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Numbers 27

World English Bible

WEB

1Then 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 came near. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2They stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the Tent of Meeting, saying, 3“Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against Yahweh in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin. He had no sons. 4Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the brothers of our father.” 5Moses brought their cause before Yahweh. 6Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 7“The daughters of Zelophehad speak right. You shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers. You shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. 8You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies, and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. 9If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11If his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his kinsman who is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it. This shall be a statute and ordinance for the children of Israel, as Yahweh commanded Moses.’” 12Yahweh said to Moses, “Go up into this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. 13When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered; 14because in the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin, to honor me as holy at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.) 15Moses spoke to Yahweh, saying, 16“Let Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, 17who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in, that the congregation of Yahweh may not be as sheep which have no shepherd.” 18Yahweh said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. 19Set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and commission him in their sight. 20You shall give authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may obey. 21He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before Yahweh. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.” 22Moses did as Yahweh commanded him. He took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. 23He laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as Yahweh spoke by Moses.

World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org

Overview

Numbers Chapter 27 presents a significant moment in the history of Israel as it addresses the issue of inheritance and leadership within the community. The chapter begins with the daughters of #Zelophehad, who approach #Moses and the leaders to advocate for their right to inherit their father's land since he died without sons. Their bold request highlights the importance of women in the community and God's justice in ensuring that all members have a rightful place in the inheritance of the Promised Land. Moses brings their case before the Lord, who affirms their request, establishing a precedent for the inheritance rights of daughters, which reflects God's concern for equity and fairness in His covenant community (Numbers 27:1-11).

Following this, the chapter transitions to the appointment of a new leader for the Israelites. As Moses prepares to pass on leadership, he seeks God's guidance on who should succeed him. God instructs Moses to appoint #Joshua, the son of Nun, a man filled with the spirit of wisdom. This moment is crucial as it ensures a smooth transition of leadership and continuity in guiding the people into the Promised Land (Numbers 27:12-23). The chapter emphasizes the importance of divine guidance in leadership and the need for faithful leaders who will carry out God's plans for His people. Overall, Numbers 27 illustrates God's provision for justice and leadership, reinforcing His covenant promises to Israel.

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Referenced by

  1. Numbers 26:33v1Numbers 26:33 mentions Zelophehad's daughters, who later petition for their inheritance rights in Numbers 27:1-11. This highlights the importance of inheritance laws and the role of women in Israelite society.
  2. Numbers 36:2v1Numbers 36:2 revisits the case of the daughters of Zelophehad, which was initially addressed in Numbers 27:1-11, where they were granted the right to inherit their father's property. This chapter addresses the concern of maintaining tribal inheritance.
  3. Deuteronomy 34:9v18Deuteronomy 34:9 describes Joshua being filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. Numbers 27:18-23 details the commissioning of Joshua as Moses' successor, emphasizing the transfer of leadership and the continuity of God's guidance.
  4. Joshua 17:3-4v1Joshua 17:3-4 recounts the daughters of Zelophehad receiving an inheritance among their father's brothers, fulfilling the command given in Numbers 27:1-7 where God instructed Moses to grant them an inheritance.

Topics in this chapter

  • Joshua 17ZelophehadBiblical JusticeWomen's Rights in the Bible
  • Deuteronomy 34SuccessorSuccessionLeadership Transition in the Bible
  • Deuteronomy 31SuccessorLeadership Transition in the BibleCommissioning
  • Numbers 36ZelophehadBiblical JusticeWomen's Rights in the Bible
  • Numbers 26Challenge NormsZelophehad's DaughtersDaughters in the Bible
  • Joshua 1CommissioningJoshuaTransition in the Bible
  • Galatians 3Gender Equality in the BibleEqualityInclusivity
  • 1 Kings 19SuccessorSuccessionMentorship
  • Deuteronomy 3Biblical JusticeMentorshipTransition in the Bible
  • Numbers 34EleazarDivine AppointmentJoshua
  • Joshua 21EleazarEqualityJoshua
  • Joshua 24EleazarLeadership Transition in the BibleJoshua

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This chapter’s study as a Markdown file. The analysis was written for a notebook originally, so the hashtags arrive as hashtags and the passages as links.