Numbers 27:1-14

A Law of Inheritance

1 Then ¹the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph, came near; and these are ²the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah and Hoglah and Milcah and Tirzah.

2 They stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the leaders and all the congregation, at the doorway of the tent of meeting, saying,

3 "Our father ³died in the wilderness, yet he was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah; but he died in his own sin, and ⁴he had no sons.

4 "Why should the name of our father be withdrawn from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father's brothers."

5 ⁵So Moses brought their case before the LORD.

6 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

7 "⁶The daughters of Zelophehad are right in their statements. You shall surely give them a hereditary possession among their father's brothers, and you shall transfer the inheritance of their father to them.

8 "Further, you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter.

9 'If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers.

10 'If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father's brothers.

11 'If his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his nearest relative in his own family, and he shall possess it; and it shall be a ⁷statutory ordinance to the sons of Israel, just as the LORD commanded Moses.' "

12 ⁸Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go up to this ⁹mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel.

13 "When you have seen it, you too ¹⁰will be gathered to your people, ¹¹as Aaron your brother was;

14 for in the wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, ¹²you rebelled against My command to treat Me as holy before their eyes at the water." (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)

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Numbers 27:1-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 27

This chapter relates, that, upon a petition of the daughters of Zelophehad, the affair of inheritances was settled; and it is directed that, in case of want of male issue, inheritances should pass to females, and in failure of them to the next of kin, whether father's brethren or any near kinsman, Nu 27:1-11, also an order to Moses to go up to the Mount Abarim, and take a view of the good land, and die; with the reason of it, Nu 27:12-14, upon which Moses desires a successor of him might be appointed, Nu 27:15-17, in answer to which Joshua is nominated, and being presented before the high priest and the people, was invested with his office, by imposition of hands, and had his charge given him, Nu 27:18-23.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 12

1. Numbers 26:33; Numbers 36:1
2. Numbers 26:33
3. Numbers 26:64, 65
4. Numbers 26:33
5. Numbers 9:8; Numbers 27:21
6. Numbers 36:2; Joshua 17:4
7. Numbers 35:29
8. Deuteronomy 3:23-27; Deuteronomy 32:48-52
9. Numbers 33:47, 48
10. Numbers 31:2
11. Numbers 20:24, 28; Deuteronomy 10:6
12. Numbers 20:12; Deuteronomy 32:51; Psalms 106:32

Footnotes 3

[a]. Lit "was gathered"
[b]. Lit "mouth"
[c]. Lit "for My sanctity"