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Numbers 27

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The Daughters of Zelophehad Seek Justice 1–11

1
Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. ​
2
And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
3
Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons. ​
4
Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father. ​
5
And Moses brought their cause before the LORD. ​
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And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them. ​
8
And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. ​
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And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.
10
And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren.
11
And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Moses Is Told of His Death 12–14

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And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. ​
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And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.
14
For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. ​

The Appointment of Joshua as Successor 15–23

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And Moses spake unto the LORD, saying,
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Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, ​
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Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd. ​
18
And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; ​
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And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.
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And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. ​
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And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation. ​
22
And Moses did as the LORD commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:
23
And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Numbers 27

Verse 1

the daughters of Zelophehad — The five are named, and their descent is traced through Hepher, Gilead and Machir to 'Manasseh the son of Joseph'. Num 26:33 records that Zelophehad 'had no sons, but daughters'. Their request is carried out in Josh 17:3–4, and the tribe's response to it comes in Num 36:1.

Verse 3

died in his own sin — The daughters say their father 'died in the wilderness', as the whole generation counted in Num 26:64–65 did, but was 'not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah' (Num 16). 'Sin' is chet. The plea closes with the fact that he 'had no sons'.

Verse 4

the name of our father be done away — Gara, to scrape away or diminish. The concern is the one behind the law of the brother's widow: 'that his name be not put out of Israel' (Deut 25:6). 'Possession' (achuzzah) is a holding of land. They ask for it 'among the brethren of our father'.

Verse 5

brought their cause before the LORD — Mishpat, a judgment or case. Moses takes it to the LORD, as with the blasphemer, 'that the mind of the LORD might be shewed them' (Lev 24:12), and the unclean men at Passover, 'I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you' (Num 9:8). Of the judges in Ex 18:26 it is said that 'the hard causes they brought unto Moses'.

Verse 7

speak right — The LORD himself judges the daughters' case: 'speak right' is ken, rightly or so. 'Cause the inheritance… to pass' uses abar, to pass over, the verb repeated in v.8. In Josh 17:4 they recall it before Eleazar and Joshua: 'The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren.'

Verse 8

have no son — The ruling becomes a law for 'the children of Israel' generally, not for these five alone. It is followed by the order of heirs in vv.9–11: daughter, brethren, father's brethren, nearest kinsman, 'a statute of judgment, as the LORD commanded Moses'. The limit on their marriage is set in Num 36:6.

Verse 12

mount Abarim — The range east of the Jordan, 'before Nebo' (Num 33:47). A like command comes in Deut 32:49, 'Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo'. 'See the land which I have given' prepares for Deut 34:4: 'I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.'

Verse 14

ye rebelled against my commandment — Marah, to rebel. The place is the water of Meribah, which means strife, in Kadesh. The charge is stated in Num 20:12: 'Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel'. Deut 1:37 and 32:51 recall the same judgment.

Verse 16

the God of the spirits of all flesh — The title Moses and Aaron used when Korah's company rebelled: 'O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh' (Num 16:22). Hebrews 12:9 speaks of 'the Father of spirits'. 'Set' is paqad, to appoint or oversee, so Moses asks the LORD himself to appoint the man.

Verse 17

as sheep which have no shepherd — The need is stated in terms of leading: 'go out' and 'go in', 'lead them out' and 'bring them in'. The picture returns when Micaiah sees Israel 'as sheep that have not a shepherd' (1 Kgs 22:17), and Matthew applies it to the crowds around Christ: 'as sheep having no shepherd' (Matt 9:36).

Verse 18

a man in whom is the spirit — The LORD names Joshua. Compare Pharaoh's words of Joseph, 'a man in whom the Spirit of God is' (Gen 41:38). Deut 34:9 shows the sequel: 'Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him'.

Verse 20

put some of thine honour upon him — Hod, majesty or splendour, here shared only in part: 'some of thine honour'. The earlier sharing of Moses' burden was of the spirit: 'I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them' (Num 11:17). The result is stated: 'that all the congregation… may be obedient'; Israel answers Joshua in Josh 1:16.

Verse 21

the judgment of Urim — Joshua is to stand before Eleazar, who 'shall ask counsel for him'. The Urim were in 'the breastplate of judgment' (Ex 28:30). The LORD spoke to Moses 'mouth to mouth' (Num 12:8); Joshua's answers come through the priest, and the passage repeats 'at his word' (literally his mouth) for the going out and coming in.

Verse 23

laid his hands upon him — The act is carried out 'as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses', the order of v.19: he sets Joshua before Eleazar and the congregation and 'gave him a charge'. Moses later speaks to Joshua 'in the sight of all Israel' (Deut 31:7), and Deut 34:9 records that Moses 'had laid his hands upon him'.