Net English TranslationNumbers 36 =

Women and Land Inheritance

36

1 Then the heads of the family groups1 of the Gileadites, the descendant of Machir, the descendant of Manasseh, who were from the Josephite families, approached and spoke before Moses2 and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families.3 2 They said, “The Lord commanded my lord to give4 the land as an inheritance by lot to the Israelites; and my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. 3 Now if they should be married to one of the men5 from another Israelite tribe, their inheritance would be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry.6 As a result, it will be taken from the lot of our inheritance. 4 And when the Jubilee of the Israelites is to take place,7 their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry. So their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of our ancestral tribe.”8

Moses’ Decision

5 Then Moses gave a ruling9 to the Israelites by the word10 of the Lord: “What the tribe of the Josephites is saying is right. 6 This is what11 the Lord has commanded for Zelophehad’s daughters: ‘Let them marry12 whomever they think best,13 only they must marry within the family of their father’s tribe. 7 In this way the inheritance of the Israelites will not be transferred14 from tribe to tribe. But every one of the Israelites must retain the ancestral heritage. 8 And every daughter who possesses an inheritance from any of the tribes of the Israelites must become the wife of a man from any family in her father’s tribe, so that every Israelite15 may retain the inheritance of his fathers. 9 No inheritance may pass from tribe to tribe. But every one of the tribes of the Israelites must retain its inheritance.”

10 As the Lord had commanded Moses, so the daughters of Zelophehad did. 11 For the daughters of Zelophehad – Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah – were married to the sons of their uncles.16 12 They were married into the families of the Manassehites, the descendants of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father’s family.

13 These are the commandments and the decisions that the Lord commanded the Israelites through the authority17 of Moses, on the plains of Moab by the Jordan River18 opposite Jericho.19

1tn The expression is “the heads of the fathers by the family of the Gileadites.” 2tn The Greek and the Syriac add “and before Eleazar the priest.” 3tn Heb “heads of the fathers.” 4tn The infinitive construct “to give” serves here as the complement or object of the verb, answering what the Lord had commanded Moses. 5tn “Men” is understood; it says “to one from the sons of the tribes of the Israelites for a wife,” or if he has her for a wife. 6tn Heb “which they will be to them,” meaning, to those who have them, i.e., the marriages. 7tn The verb הָיָה (hayah) is most often translated “to be,” but it can also mean “to happen, to take place, to come to pass,” etc. 8tn Heb “the tribe of our fathers.” 9tn Heb “commanded.” 10tn Heb “mouth.” 11tn Heb “the word that.” 12tn The idiom again is “let them be for wives for….” 13tn Heb “to the one who is good in their eyes.” 14tn Heb “turned aside.” 15tn The subject is “Israelites” and the verb is plural to agree with it, but the idea is collective as the word for “man” indicates: “so that the Israelites may possess – [each] man the inheritance of his fathers.” 16tn They married in the family as they were instructed. But the meaning of דּוֹד (dod) is not necessarily restricted to “uncle.” 17tn Heb “by the hand.” 18tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity. 19map For the location of Jericho see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.
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