Read Numbers 36
Inheritance of Zelophehad’s Daughters
36 The family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, who were from the clans of the descendants of Joseph, came and spoke before Moses and the leaders, the heads of the Israelite families.2 They said, “When the Lord commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the Israelites by lot, he ordered you to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. 3 Now suppose they marry men from other Israelite tribes; then their inheritance will be taken from our ancestral inheritance and added to that of the tribe they marry into. And so part of the inheritance allotted to us will be taken away. 4 When the Year of Jubilee for the Israelites comes, their inheritance will be added to that of the tribe into which they marry, and their property will be taken from the tribal inheritance of our ancestors.”
5 Then at the Lord’s command Moses gave this order to the Israelites: “What the tribe of the descendants of Joseph is saying is right. 6 This is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad’s daughters: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within their father’s tribal clan.7 No inheritance in Israel is to pass from one tribe to another, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal inheritance of their ancestors. 8 Every daughter who inherits land in any Israelite tribe must marry someone in her father’s tribal clan, so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of their ancestors. 9 No inheritance may pass from one tribe to another, for each Israelite tribe is to keep the land it inherits.”
10 So Zelophehad’s daughters did as the Lord commanded Moses.11 Zelophehad’s daughters—Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milkah and Noah—married their cousins on their father’s side. 12 They married within the clans of the descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in their father’s tribe and clan.
13 These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Mosesto the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.
Go Deeper
This chapter calls us back to Numbers 27 with the daughters of Zelophehad’s inheritance brought into question by the head of the clan of Gilead. They were essentially asking, “What happens to the land they inherited if those daughters marry outside of the tribe of Manasseh?”
We see God answer this question through Moses by saying in verse 6 that the daughters may marry whomever they think best within the tribe of their father. What we learn is that the Lord values the inheritance of each tribe. In verse 9, we see the Lord declare that no inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another.
In our eyes, this may seem very limiting to Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Micah, and Noah to impose on them the limit to only marry within their tribe. In reality, the fact that they received an inheritance is completely against the cultural norm of ancient times, as is the fact they are able to marry whomever they wanted. In ancient times, their father would be the one to choose and sign off on the wedding. The daughters did as the Lord commanded and were married into the people of Manasseh keeping the inheritance in the tribe.
The question you may be thinking is Why is this the last story in Numbers? Robert Alter, a Hebrew scholar and author, says of this chapter, “It does serve as a vivid focus for the prospect of inheriting the land that confronts the Israelites as they await orders to begin their invasion…. with the viability of the tribal division of the land thus reaffirmed, the Israelites are prepared to begin the conquest.”
Inheritance is a theme throughout the New Testament. We see that believers are promised an inheritance from the Lord. Ephesians 1:3-14 tells us that when we heard the truth of the Gospel and believed in Jesus’s work on our behalf, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit who guarantees our inheritance. First Peter 1:4 says this inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. We don’t have to worry (like the heads of the Tribe of Manasseh did) about losing our inheritance, because we are sealed by the Holy Spirit.
Questions
- What can we learn about obedience from the daughters of Zelophehad?
- Do we value the inheritance we are given as much as God values the promised land for the Israelites?
- What does it mean to have an inheritance in the Kingdom of God? Search the writings of the New Testament for the word “inheritance”
Watch This
Now that we’ve completed six weeks reading through the book of Numbers, go back and watch the overview video from The Bible Project!
Leave a Comment below
Join the Team
Interested in writing for the Bible Reading Plan? Email hello@biblereadingplan.org.
3 thoughts on “Numbers 36”
God’s plan and purpose
We may decide what is best for us BUT GOD’s plans wll always play out. God’s way is always best and with such rich and abundant blessing. Our own way has troubles BUT GOD will see us through but our blessings are just not as big or rich . Life is about growing and learnng. When we become followers of Jesus,we are coming out of bondage, through God’s grace and mercy. We go through trials but God doesnt want us to stay in the wilderness. As we learn about God we can see the mistakes we have made. The Israelites kept looking back at Egypt and glorifing it. They looked at their circumstances and complained. They also decided their way was better than what God promised. We have a fallen nature that is prone to resist the will of God. We love our comfort. We are very prideful people. BUT GOD believes in us and desires to have a relationship with us. Why would He give us chance after chance. We have to beileve Him by faith. Your faith must be nourished by God’s Word, fellowship with like minded people, learning what to do and not do to make your relationship with God strong. Pray, pray and pray some more. Choices
God thank You for freedom of choice. Thank You that You love so much that You let me decide. God help with all the desicions that I choose. Guide my path. Thank You for even when I stumble, bumble or fail You are with me. God I desire to follow You. Thank You for shining a light on the path that is edifing and glorifing to You. God thank You for these minutes of this day that all I say, do and think is magnifiying You to others. Thank You for my love goggles to see the world through Your lenses and not my selfishness in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6 “They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within their father’s tribal clan.”
Interesting that these young women were allowed some agency in their decision to Marty, but with some boundaries. Yes, it was all related to the question of inheritance of the land. Fascinating!
Thank you for the great study of Numbers! Excited for what’s next!
I love how short the story about Zelophehad’s daughters concludes.
V10: So Zelophehad’s daughters did as the Lord commanded Moses.
…..And the land stayed within the family.
This book was full of disobedience and drama. It ends with obedience and no drama. I have to remember that.