Numbers 27:7

7 "Zelophehad's daughters are right. Give them land as an inheritance among their father's relatives. Give them their father's inheritance.

Numbers 27:7 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 27:7

The daughters of Zelophehad speak right
What is just and reasonable:

thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their
father's brethren;
their uncles, or rather the children of them; for it is reasonable to suppose their father's brethren, or their uncles, were dead also: or "in giving thou shall give" F21; which, according to Jarchi, denotes two parts or portions they should receive; the part of their father, who was of them that came out of Egypt, and his part with his brethren in the goods of Hepher: in the Misnah F23, from whence he seems to have taken it, it is;

``the daughters of Zelophehad took three parts for inheritance; the part of their father, who was with them that came out of Egypt, and his part with his brethren in the goods of Hepher, and because he was the firstborn he was to take two parts:''

and though this strict command was given to Moses, yet it does not respect him personally, who lived not to enter into the land to see it divided; but him who should be his successor, and chief magistrate at the time of the division of it, which was Joshua, and of whom these ladies claimed their part, and had it, ( Joshua 17:3 Joshua 17:4 ) ,

and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them;
that is, that part which would have fallen to him by lot, had he been living, these were to take, they standing in his place; and so the portion of the land he would have had was to be divided between these live daughters of his.


FOOTNOTES:

F21 (Ntt Ntn) "dando dabis", Pagninus, Montanus.
F23 Bava Bathra, c. 8. sect. 3.

Numbers 27:7 In-Context

5 Moses brought their case to God.
6 God ruled:
7 "Zelophehad's daughters are right. Give them land as an inheritance among their father's relatives. Give them their father's inheritance.
8 "Then tell the People of Israel, If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter.
9 If he has no daughter, give it to his brothers.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.