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Texts -- Numbers 27:1-23 (NET)

Context
Special Inheritance Laws
27:1 Then the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher , the son of Gilead , the son of Machir , the son of Manasseh of the families of Manasseh , the son Joseph came forward . Now these are the names of his daughters : Mahlah , Noah , Hoglah , Milcah , and Tirzah . 27:2 And they stood before Moses and Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said , 27:3 “Our father died in the wilderness , although he was not part of the company of those that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah ; but he died for his own sin , and he had no sons . 27:4 Why should the name of our father be lost from among his family because he had no son ? Give us a possession among the relatives of our father .” 27:5 So Moses brought their case before the Lord . 27:6 The Lord said to Moses : 27:7 “The daughters of Zelophehad have a valid claim . You must indeed give them possession of an inheritance among their father’s relatives , and you must transfer the inheritance of their father 27:8 And you must tell the Israelites , ‘If a man dies and has no son , then you must transfer his inheritance to his daughter ; 27:9 and if he has no daughter , then you are to give his inheritance to his brothers ; 27:10 and if he has no brothers , then you are to give his inheritance to his father’s brothers ; 27:11 and if his father has no brothers , then you are to give his inheritance to his relative nearest to him from his family , and he will possess it. This will be for the Israelites a legal requirement , as the Lord commanded Moses .’”
Leadership Change
27:12 Then the Lord said to Moses , “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range, and see the land I have given to the Israelites . 27:13 When you have seen it, you will be gathered to your ancestors , as Aaron your brother was gathered to his ancestors. 27:14 For in the wilderness of Zin when the community rebelled against me, you rebelled against my command to show me as holy before their eyes over the water – the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin .” 27:15 Then Moses spoke to the Lord : 27:16 “Let the Lord , the God of the spirits of all humankind , appoint a man over the community , 27:17 who will go out before them, and who will come in before them, and who will lead them out , and who will bring them in, so that the community of the Lord may not be like sheep that have no shepherd .” 27:18 The Lord replied to Moses , “Take Joshua son of Nun , a man in whom is such a spirit , and lay your hand on him; 27:19 set him before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community , and commission him publicly . 27:20 Then you must delegate some of your authority to him, so that the whole community of the Israelites will be obedient . 27:21 And he will stand before Eleazar the priest , who will seek counsel for him before the Lord by the decision of the Urim . At his command they will go out , and at his command they will come in, he and all the Israelites with him, the whole community .” 27:22 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him; he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community . 27:23 He laid his hands on him and commissioned him, just as the Lord commanded , by the authority of Moses .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Zelophehad

    [ebd] first-born, of the tribe of Manasseh, and of the family of Gilead; died in the wilderness. Having left no sons, his daughters, concerned lest their father's name should be "done away from among his family," made an appeal to...
    [isbe] ZELOPHEHAD - ze-lo'-fe-had (tslophchadh, meaning unknown): Head of a Manassite family who died without male issue (Nu 26:33; 27:1,7; 36:2,6,10,11; Josh 17:3; 1 Ch 7:15). His daughters came to Moses and Eleazar and successful...
    [smith] (first-born), son of Zepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh. (Joshua 17:3) (B.C. before 1450.) He was apparently the second son of Hepher. (1 Chronicles 7:15) Zelophehad came out of Egypt with Moses, but die...
    [nave] ZELOPHEHAD, grandson of Gilead. His daughters petition for his inheritance, Num. 27:1-11; 36; Josh. 17:3-6; 1 Chr. 7:15.

  • WOMAN

    [isbe] WOMAN - woom'-an ('ishshah, "a woman" (feminine of 'ish, "a man"]; gune, "a woman" "wife"): I. IN THE CREATIVE PLAN II. IN OLD TESTAMENT TIMES 1. Prominence of Women 2. Social Equality 3. Marriage Laws 4. Inheritance 5. Dome...

  • RELATIONSHIPS, FAMILY

    [isbe] RELATIONSHIPS, FAMILY - re-la'-shun-ships: I. CONSANGUINITY 1. In General 2. Parents and Children 3. Brothers and Sisters 4. Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, Kinsmen II. AFFINITY 1. Husband and Wife 2. Father-in-Law, etc. 3. Brother-...

  • PENTATEUCH, 2B

    [isbe] PENTATEUCH, 2B - 3. Answer to the Critical Analysis: (1) The Veto of Textual Criticism. The first great objection that may be made to the higher criticism is that it starts from the Massoretic text (MT) without investigation...

  • PATRIMONY

    [isbe] PATRIMONY - pat'-ri-mo-ni (ha-'abhoth, "the fathers"): A word occurring once in English Versions of the Bible (Dt 18:8), meaning literally, "the fathers," which, however, is obscure, probably by reason of abbreviation for so...

  • Obedience

    [nave] OBEDIENCE. Gen. 18:19; Ex. 19:5; Ex. 20:6 Deut. 5:10. Ex. 24:7 Josh. 24:24. Num. 9:23; Num. 14:24 Josh. 14:6-14. Josh. 22:2; 1 Kin. 3:14; 2 Kin. 18:6; 2 Kin. 21:8; Neh. 1:5; Psa. 1:2; Psa. 18:44; Psa. 25:10; Psa. 99:7; Psa....

  • NUMBERS, BOOK OF

    [isbe] NUMBERS, BOOK OF - num'-berz: I. TITLE AND CONTENTS 1. Title 2. Contents II. LITERARY STRUCTURE 1. Alleged Grounds of Distribution 2. Objections to Same (1) Hypothesis Unproved (2) Written Record Not Impossible (3) No Book E...

  • Legislation

    [nave] LEGISLATION, class, forbidden, Ex. 12:49; Lev. 24:22; Num. 9:14; 15:15, 29; Gal. 3:28. Supplemental, concerning Sabbath-breaking, Num. 15:32-35; inheritance, Num. 27:1-11. See: Government; Law.

  • Land

    [nave] LAND Appeared on third creative day, Gen. 1:9. Original title to, from God, Gen. 13:14-17; 15:7; Ex. 23:31; Lev. 25:23. Bought and sold, Gen. 23:3-18; 33:19; Acts 4:34; 5:1-8. Sale and redemption of, laws concerning, Lev....

  • LAW OF MOSES

    [smith] It will be the object of this article to give a brief analysis of the substance of this law, to point out its main principles, and to explain the position which it occupies in the progress of divine revelation. In order to do...

  • Kadesh

    [ebd] holy, or Kadesh-Barnea, sacred desert of wandering, a place on the south-eastern border of Palestine, about 165 miles from Horeb. It lay in the "wilderness" or "desert of Zin" (Gen. 14:7; Num. 13:3-26; 14:29-33; 20:1; 27:14)...

  • Judge

    [ebd] (Heb. shophet, pl. shophetim), properly a magistrate or ruler, rather than one who judges in the sense of trying a cause. This is the name given to those rulers who presided over the affairs of the Israelites during the inte...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • GENEALOGY, 1-7

    [isbe] GENEALOGY, 1-7 - je-na-al'-o-ji, jen-a-al'-o-ji: 1. Definition 2. Biblical References 3. Importance of Genealogies 4. Their Historical Value 5. Principles of Interpretation 6. Principles of Compilation 7. Sources 8. Principa...

  • EXODUS, THE BOOK OF, 2

    [isbe] EXODUS, THE BOOK OF, 2 - II. Structure of the Book According to the Scriptures and According to Modern Analyses. In the following section (a) serves for the understanding of the Biblical text; (b) is devoted to the discussio...

  • ELEAZAR

    [isbe] ELEAZAR - el-e-a'-zar, e-le-a'-zar ('el-`azar; Eleazar, "God is helper"): (1) The 3rd son of Aaron by Elisheba (Ex 6:23; Nu 3:2). He married one of the daughters of Putiel, who bore him Phinehas (Ex 6:25). With his father an...

  • Divination

    [ebd] of false prophets (Deut. 18:10, 14; Micah 3:6, 7, 11), of necromancers (1 Sam. 28:8), of the Philistine priests and diviners (1 Sam. 6:2), of Balaam (Josh. 13:22). Three kinds of divination are mentioned in Ezek. 21:21, by a...

  • Daughter

    [nave] DAUGHTER Forbidden to be wife of her mother's husband, Lev. 20:14. Sold in concubinage, Ex. 21:7-10. Given in marriage by parents, Judg. 1:12, 13; 1 Sam. 17:25; 18:20, 21. Property rights of, Num. 27:1-11; 36; Josh. 17:3-...

  • CRITICISM

    [isbe] CRITICISM - (The Graf-Wellhausen Hypothesis) I. PRELIMINARY 1. Thesis 2. Historical Perspective 3. Inspiration and Criticism II. THE LEGISLATION 1. Groups 2. Covenant Code 3. The Sanctuary 4. Kinds of Sacrifice 5. Sacrifice ...

  • CHILDREN

    [smith] The blessing of offspring, but especially of the male sex, is highly valued among all eastern nations, while a the absence is regarded as one of the severest punishments. (Genesis 16:2; 7:14; 1 Samuel 1:6; 2 Samuel 6:23...

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 6:9-12 "The same explanation for Enoch's rescue from death (he walked with God') is made the basis for Noah's rescue from death in the Flood: he walked with God' (6:9). Thus in the story of Noah and the Flood, the author is a...
  • This section continues the events begun in verses 1-7.Jacob's eyes were failing in his old age (v. 10) so he did not recognize Ephraim and Manasseh (cf. 27:1). He may not have seen them for several years previously and may ha...
  • To formulate a statement that summarizes the teaching of this book it will be helpful to identify some of the major revelations in Numbers. These constitute the unique values of the book.The first major value of Numbers is th...
  • I. Experiences of the older generation in the wilderness chs. 1-25A. Preparations for entering the Promised Land from the south chs. 1-101. The first census and the organization of the people chs. 1-42. Commands and rituals t...
  • The focus of Numbers now changes from the older unbelieving generation of Israelites doomed to die in the wilderness to the younger generation that would enter the Promised Land."The parallels and contrasts between this narra...
  • The writer probably included this incident in the text because it resulted in a further definition of the laws governing inheritance in the land in a common situation. It also shows the faith of these women. They believed God...
  • Another preparation for entering Canaan involved appointing a new leader to take Moses' place.God foretold that Moses would die without entering the land (cf. 20:1-13). Graciously He allowed His servant to see the Promised La...
  • The revelation of the laws of the division of the land just explained precipitated the incident that Moses recorded here. What would happen if the heiress to her father's property married someone from a different tribe? In th...
  • The context of this section is significant as usual. Verses 1-8 deal with people who ministered to Yahweh in various ways for the people, and verses 15-22 concern the delivery of God's revelations to His people. Verses 9-14 c...
  • The same day Moses gave his song to the Israelites God directed him to prepare for his death (v. 48; cf. Num. 27:12-14). Mt. Nebo is one of the peaks in the Abarim range that stands to the east of the Arabah northeast of the ...
  • At Jericho, Israel learned God's strength. At Ai, she learned her own weakness. She could only conquer her enemies as she remained faithful to God's covenant."We are never in greater danger than right after we have won a grea...
  • The residents of the town of Gibeon decided that if they could not defeat the Israelites they would join them. This has been a strategy that enemies of believers have employed for centuries (cf. Num. 25:1-2).9:1-2 Israel is t...
  • These final verses record the end of Joshua's life and ministry that terminated an important and successful era in Israel's history. Israel's success continued as long as the elders who had served Israel contemporaneously wit...
  • 1:1 The Book of Judges begins with a conjunction translated "now"or "and."God intended Judges to continue the narrative of Israel's history where the Book of Joshua ended (cf. Josh. 1:1). This verse provides a heading for the...
  • In 1004 B.C. David became king of all Israel and Judah.50This was his third anointing (cf. 1 Sam. 16:13; 2 Sam. 2:4). The people acknowledged David's previous military leadership of all Israel as well as God's choice of him t...
  • A tabernacle, evidently the Mosaic tabernacle, and the Mosaic tabernacle's bronze altar still stood at Gibeon (lit. little hill; 1 Chron. 16:39-40; 21:28-29; 2 Chron. 1:3, 5-6). Gibeon was one of the so-called high places whe...
  • Elihu began by voicing his respect for Job's three friends (vv. 6-10). They were older than he, and for this reason he said he had refrained from speaking until now. However he had become convinced that advancing age does not...
  • 22:20 The prophet spoke of Jerusalem as a young woman in this oracle. He called on her to go up on the surrounding mountains to bewail the loss of her lovers (political allies and pagan gods). The Lebanon mountains were to th...
  • 3:3 The prophet pictured Yahweh as arising over His people like the rising sun, appearing over Teman, a large town in Edom, and Mt. Paran, the mountain opposite Teman (cf. Deut. 33:2-4). These locations were to the east of th...
  • This section summarizes the previous incidents that deal primarily with healing and prepares for Jesus' charge to His disciples. It is transitional providing a bridge from the condition of the people that chapter 9 revealed t...
  • Another incident occurred that provided another opportunity for Jesus to emphasize the importance of childlike characteristics in His disciples (cf. ch 18).19:13 It was customary for people to bring their children to rabbis f...
  • Mark's account of this miracle plays an important role in his Gospel. The unusually long introduction provides the setting for this miracle. It stresses Jesus' humanity, and the miracle itself demonstrates His deity. Mark lat...
  • This teaching is quite similar to what the Synoptic evangelists recorded Jesus giving in His parables, but there is a significant difference. John called this teaching a figure of speech (Gr. paroimian) rather than a parable ...
  • The key to the apostles' successful fulfillment of Jesus' commission was their baptism with and consequent indwelling by the Holy Spirit. Without this divine enablement they would only have been able to follow Jesus' example,...
  • The scene shifts back to life within the church (cf. 4:32-5:11). Luke wrote this pericope to explain some administrative changes that the growth of the church made necessary. He also wanted to introduce the Hellenistic Jews w...
  • The writer proceeded to explain what the community of Christians that he addressed should do to rectify its dangerous condition.6:1 Since they needed stretching mentally they should with the writer "press on to maturity."That...
  • The writer put his readers' sufferings in perspective so they might not overestimate the difficulty they faced in remaining faithful to God."Suffering comes to all; it is part of life, but it is not easy to bear. Yet it is no...
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