Numbers 36:1-6

1 And the auncyet heedes of the childern of Gilead the sonne of Machir ye sonne of Manasse of the kynred of ye childern of Ioseph came forth and spake before Moses and the prynces which were aunciet heedes amoge the childern of Israel

2 and sayed: The Lorde commaunded my lorde to geue ye lande to enherette by lotte to the childern of Israel. And then my lord commaunded in ye name of the Lorde to geue the enheritaunce of Zelaphead oure brother vnto his doughters.

3 Now when any of the sonnes of the trybes of Israel take them to wyues then shall their enheritaunce be taken from the enheritaunce of oure fathers and shall be put vnto the enheritaunce of the trybe in which they are and shalbe taken from the lott of oure enheritaunce.

4 And when the fre yere cometh vnto the childern of Israel then shall their enheritaunce be put vnto the enheritaunce of the trybe where they are in and so shall their enheritaunce be taken awaye from the enheritaunce of the trybe of oure fathers.

5 And Moses commaunded the childern of Israel at the mouth of the Lorde sayenge: the trybe of ye childern of Ioseph haue sayed well.

6 This therfore doeth the Lorde commaude the doughters of Zelaphead sayenge: let them be wyues to whom they the silfe thynke best but in the kynred of the trybe of their father shall they marye

Numbers 36:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 36

This chapter gives an account of an application made by the heads of the tribe of Manasseh, concerning the inheritances of the daughters of Zelophehad, which, should they marry into other tribes, would be removed thither, and so be a loss to theirs, Nu 36:1-4, which case was judged worthy of regard; and to remedy this inconvenience, they were ordered to marry into the family of their father's tribe, and this was to be a law to all heiresses for the future in other tribes, Nu 36:5-9 and accordingly the daughters of Zelophehad married their father's brothers' sons, Nu 36:10-13.