Numbers 36:2

2 They said, "The LORD commanded you to give shares of the land to the people of Israel. He told you to use lots when you do it. At that time the LORD ordered you to give our brother Zelophehad's share to his daughters.

Numbers 36:2 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 36:2

And they said
One in the name of the rest:

the Lord commanded my lord;
that is, Moses, whom they address in a very respectable manner, being the chief governor of the nation under God:

to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel;
which command may be seen, in ( Numbers 26:53-56 ) :

and my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of
Zelophehad our brother;
or kinsman, being of the same tribe:

unto his daughters;
who sued for it, and upon Moses's consulting the Lord about it, it was ordered they should have it, ( Numbers 27:1-11 ) and which these princes observed was likely to be attended with the following inconvenience.

Numbers 36:2 In-Context

1 The heads of the families of Gilead came to Moses. Gilead was the son of Makir. The family heads were from the tribe of Manasseh. So they were in the family line of Joseph. They spoke to Moses in front of the leaders of the families of Israel.

2 They said, "The LORD commanded you to give shares of the land to the people of Israel. He told you to use lots when you do it. At that time the LORD ordered you to give our brother Zelophehad's share to his daughters.

3 "Suppose they get married to men who are from other tribes in Israel. Then their share will be taken away from our family's land. It will be added to the land of the tribe they marry into. So a part of the share that was given to us will be taken away.

4 The Year of Jubilee for the people of Israel will come. Then their share will be added to the land of the tribe they marry into. Their land will be taken away from the share that was given to our tribe."

5 Then the LORD gave a command to Moses. He told Moses to give an order to the people of Israel. Moses said, "What the tribe in the family line of Joseph is saying is right.