Numbers27

The chapter begins with the daughters of Zelophehad petitioning Moses for an inheritance, as their father died without sons. The Lord affirms their request, establishing a new law of inheritance allowing daughters to inherit in the absence of male heirs. Subsequently, the Lord informs Moses of his impending death and commands him to appoint Joshua as his successor, publicly transferring authority to him before the congregation and Eleazar.

The Daughters of Zelophehad Seek Justice

1
Then the daughters of Tz'lof'chad the son of Hefer, the son of Gil'ad, the son of Machir, the son of M'nasheh, of the families of M'nasheh, the son of Yosef, approached. These were the names of his daughters: Machlah, No'ah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirtzah. ​
2
They stood in front of Moshe, El'azar the cohen, the leaders and the whole community at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said,
3
"Our father died in the desert. He wasn't part of the group who assembled themselves to rebel against ADONAI in Korach's group, but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons. ​
4
Why should the name of our father be eliminated from his family just because he didn't have a son? Give us property to possess along with the brothers of our father." ​
5
Moshe brought their cause before ADONAI. ​
6
ADONAI answered Moshe,
7
"The daughters of Tz'lof'chad are right in what they say. You must give them property to be inherited along with that of their father's brothers; have what their father would have inherited pass to them. ​
8
Moreover, say to the people of Isra'el, 'If a man dies and does not have a son, you are to have his inheritance pass to his daughter. ​
9
If he doesn't have a daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers.
10
If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers.
11
If his father doesn't have brothers, give his inheritance to the closest relative in his family, and he will possess it. This will be the standard for judgment to be used by the people of Isra'el, as ADONAI ordered Moshe.'"

Moses Is Told of His Death

12
ADONAI said to Moshe, "Climb this mountain in the 'Avarim Range, and look out at the land which I have given the people of Isra'el. ​
13
After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, just as Aharon your brother was gathered;
14
because in the Tzin Desert, when the community was disputing with me, you rebelled against my order to uphold my holiness by means of the water, with them looking on." (This was M'rivat-Kadesh Spring, in the Tzin Desert.) ​

The Appointment of Joshua as Successor

15
Moshe said to ADONAI,
16
"Let ADONAI, God of the spirits of all human beings, appoint a man to be over the community, ​
17
to go out and come in ahead of them, to lead them out and bring them in, so that ADONAI's community will not be like sheep without a shepherd." ​
18
ADONAI said to Moshe, "Take Y'hoshua the son of Nun, a spiritual man, and lay your hand on him. ​
19
Put him in front of El'azar the cohen and the whole community, and commission him in their sight.
20
Delegate to him some of your authority, so that the entire community of Isra'el will obey him. ​
21
He is to present himself to El'azar the cohen, who is to find out by means of the urim what ADONAI's will is for Y'hoshua's decisions. Then, at his word they will go out, and at his word they will come in, both he and all the people of Isra'el with him, the whole community." ​
22
Moshe did as ADONAI had ordered him. He took Y'hoshua, put him before El'azar the cohen and the whole community,
23
laid his hands on him, and commissioned him, as ADONAI had said through Moshe. ​

Study Notes for Numbers 27

Verse 1

These five sisters are named because their case establishes a crucial legal precedent regarding inheritance and property rights within the Israelite system.

Verse 3

They carefully distinguish their father’s death (due to natural causes or general wilderness mortality, 'his own sin') from the crimes of the rebels (like Korah), thereby affirming his eligibility for an inheritance in the Promised Land.

Verse 4

In ancient Israel, inheritance was tied to the preservation of the family name and tribal land allotment. If the name died out, the land would eventually pass to another clan, undermining the system of permanent tribal holdings.

Verse 5

Since the existing law did not cover this contingency, Moses acts as an intermediary judge, bringing the difficult case directly before the Lord for divine clarification and legal precedent.

Verse 7

God affirms their request, establishing a groundbreaking law that protected the rights of women to inherit property when no male heir existed, ensuring the continuity of the family line and the land allotment.

Verse 8

Verses 8–11 codify the new law of succession, creating a systematic hierarchy for inheritance (daughter, then brother, then uncle, then nearest kinsman) to keep property within the immediate family and tribe.

Verse 12

Mount Abarim is a mountain range in Moab, likely including Mount Nebo (Deut 34:1), from which Moses would get his final, restricted view of the Promised Land.

Verse 14

This refers to the incident at Meribah (Num 20:10-13) where Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it, failing to properly sanctify God before the people and incurring the penalty of not entering Canaan.

Verse 16

Moses demonstrates selfless leadership by immediately prioritizing the welfare of the people over his own impending death. The title 'God of the spirits of all flesh' affirms God’s sovereignty over human life and destiny.

Verse 17

The imagery of ‘sheep which have no shepherd’ emphasizes the vital need for divinely sanctioned leadership to guide the challenging conquest and settlement of the Promised Land.

Verse 18

Joshua is chosen because he is a man 'in whom is the spirit' (Ruach), indicating divine empowerment, wisdom, and fitness for leadership, building on his previous faithfulness as Moses' servant.

Verse 20

To 'put some of thine honour' (Heb. *hod*) upon Joshua signifies the public and ceremonial transfer of Moses' authority and majesty, ensuring the congregation would respect and obey their new leader.

Verse 21

Joshua’s leadership is restricted; he must consult Eleazar, who uses the Urim (objects used for divine counsel via the High Priest’s breastplate). This makes the military and political leadership subordinate to God’s direct command.

Verse 23

The laying on of hands formalized the commissioning, transferring authority, and conferring blessing upon Joshua in the sight of the entire community, confirming him as the divinely chosen successor.

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