1 The inconvenience of the inheritance of daughters is set forth. 5It is remedied by their being restrained to marry in their own tribes. 10The daughters of Zelophehad are married to their father's brother's sons.
1AND the 1chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spake before Moses, and before the princes, the 2chief fathers of the children of Israel:
1 To whom it belonged to consider such things as were of general benefit to the entire tribe.
2 Of the institution of this assembly, see Numbers 11.
2And they said, Thea LORD 3commanded 4my lord to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel: andb my lord was 5commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of 6Zelophehad our 7brother unto his daughters.
a Num. 26:55, 56; 33:54.
3 See Num. 26:55, 56; 33:54.
4 That is, thee Moses.
b Num. 27:7; Joshua 17:3, 4.
5 See Num. 27:7. They want to say that the previous command about dividing the inheritances by lot would not well agree with this, if so be that the daughters of Zelophehad shall be permitted to transport the inheritances by marriage unto other tribes; as it appears by the sequel.
6 Hebr. Tselofchad.
7 That is, kinsman, being from our tribe.
3And if they be 8married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and shall be put to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall it be taken from the lot of our inheritance.
8 That is, if they become wives; and so in the sequel.
4And when the 9jubile of the children of Israel shall be, then shall their inheritance be put unto the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.
9 Wherein everyone returned to his possession. See Lev. 25:13, which law would have been made of no effect by such marriages.
5And Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the 10word of the LORD, saying, The tribe of the sons of Joseph hath said well.
10 That is, command; whereby is given to understand that Moses first inquired the LORD’S advice about this matter.
6This is the thing which the LORD doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry to whom they 11think best; only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry.
11 That is, who shall please them, or whom they shall be pleased to have.
7So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
812And every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers.
12 This is now a general law which it pleased God to give by this opportunity for the civil government of Israel, concerning daughters who in default of male heirs, would come to inherit in their fatherly house.
9Neither shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance.
10Even as the LORD commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad:
11Forc Mahlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married unto their father's brothers' sons:
c Num. 27:1.
12And they were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance 13remained in the tribe of the family of their father.
13 Hebr. was, or, has been. See Psalm 37 on verse 18.
13These are the commandments and the judgments, which the LORD commanded by the 14hand of Moses unto the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.
14 Or, by the ministry.