在全地掌权，全地都是祂子民的应许之地：撒迦利亚9:9说，“ 耶和华必作全地的王，那日耶和华必为独一无二的。他的名也是独一无二的。”

犹太人相信埋葬在橄榄山的死人将率先复活，他们相信弥赛亚将在橄榄山降临。有很多名人埋葬在那里等待着，包括以色列前总理贝京和现代希伯来语之父本耶胡达, 和古代先知们哈该，撒迦利亚，玛拉基。https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_of_Olives_Jewish_Cemetery

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_of_Olives

基督徒的新约，也隐含地记载了“东量二千肘”的橄榄山，二千肘是安息日的路程。

https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/54353/what-is-a-sabbath-days-walk

橄榄山，就在耶路撒冷和圣殿山的东面，大约是安息日的路程。新约使徒行传记载耶稣在那里升天，将来也要在哪里降临。

使徒行传1:11-12“… 加利利人哪，你们为什么站着望天呢？这离开你们被接升天的耶稣，你们见他怎样往天上去，他还要怎样来。有一座山名叫橄榄山，离耶路撒冷不远，约有安息日可走的路程。当下门徒从那里回耶路撒冷去。”

所以根据新旧约的推论，利未人城市“东量两千肘”，很可能预表圣殿山东面的橄榄山。这橄榄山也是将来主降临开启来世的地方。

“东量两千肘”，经文所用的唱音符号也很有意义：

“母牛”，是使我们想起能让沾染死尸不洁净的人重新洁净的红母牛。根据犹太传统，准备红母牛的仪式，就从面对圣殿的橄榄山开始。https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_heifer

“月亮”，让我们想起隐没以后有重新出现，如同人从死里复活，如同今世结束后来世的开始。

所以我认为，在象征今世人生路的旷野路快走完时，希伯来语圣经在“东量两千肘”处用特殊唱音标记，可以提示我们象征来世主降临之处的橄榄山，这是振奋人心的，让我们即使今世将结束时也有来世的盼望。

有关链接：

https://goedbericht.nl/english/the-distance-mount-of-olives-jerusalem/

2025 Commentary: (ChatGPT was applied for translation from Chinese)

“Measure two thousand cubits to the east”—here in the Hebrew Bible, two extremely rare cantillation marks are used: one called “one-day-old moon” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerach_ben_yomo and the other “cow’s horn”, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karne_parah and their shapes resemble their names. The Hebrew Bible contains many types of cantillation marks, similar to the four tones in Chinese but with more categories. However, the marks “one-day-old moon” and “cow’s horn” only appear once each in the entire Bible—right here. It’s as if inviting us to pay special attention.

The “moon” reminds us of something that disappears and then reappears. This cantillation mark also sounds very similar to another one called “end of verse”, when it is used at the end of a section. It is placed under the Hebrew word for “two thousand,” but surprisingly, the verse doesn’t end there. Instead, after the pause, it continues with the phrase “(by) cubits,” above which is the unique “cow’s horn” mark.

The Hebrew for “(by) cubits” is “b-amah”, which could be split as “ba-mah”, resembling the question “What is coming?”

Let us consider the location of this verse. It is found in the last Torah portion of the Book of Numbers, following the recounting of the forty-two journeys of the Israelites through the wilderness. According to Jewish tradition, the wilderness journey symbolizes this present life:

https://www.chabad.org/kabbalah/article_cdo/aid/380049/jewish/Mystical-Forty-two-Journeys.htm

Christians also interpret it this way, as seen in the hymn:

https://hymnary.org/text/guide_me_o_thou_great_jehovah

So if the placement of this verse symbolizes the nearing end of life’s journey, then the rare cantillation marks in the Hebrew text seem to be calling attention to “what is coming?”

This prompts curiosity: Does “measure two thousand cubits to the east” hint at something? Let’s explore possible clues.

1. Another place in the Bible that speaks of

two thousand cubits

is in the Book of Joshua, before crossing River Jordan to the Promised Land:

Joshua 3:1–4:

“And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.

And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;

And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.

Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.”

So this was the road into the Promised Land, the path across the Jordan River! A path never before walked by the Israelites in the wilderness. For those believers finishing the journey of this present life, “what is coming?”

It is to cross the river of death and enter the world to come—the promised inheritance!

2. There is another

implicit “eastward two thousand cubits”

in the Bible.

The cities of the Levites correspond to the Levite camp in the wilderness:

https://www.sefaria.org/Makkot.12b?lang=bi

And the Levite camp in the wilderness corresponds to the Temple Mount in later times:

https://www.sefaria.org/Zevachim.116b.15?lang=en

The “two thousand cubits eastward” from a Levite city (about 1000 meters):

https://trustconverter.com/en/length-conversion/cubit/cubit-to-meters.html

…corresponds to the Mount of Olives, which lies east of the Temple Mount:

https://www.answers.com/food-ec/How_far_is_temple_mount_from_the_mount_of_olives

The Mount of Olives is the place where the Lord will one day return. Zechariah 14:3–4 says,

“Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east…”

I believe “that day” is the start of the World To Come, and the L-RD shall reign over all the earth, and all the earth is the promised land of His people:

Zechariah 14:9 says,

“And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.”

Jews believe that those buried on the Mount of Olives will be the first to resurrect. They believe the Messiah will descend there. Many prominent people are buried there awaiting that day, including former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, modern Hebrew’s father Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, and ancient prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_of_Olives_Jewish_Cemetery

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_of_Olives

3. The New Testament also

implicitly connects “eastward two thousand cubits”

to the Mount of Olives.

Two thousand cubits is about a Sabbath day’s journey:

https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/54353/what-is-a-sabbath-days-walk

The Mount of Olives is located east of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, approximately that distance. The New Testament records Jesus’ ascension from there, and promises His return in the same way:

Acts 1:11–12:

“Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.”

So, according to both Old and New Testament reasoning, the “eastward two thousand cubits” from the city of the Levites likely foreshadows the Mount of Olives—the place where the Lord will come to start the Kingdom of Heaven on all the Earth.

4. The cantillation signs themselves are also meaningful:

“Cow” reminds us of the red heifer, whose ashes purified those defiled by death. According to Jewish tradition, the ritual of preparing the red heifer began on the Mount of Olives, facing the Temple:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_heifer

“Moon” reminds us of disappearance and reappearance—like resurrection from the dead, or the end of this life and the beginning of the next.

Therefore, I believe that near the end of the wilderness journey, symbolizing the end of this present life, the rare cantillation signs on “eastward two thousand cubits” in the Hebrew Bible draw our attention toward the Mount of Olives, the symbolic place of the Lord’s coming in the world to come. This is hope-inspiring—even when this life nears its end, there is something greater to come.