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Chapter 27

Zelophehad’s Daughters.[a] The daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, the son of Joseph came forward. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They stood before Moses and Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders and all the assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting. They said, “Our father died in the desert, but he was not in the band of those who conspired together with Korah against the Lord. He died on account of his own sin. He had no sons. Why should the name of our father perish from his clan because he did not have a son? Give us property among our father’s kinsmen.”

So Moses brought their case before the Lord. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is just. You surely must give them property as an inheritance among their father’s kinsmen, and you must turn their father’s inheritance over to them. Say to the people of Israel, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, then turn over his inheritance to his daughter. If he has no daughter, then turn over his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, then give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 If the father has no brothers, you will give his inheritance to his nearest kinsman in his clan so that he might possess it. This will be a statute and an ordinance for the people of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses.’ ”

12 Joshua Commissioned by Moses. The Lord said to Moses, “Go up onto Mount Abarim and look upon the land that I have given to the people of Israel. 13 After you have seen it, you will be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was, 14 for in the Desert of Zin, in the strife over the water with the assembly, you both disobeyed my command to treat me as holy before their eyes.” (This is the water of Meribah in Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.)

15 Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, 16 “May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, place a man over the assembly 17 who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the assembly of the Lord might not be like sheep without a shepherd.”[b] 18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in whom the Spirit is found, and lay your hand upon him. 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before the whole assembly and commission him in their sight. 20 Give him some of your authority, so that the assembly of the people of Israel might obey. 21 He will stand before Eleazar, the priest, who will inquire for him before the Lord with the judgment of the Urim. At his word they will go out, and at his word they will come in, he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole assembly.”[c]

22 So Moses did as the Lord had commanded him. He took Joshua and brought him before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. 23 He laid his hand upon him and commissioned him, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 27:1 The fact that women engage in this type of bargaining concerning their rights of inheritance through their dead father is extraordinary for this time.
  2. Numbers 27:17 Joshua will have authority to make all decisions that are useful in directing the advance of the people.
  3. Numbers 27:21 Although Joshua is appointed as successor to Moses (Deut 34:9), it is clear that he does not have the direct line to the Lord that Moses enjoyed.

27 Then came the daughters of Salphaad, the son of Hepher, the son of Galaad, the son of Machir, the son of Manasses, who was the son of Joseph: and their names are Maala, and Noa, and Hegla, and Melcha, and Thersa.

And they stood before Moses and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the people at the door of the tabernacle of the covenant, and said:

Our father died in the desert, and was not in the sedition, that was raised against the Lord under Core, but he died in his own sin: and he had no male children. Why is his name taken away out of his family, because he had no son? Give us a possession among the kinsmen of our father.

And Moses referred their cause to the judgment of the Lord.

And the Lord said to him:

The daughters of Salphaad demand a just thing: Give them a possession among their father's kindred, and let them succeed him in his inheritance.

And to the children of Israel thou shalt speak these things:

When a man dieth without a son, his inheritance shall pass to his daughter.

If he have no daughter, his brethren shall succeed him.

10 And if he have no brethren, you shall give the inheritance to his father's brethren.

11 But if he have no uncles by the father, the inheritance shall be given to them that are the next akin. And this shall be to the children of Israel sacred by a perpetual law, as the Lord hath commanded Moses.

12 The Lord also said to Moses: Go up into this mountain Abarim, and view from thence the land which I will give to the children of Israel.

13 And when thou shalt have seen it, thou also shalt go to thy people, as thy brother Aaron is gone:

14 Because you offended me in the desert of Sin in the contradiction of the multitude, neither would you sanctify me before them at the waters. These are the waters of contradiction in Cades of the desert of Sin.

15 And Moses answered him:

16 May the Lord the God of the spirits of all flesh provide a man, that may be over this multitude:

17 And may go out and in before them, and may lead them out, or bring them in: lest the people of the Lord be as sheep without a shepherd.

18 And the Lord said to him: Take Josue the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and put thy hand upon him.

19 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest and all the multitude:

20 And thou shalt give him precepts in the sight of all, and part of thy glory, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may hear him.

21 If any thing be to be done, Eleazar the priest shall consult the Lord for him. He and all the children of Israel with him, and the rest of the multitude shall go out and go in at his word.

22 Moses did as the Lord had commanded. And when he had taken Josue, he set him before Eleazar the priest, and all the assembly of the people,

23 And laying his hands on his head, he repeated all things that the Lord had commanded.

Inheritance Laws

27 Then came the daughters of (A)Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. And they stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying: “Our father (B)died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together against the Lord, (C)in company with Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be (D)removed[a] from among his family because he had no son? (E)Give us a [b]possession among our father’s brothers.”

So Moses (F)brought their case before the Lord.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; (G)you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. 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 And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him in his family, and he shall possess it.’ ” And it shall be to the children of Israel (H)a statute of judgment, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

Joshua the Next Leader of Israel(I)

12 Now the Lord said to Moses: (J)“Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. 13 And when you have seen it, you also (K)shall [c]be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered. 14 For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you (L)rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the (M)waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)

15 Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying: 16 “Let the Lord, (N)the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 17 (O)who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be (P)like sheep which have no shepherd.”

18 And the Lord said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man (Q)in whom is the Spirit, and (R)lay your hand on him; 19 set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and (S)inaugurate[d] him in their sight. 20 And (T)you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel (U)may be obedient. 21 (V)He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him (W)by the judgment of the Urim. (X)At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.”

22 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. 23 And he laid his hands on him (Y)and [e]inaugurated him, just as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 27:4 withdrawn
  2. Numbers 27:4 inheritance
  3. Numbers 27:13 Die and join your ancestors
  4. Numbers 27:19 commission
  5. Numbers 27:23 commissioned

Zelophehad’s Daughters(A)

27 The daughters of Zelophehad(B) son of Hepher,(C) the son of Gilead,(D) the son of Makir,(E) the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. They came forward and stood before Moses,(F) Eleazar the priest, the leaders(G) and the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting(H) and said, “Our father died in the wilderness.(I) He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the Lord,(J) but he died for his own sin and left no sons.(K) Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.”

So Moses brought their case(L) before the Lord,(M) and the Lord said to him, “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance(N) among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them.(O)

“Say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it. This is to have the force of law(P) for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.’”

Joshua to Succeed Moses

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain(Q) in the Abarim Range(R) and see the land(S) I have given the Israelites.(T) 13 After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people,(U) as your brother Aaron(V) was, 14 for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin,(W) both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy(X) before their eyes.” (These were the waters of Meribah(Y) Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.)

15 Moses said to the Lord, 16 “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things,(Z) appoint someone over this community 17 to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”(AA)

18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership,[a](AB) and lay your hand on him.(AC) 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him(AD) in their presence.(AE) 20 Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him.(AF) 21 He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring(AG) of the Urim(AH) before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”

22 Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. 23 Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him,(AI) as the Lord instructed through Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 27:18 Or the Spirit