Numbers 27:6-16

6 the which said to Moses, (and the Lord said to Moses,)

7 The daughters of Zelophehad ask a just thing; give thou possession to them among their father's kinsmen, and be they successors to him into heritage. (The daughters of Zelophehad ask for a just thing; give thou them some property among their father's kinsmen, and let them be the successors of his inheritance.)

8 Forsooth thou shalt speak these things to the sons of Israel, When a man is dead without son, the heritage shall go to his daughter; (And thou shalt speak these words to the Israelites, When a man is dead without a son, the inheritance shall go to his daughter;)

9 if he hath no daughter, he shall have (as) his heirs his brethren; (if he hath no daughter, his brothers shall be his heirs;)

10 that and if brethren be not, ye shall give the heritage to the brethren of his father; (and if he hath no brothers, ye shall give the inheritance to his father's brothers;)

11 soothly if he have no brethren of his father, the heritage shall be given to them that be next to him. And this shall be holy by everlasting law to the sons of Israel, as the Lord commanded to Moses. (and if his father hath no brothers, the inheritance shall be given to them who be next to him. And this shall be holy by an everlasting law to the Israelites, as the Lord commanded to Moses.)

12 Also the Lord said to Moses, Go (thou) up into this hill of Abarim, and behold thou from thence the land, which I shall give to the sons of Israel. (And then the Lord said to Moses, Go thou up onto this Mount Abarim, and from there behold thou the land, which I have given to the Israelites.)

13 And when thou hast seen it, also thou shalt go to thy people, as thy brother Aaron went; (And when thou hast seen it, then thou also shalt go to thy people, that is, thou shalt die, like thy brother Aaron did;)

14 for thou offendedest me in the desert of Zin, in the against-saying of the multitude, neither thou wouldest hallow me before the people, upon the waters. These be the waters of against-saying in Kadesh, in the desert of Zin. (for thou offendedest me in the wilderness of Zin, when the people spoke against me, and thou didest not uphold my holiness before the people, there at the waters. These be the waters of Meribah at Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin.)

15 To whom Moses answered,

16 The Lord God of the spirits of all flesh, purvey a man, that he be on this multitude, (May the Lord God of the spirits of all people purvey a man who shall be over these people,)

Numbers 27:6-16 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.