Numbers 27:1-11

G. THE PLEA OF ZELOPHEHAD'S DAUGHTERS, AND GOD'S ANSWER (Numbers 27:1-11)

TEXT

Numbers 27:1. Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. 2. And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 3. Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons. 4. Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father. 5. And Moses brought their cause before the Lord.

6. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 7. The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them. 8. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. 9. And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren. 10. And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren. 11. And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the Lord commanded Moses.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 27:1. Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these are the names of the daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. 2. And they stood before Moses and Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the assembly, at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, saying, 3. Our father died in the wilderness, although he was not in the company of those who gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah; but he died in his own sin, and had no sons. 4. Why should the name of our father be lost to his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among the brothers of our father. 5. And Moses brought their case before the Lord.

6. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 7. The daughters of Zelophehad speak properly. You shall surely give them a possession as an inheritance among the brothers of their father, and you shall transfer their father's inheritance to them. 8. Also, you shall speak to the children of Israel and say, -If a man dies having no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter. 9. -And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10. And 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 his nearest relative in his own family, and he shall possess it; and it shall be a law of judgment to the children of Israel, just as the Lord commanded Moses.-'

COMMENTARY

A very real problem presents itself in the situation before us. Zelophehad died without male issue, which would have ended the chain of inheritance to his family. What should be done? Ought the situation end here, and the land be divided otherwise among near relatives? Was there some method by which the family name and inheritance could be preserved? Only God could give an adequate answer, so He is consulted via Moses. The five daughters of Zelophehad petition to have the land given them rather than have it lost to the family, and God honors their request.
In other nations in the ancient world, women seldom had any rights of inheritance: but it would not be so among God's people, if there were no male heir. Presumably, the women married and, upon so doing, they lost their original family identity; their children inherited from the father's household. But in this instance, with no brothers to preserve their father's name and estate, the daughters accept both the inheritance and the responsibilities which accompany the inheritance; clearly, the first-born son of the oldest will establish the primary line of lineage. The law would secure the ancient principle: land is not to be permanently given up by that family to which it has been allocated.
Would the decision have been different if Zelophehad had been involved in the extraordinary sins and rebellious conduct for which severe punishment had been meted out? We have only inferences to draw from silence, but the fact is that there is no record of an inheritance which was ever denied to the child of a rebellious father on this basis alone. God's judgment upon the offending Israelites had already been pronounced and exacted: they would die outside of the Promised Land. The situation and decision anticipate the immediate future, when Israel will actually occupy the land toward which they have been led.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

497.

Why should there have been any question whether or not Zelophehad's daughters might inherit their father's land?

498.

Is it important that Zelophehad had not been among those who had rebelled against the Lord?

499.

Show what the consequences would have been if the inheritance had not been passed through the daughters.

500.

In what manner was Zelophehad's name to have been preserved?

501.

Why is it relevant to settle this question even before the Israelites had entered into the land of Canaan?

502.

Can you think of any nation or circumstances where the details of inheritance resemble those given in God's instructions to Moses?