Numbers 36:6

6 This the thing which the Lord has appointed the daughters of Salpaad, saying, Let them marry where they please, only let them marry of their father's tribe.

Numbers 36:6 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 36:6

This is the thing which the Lord doth command concerning the
daughters of Zelophehad
Concerning this affair relative to them; the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases the words,

``not for the generations that rise up after the division of the land, but for the daughters of Zelophehad;''

as if this order only respected them, or what might happen before the land was divided, but not after; and this is the general opinion of the Jewish writers; but it seems, that as the following law not only concerns them, but all heiresses, so all such after as well as before the division of the land, since the reason of it holds good after as before:

saying, let them marry to whom they think best;
whom they like best, who are most acceptable to them; as it was reasonable they should, and not have such forced upon them, whose persons were disagreeable to them:

only into the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry;
they were to marry not only such as were of the tribe of Manasseh, but of their father's family in that tribe; they could only marry into the family of the Hepherites; see ( Numbers 26:32 Numbers 26:33 ) .

Numbers 36:6 In-Context

4 And if there shall be a release of the children of Israel, then shall their inheritance be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which the women marry, and their inheritance, shall be taken away from the inheritance of our family's tribe.
5 And Moses charged the children of Israel by the commandment of the Lord, saying, Thus says the tribe of the children of Joseph.
6 This the thing which the Lord has appointed the daughters of Salpaad, saying, Let them marry where they please, only let them marry of their father's tribe.
7 So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel go about from tribe to tribe, for the children of Israel shall steadfastly continue each in the inheritance of his family's tribe.
8 And whatever daughter is heiress to a property of the tribes of the children Israel, women shall be married each to one of her father's tribe, that the sons of Israel may each inherit the property of his father's tribe.

Footnotes 1

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.