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Texts -- Numbers 36:1-13 (NET)

Context
Women and Land Inheritance
36:1 Then the heads of the family groups of the Gileadites , the descendant of Machir , the descendant of Manasseh , who were from the Josephite families , approached and spoke before Moses and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families . 36:2 They said , “The Lord commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance by lot to the Israelites ; and my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters . 36:3 Now if they should be married to one of the men from another Israelite tribe , their inheritance would be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry . As a result, it will be taken from the lot of our inheritance . 36:4 And when the Jubilee of the Israelites is to take place , their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry . So their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of our ancestral tribe .”
Moses’ Decision
36:5 Then Moses gave a ruling to the Israelites by the word of the Lord : “What the tribe of the Josephites is saying is right . 36:6 This is what the Lord has commanded for Zelophehad’s daughters : ‘Let them marry whomever they think best , only they must marry within the family of their father’s tribe . 36:7 In this way the inheritance of the Israelites will not be transferred from tribe to tribe . But every one of the Israelites must retain the ancestral heritage . 36:8 And every daughter who possesses an inheritance from any of the tribes of the Israelites must become the wife of a man from any family in her father’s tribe , so that every Israelite may retain the inheritance of his fathers . 36:9 No inheritance may pass from tribe to tribe . But every one of the tribes of the Israelites must retain its inheritance .” 36:10 As the Lord had commanded Moses , so the daughters of Zelophehad did . 36:11 For the daughters of Zelophehad – Mahlah , Tirzah , Hoglah , Milcah , and Noah – were married to the sons of their uncles . 36:12 They were married into the families of the Manassehites , the descendants of Joseph , and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father’s family . 36:13 These are the commandments and the decisions that the Lord commanded the Israelites through the authority of Moses , on the plains of Moab by the Jordan River opposite Jericho .

Pericope

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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...
    [nave] ZELOPHEHAD, grandson of Gilead. His daughters petition for his inheritance, Num. 27:1-11; 36; Josh. 17:3-6; 1 Chr. 7:15.

  • Daughter

    [isbe] DAUGHTER - do'-ter (bath; thugater): Used in Scriptures in several more or less distinct senses: (a) for daughter in the ordinary, literal sense (Gen 46:25; Ex 1:16); (b) daughter-in-law (Ruth 2:2); (c) grand-daughter or oth...
    [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-...

  • Heir

    [ebd] Under the patriarchs the property of a father was divided among the sons of his legitimate wives (Gen. 21:10; 24:36; 25:5), the eldest son getting a larger portion than the rest. The Mosaic law made specific regulations rega...
    [isbe] HEIR - ar: 1. The Word "Heir": In the New Testament "heir" is the invariable translation of kleronomos (15 times), the technical equivalent in Greek, and of the compound sunkleronomos, "co-heir," in Rom 8:17; Eph 3:6; Heb 11...
    [smith] The Hebrew institutions relative to inheritance were of a very simple character. Under the patriarchal system the property was divided among the sons of the legitimate wives, (Genesis 21:10; 24:36; 25:5) a larger portion bein...
    [nave] HEIR. Gal. 4:1, 2.Gen. 15:3; Gen. 21:10 Gal. 4:30. Gen. 25:5, 6; Lev. 25:45, 46; Num. 27:8-11; Num. 36:1-8 Josh. 17:3-6. Deut. 21:15-17; Ruth 4:1-12; Eccl. 2:18, 19 See: Inheritance; Birthright; Firstborn; Orphan; Will. Fi...

  • Tirzah

    [isbe] TIRZAH - tur'-za (tirtsah; Thersa): (1) A royal city of the Canaanites, the king of which was slain by Joshua (12:24). It superseded Shechem as capital of the Northern Kingdom (1 Ki 14:17, etc.), and itself gave place in tur...
    [smith] (delight), youngest of the five daughters of Zelophehad. (Numbers 26:33; 27:1; 36:11; Joshua 17:3) (B.C. 1450.)
    [nave] TIRZAH 1. A daughter of Zelophehad, Num. 26:33; 36:11; Josh. 17:3. Special legislation in regard to the inheritance of, Num. 27:1-11; 36; Josh. 17:3, 4. 2. A city of Canaan. Captured by Joshua, Josh. 12:24. Becomes the re...

  • Noah

    [ebd] rest, (Heb. Noah) the grandson of Methuselah (Gen. 5:25-29), who was for two hundred and fifty years contemporary with Adam, and the son of Lamech, who was about fifty years old at the time of Adam's death. This patriarch is...
    [smith] (motion), one of the five daughters of Zelophehad. (Numbers 26:33; 27:1; 36:11; Joshua 17:3) (B.C. 1450.)
    [nave] NOAH 1. Son of Lamech, Gen. 5:28, 29. Builds an ark and saves his family from the flood, Gen. 6:14-22; 7:8; Matt. 24:38; Luke 17:27; Heb. 11:7; 1 Pet. 3:20. Builds an altar and offers sacrifices, Gen. 8:20, 21. Receives t...

  • Hoglah

    [ebd] partridge, one of the daughters of Zelophehad the Gileadite, to whom portions were assigned by Moses (Num. 26:33; 27:1; 36:11).
    [isbe] HOGLAH - hog'-la (choghlah, "partridge"): The third of five daughters of Zelophehad of the tribe of Manasseh (Nu 26:33). Zelophehad leaving no male heir, it was made a statute that the inheritance in such cases should pass t...
    [smith] (partridge), the third of the five daughters of Zelophehad. (Numbers 26:33; 27:1; 36:11; Joshua 17:3) (B.C. 1450.)
    [nave] HOGLAH, a daughter of Zelophehad, Num. 26:33; 27:1; 36:11; Josh. 17:3.

  • Milcah

    [isbe] MILCAH - mil'-ka (milkah; Melcha): (1) Daughter of Haran, wife of Nahor, and grandmother of Rebekah (Gen 11:29; 22:20-23; 24:15,24,47). (2) Daughter of Zelophehad (Nu 26:33; 27:1; 36:11; Josh 17:3). Many recent authorities a...
    [smith] (queen or counsel). Daughter of Haran and wife of her uncle Nahor, Abraham?s brother, to whom she bore eight children. (Genesis 11:29; 22:20,23; 24:15,24,47) The fourth daughter of Zelophehad. (Numbers 26:33; 27:1; 36:11; Jo...
    [nave] MILCAH 1. Wife of Nahor and mother of Bethuel, Gen. 11:29; 22:20-23; 24:15, 24, 47. 2. Daughter of Zelophehad. Special legislation in regard to the inheritance of, Num. 26:33; 27:1-7; 36:1-12; Josh. 17:3, 4.

  • Moab

    [nave] MOAB 1. Son of Lot, Gen. 19:37. 2. Plains of. Israelites come in, Deut. 2:17, 18. Military forces numbered in, Num. 26:3, 63. The law rehearsed in, by Moses, Num. 35, 36; Deut. 29-33. The Israelites renew their covenant ...

  • Mahlah

    [isbe] MAHLAH - ma'-la (machlah "sickness" or "song," etymology doubtful): (1) Eldest of Zelophehad's 5 daughters (Nu 26:33; 27:1). As Zelophehad, grandson of Manasseh, had no sons, the daughters successfully claimed their father's...
    [nave] MAHLAH One of the daughters of Zelophehad. Special legislation in regard to the inheritance of, Num. 26:33; 27:1-7; 36:1-12; Josh. 17:3, 4.

  • Women

    [nave] WOMEN Creation of, Gen. 1:27; 2:21, 22. Named, Gen. 2:23. Fall of, and curse upon, Gen. 3:1-16; 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:14. Promise to, Gen. 3:15. Had separate apartments in dwellings, Gen. 24:67; 31:33; Esth. 2:9, 11. Ve...

  • ABIEZER

    [isbe] ABIEZER - ab-i-e'-zer, a-bi-e'-zer ('abhi`ezer, "father of help," or "my father is help." Iezer, Iezerite (in the King James Version Jeezer, Jeezerite), is Abiezer with the letter beth omitted): (1) A descendant of Joseph th...

  • 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....

  • Property

    [nave] PROPERTY. In Real Estate Gen. 23:17, 18; 26:20. Rights in, violated, Gen. 21:25-30; 26:18-22. Dedicated, Lev. 27:16-25. See: Land. Dwellings. Alienated for debt, Lev. 25:29, 30; by absence, 2 Kin. 8:1-6; in villages, i...

  • Petition

    [nave] PETITION Right of, recognized by Pharaoh, Ex. 5:15-18; Israel, Num. 27:1-5; 32:1-5; 36:1-5; Josh. 17:4, 14, 16; 21:1, 2; David, 1 Kin. 1:15-21; Rehoboam, 1 Kin. 12:1-17; 2 Chr. 10; Jehoram, 2 Kin. 8:3, 6.

  • Inheritance

    [nave] INHERITANCE Provisions for inheritance under Levirate marriages, Gen. 38:7-11; Num. 36:6-9; Deut. 25:5-10; Ruth 3:1-8; 4:7-17. Unclassified Scriptures Relating to Gen. 15:3; Gen. 21:9-11; Gen. 24:36; Gen. 25:5, 6; Gen. 48:...

  • 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...

  • Machir

    [ebd] sold. (1.) Manasseh's oldest son (Josh. 17:1), or probably his only son (see 1 Chr. 7:14, 15; comp. Num. 26:29-33; Josh. 13:31). His descendants are referred to under the name of Machirites, being the offspring of Gilead (Nu...
    [nave] MACHIR 1. One of the sons of Manasseh, Gen. 50:23. Father of the Machirites, Num. 26:29; 36:1. The land of Gilead allotted to, Num. 32:39, 40; Deut. 3:15; Josh. 13:31. Certain cities of Bashan given to, Josh. 13:31; 17:1....

  • 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...

  • SEA

    [smith] The sea, yam , is used in Scripture to denote-- "The gathering of the waters," "the Ocean." (Genesis 1:2,10; 30:13) etc. Some portion of this, as the Mediterranean Sea, called the "hinder," the "western" and the "utmost" sea...

  • 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...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 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 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...
  • God gave the final laws governing Israel's entrance into the Promised Land (33:50-36:13). However first Moses recorded at God's command this list of places from which the Israelites had set out on their journey from Egypt to ...
  • "The section breaks down into two groups of three laws each, carefully introduced by the clause and Yahweh spoke to Moses' (. . ., 33:50; 34:1, 16; 35:1, 9; cf. 36:6) and surrounded by the phrase on the plains of Moab by the ...
  • This brief section of instructions introduces specific directions concerning the division of the land and its towns that follow in chapters 34-36.The repetition of "all"(v. 52) stresses the importance of completely clearing t...
  • 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...
  • Even though Jezebel was behind the murder of Naboth, God held her husband Ahab responsible (v. 19). Jezebel's evil influence over her husband stands out in this story.221Ahab was willing to murder a godly Israelite to obtain ...
  • Several details in this incident hinge on timing that God supernaturally controlled to bring blessing on the woman as God had promised. God directed her away from the famine before it came on Israel for the nation's apostasy ...
  • Israel had evidently retaken Ramoth-gilead after Ben-Hadad I had defeated Ahab there 12 years earlier. Israel was now defending it against the attacking Arameans (v. 14). The horsemen and Joram who asked Jehu, "Is it peace?"w...
  • The sailors interrogated Jonah about his reasons for travelling on their ship, but it was his failure to live consistently with his convictions that amazed them.1:7 It appears to have been common among the heathen to cast lot...
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