Numbers 36:3

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And if they be married 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.

Complete Jewish Bible:

But if they get married to anyone belonging to another of the tribes of the people of Isra'el, then their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of our ancestors and be added to the inheritance of the tribe they will then belong to; thus it will be taken away from the sum total of our inheritance.

Berean Standard Bible:

But if they marry any of the men from the other tribes of Israel, their inheritance will be withdrawn from the portion of our fathers and added to the tribe into which they marry. So our allotted inheritance would be taken away.

American Standard Version:

And if they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then will their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of our fathers, and will be added to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they shall belong: so will it be taken away from the lot of our inheritance.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And if they be married{H802} to any{H259} of the sons{H1121} of the other tribes{H7626} of the children{H1121} of Israel{H3478}, then shall their inheritance{H5159} be taken{H1639} from the inheritance{H5159} of our fathers{H1}, and shall be put{H3254} to the inheritance{H5159} of the tribe{H4294} whereunto they are received: so shall it be taken{H1639} from the lot{H1486} of our inheritance{H5159}.

Cross-References (KJV):


Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:


Commentary for Numbers 36:3

Numbers 36:3 addresses a specific legal issue concerning property rights and inheritance within the context of ancient Israelite society. The verse is part of a broader conversation that takes place toward the end of the Book of Numbers, which deals with the apportionment of the Promised Land among the tribes of Israel. The historical context is the Israelites' preparation to enter and distribute the land of Canaan, which God promised to their ancestors.

In this verse, the concern is raised by the daughters of Zelophehad, who belonged to the tribe of Manasseh. These women had previously approached Moses with a request that they be allowed to inherit their father's property since he had no sons (Numbers 27:1-11). God had granted their request, establishing a precedent that daughters could inherit property in the absence of sons.

However, a new issue arose: what would happen if these women married men from other Israelite tribes? Numbers 36:3 articulates the concern that if such intertribal marriages occurred, the inherited property could be transferred out of the original tribe (Manasseh, in this case) to the husband's tribe. This could potentially disrupt the established tribal land allocations and inheritance rights.

The verse reflects the broader themes of justice, equity, and the preservation of tribal identity and land ownership within Israelite society. It underscores the importance of maintaining a balance between individual rights and the collective well-being of the tribe. The legal stipulation outlined in this verse was designed to ensure that tribal lands remained within the tribe, preserving the integrity of the land distribution system that God had commanded. This was crucial for maintaining the social and economic structure of Israelite society as they prepared to settle in the Promised Land.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

  1. Strong's Number: H802
    There are 729 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אִשָּׁה
    Transliteration: ʼishshâh
    Pronunciation: ish-shaw'
    Description: feminine of אִישׁ or אֱנוֹשׁ; irregular plural, נָשִׁים;(used in the same wide sense as אֱנוֹשׁ); a woman; (adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.
  2. Strong's Number: H259
    There are 801 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אֶחָד
    Transliteration: ʼechâd
    Pronunciation: ekh-awd'
    Description: a numeral from אָחַד; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first; a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,
  3. Strong's Number: H1121
    There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: בֵּן
    Transliteration: bên
    Pronunciation: bane
    Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
  4. Strong's Number: H7626
    There are 178 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: שֵׁבֶט
    Transliteration: shêbeṭ
    Pronunciation: shay'-bet
    Description: from an unused root probably meaning to branch off; a scion, i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan; [idiom] correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe.
  5. Strong's Number: H3478
    There are 2229 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יִשְׂרָאֵל
    Transliteration: Yisrâʼêl
    Pronunciation: yis-raw-ale'
    Description: from שָׂרָה and אֵל; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity; Israel.
  6. Strong's Number: H5159
    There are 191 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: נַחֲלָה
    Transliteration: nachălâh
    Pronunciation: nakh-al-aw'
    Description: from נָחַל (in its usual sense); properly, something inherited, i.e. (abstractly) occupancy, or (concretely) an heirloom; generally an estate, patrimony or portion; heritage, to inherit, inheritance, possession. Compare נַחַל.
  7. Strong's Number: H1639
    There are 20 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: גָּרַע
    Transliteration: gâraʻ
    Pronunciation: gaw-rah'
    Description: a primitive root; to scrape off; by implication, to shave, remove, lessen, withhold; abate, clip, (di-) minish, do (take) away, keep back, restrain, make small, withdraw.
  8. Strong's Number: H1
    There are 15773 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אָב
    Transliteration: ʼâb
    Pronunciation: awb
    Description: a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application; chief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.
  9. Strong's Number: H3254
    There are 207 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יָסַף
    Transliteration: yâçaph
    Pronunciation: yaw-saf'
    Description: a primitive root; to add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing); add, [idiom] again, [idiom] any more, [idiom] cease, [idiom] come more, [phrase] conceive again, continue, exceed, [idiom] further, [idiom] gather together, get more, give more-over, [idiom] henceforth, increase (more and more), join, [idiom] longer (bring, do, make, much, put), [idiom] (the, much, yet) more (and more), proceed (further), prolong, put, be (strong-) er, [idiom] yet, yield.
  10. Strong's Number: H4294
    There are 204 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מַטֶּה
    Transliteration: maṭṭeh
    Pronunciation: mat-teh'
    Description: or (feminine) מַטָּה; from נָטָה; a branch (as extending); figuratively, a tribe; also a rod, whether for chastising (figuratively, correction), ruling (a sceptre), throwing (a lance), or walking (a staff; figuratively, a support of life, e.g. bread); rod, staff, tribe.
  11. Strong's Number: H1486
    There are 67 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: גּוֹרָל
    Transliteration: gôwrâl
    Pronunciation: go-rawl'
    Description: or (shortened) גֹּרָל; from an unused root meaning to be rough (as stone); properly, a pebble, i.e. a lot (small stones being used for that purpose); figuratively, a portion or destiny (as if determined by lot); lot.