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Laws of Inheritance

27 Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, of the clan of Manasseh the son of Joseph, came near; and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, and Tirzah. They stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the leaders of the entire community at the doorway of the tent of assembly,[a] saying, “Our father died in the desert; he was not in the midst of the company of those who banded together against Yahweh in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father disappear from the midst of his clan because he does not have a son? Give us property in the midst of the brothers of our father.” So Moses brought their case before Yahweh. And Yahweh said to Moses, saying, The statements of the daughters of Zelophehad are right.[b] You must surely give them the property of an inheritance in the midst of their father’s brothers, and you must transfer the inheritance of their father to them. And you must speak to the Israelites,[c] saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, you must transfer his inheritance to his daughter. And if he has no daughter, you must give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, then you must give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 If his father has no brothers, then you must give his inheritance to his nearest relative from his own clan, and he will take possession of it. It will be as a decree of stipulation for the Israelites,[d] just as Yahweh commanded Moses.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 27:2 Or “meeting”
  2. Numbers 27:7 Literally “Such as the daughters of Zelophehad are speaking”
  3. Numbers 27:8 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  4. Numbers 27:11 Literally “sons/children of Israel”

A Case of Daughters’ Inheritance

27 The daughters of Zelophehad approached; Zelophehad was the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh from the clans of Manasseh, the son of Joseph. These were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They stood before Moses, the priest Eleazar, the leaders, and the entire community at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, “Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not among Korah’s followers, who gathered together against the Lord.(A) Instead, he died because of his own sin, and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan? Since he had no son, give us property among our father’s brothers.”

Moses brought their case before the Lord, and the Lord answered him, “What Zelophehad’s daughters say is correct. You are to give them hereditary property among their father’s brothers and transfer their father’s inheritance to them.(B) Tell the Israelites: When a man dies without having a son, transfer 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 has no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative of his clan, and he will take possession of it. This is to be a statutory ordinance for the Israelites as the Lord commanded Moses.”

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