Numbers 36

King James Version

Full text for Numbers Chapter 36

1¶ And the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spake before Moses, and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel:

2And they said, The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel: and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters.

3And if they be married to any of the sons of the [other] tribes of the children of Israel, then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and shall be put to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall it be taken from the lot of our inheritance.

4And when the jubile of the children of Israel shall be, then shall their inheritance be put unto the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.

5¶ And Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying, The tribe of the sons of Joseph hath said well.

6This [is] the thing which the LORD doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry to whom they think best; only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry.

7So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.

8And every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers.

9Neither shall the inheritance remove from [one] tribe to another tribe; but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance.

10Even as the LORD commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad:

11For Mahlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married unto their father's brothers' sons:

12[And] they were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father.

13These [are] the commandments and the judgments, which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses unto the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan [near] Jericho.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

The chief fathers of Gilead approached Moses, concerned that if Zelophehad's daughters married outside their tribe, their inherited land would transfer, diminishing Manasseh's portion. Moses, by divine command, decreed that daughters inheriting land must marry within their father's tribal family to preserve tribal land boundaries. The daughters of Zelophehad complied, ensuring their inheritance remained with Manasseh.

Medium Summary

The leaders of the families of Gilead, from the tribe of Manasseh, presented a legal concern to Moses and the princes regarding the inheritance of Zelophehad's daughters. They feared that if these daughters married into other tribes, their inherited land would be alienated from Manasseh's tribal portion, particularly in the Jubilee year. Moses, acting upon the Lord's word, affirmed their concern, stating that the tribe of Joseph had spoken well. He commanded that any daughter possessing an inheritance must marry within her father's tribal family to prevent land from moving between tribes. Consequently, Zelophehad's daughters married their father's brothers' sons, ensuring their inheritance remained within the tribe of Manasseh.

Long Summary

The chapter begins with the chief fathers of the families of Gilead, from the tribe of Manasseh, approaching Moses and the princes of Israel with a significant concern. They highlighted that while the Lord had commanded Zelophehad's daughters to receive an inheritance, if these daughters were to marry men from other Israelite tribes, their inherited land would be taken from Manasseh's portion and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they married. This would diminish their tribal inheritance, especially when considering the implications of the Jubilee year, when such transfers could become permanent. Moses, seeking divine guidance, relayed the Lord's command, affirming the wisdom of the Gileadites' petition. The Lord decreed that any daughter who possessed an inheritance in any tribe of Israel must marry within the family of her father's tribe. This specific instruction was given to ensure that the land inheritance of the children of Israel would not transfer from one tribe to another, thereby maintaining the integrity of each tribe's allotted portion. The divine purpose was that "every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers." Following this commandment, Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, married their father's brothers' sons. By marrying within the families of the sons of Manasseh, their inheritance remained securely within their father's tribe, fulfilling the Lord's command and preserving the established tribal land divisions.

Core Concepts

  • Tribal Land InheritanceThe divinely ordained system of land distribution to Israelite tribes, which this chapter seeks to preserve from alienation across generations.
  • Preservation of Tribal BoundariesThe primary concern addressed, ensuring that land allotted to one tribe does not transfer to another through marriage, thereby maintaining the integrity of Israel's territorial divisions.
  • Inheritance for DaughtersA continuation of the ruling in Numbers 27, this chapter provides a crucial addendum concerning the marriage requirements for daughters who inherit land.
  • Endogamous Marriage RuleThe specific divine command that daughters inheriting land must marry within their father's tribe and family to keep the inheritance within the original tribal lot.
  • Jubilee Law ImplicationsThe concern raised by the Gileadites regarding the Jubilee year, which could solidify land transfers and permanently diminish a tribe's inheritance if not addressed.
  • Wisdom of the EldersThe proactive and insightful petition by the chief fathers of Gilead, who identified a potential legal loophole and sought divine guidance to prevent future tribal disputes.