New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Numbers 36
1
The heads of the families of Gilead came to Moses. Gilead was the son of Makir. The family heads were from the tribe of Manasseh. So they were in the family line of Joseph. They spoke to Moses in front of the leaders of the families of Israel.
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 27:1
2
They said, "The Lord commanded you to give shares of the land to the people of Israel. He told you to use lots when you do it. At that time the Lord ordered you to give our brother Zelophehad's share to his daughters.
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 33:54
3
"Suppose they get married to men who are from other tribes in Israel. Then their share will be taken away from our family's land. It will be added to the land of the tribe they marry into. So a part of the share that was given to us will be taken away.
4
The Year of Jubilee for the people of Israel will come. Then their share will be added to the land of the tribe they marry into. Their land will be taken away from the share that was given to our tribe."
5
Then the Lord gave a command to Moses. He told Moses to give an order to the people of Israel. Moses said, "What the tribe in the family line of Joseph is saying is right.
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 27:7
6
"Here is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad's daughters. They can get married to anyone they want to. But they have to get married to someone in their own family's tribe.
Reference
7
"Property in Israel must not pass from one tribe to another. Everyone in Israel must keep his family's share of his tribe's land.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Kings 21:3
8
"Suppose a daughter in any tribe of Israel receives land from her parents. Then she must get married to someone in her father's family and tribe. In that way, every family's share will remain in its family line in Israel.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Chronicles 23:22
9
"Property can't pass from one tribe to another. Each tribe of Israel must keep the land it receives."
10
So Zelophehad's daughters did just as the Lord commanded Moses.
11
The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah. All of them got married to their cousins on their father's side.
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 27:1
12
They married men who were in the family line of Manasseh, the son of Joseph. So the land they received remained in their father's family and tribe.
Summary of Numbers 36
Numbers chapter 36 ends the book of Numbers. It concludes the case of the daughters of Zelophehad. Earlier in the book, they had asked to inherit the land of their father, as they did not have brothers. God had approved their claim and had ruled that daughters could inherit their father’s share. The last chapter deals with the aftermath of this ruling and some adjustments to it.
The heads of the family of Gilead, the tribe of Manasseh, brought the issue before Moses and the heads of Israel. They were not concerned with the daughters of Zelophehad directly. Actually, they did not object to them receiving the land inheritance. However, if the women married someone from another tribe, it would cause problems with the territorial integrity of the tribes. According to the law of inheritance, the land belonged to the tribe, not to individuals. If the women married men from other tribes, then those men’s tribes would gain additional land.
The leaders of Manasseh brought the issue before Moses because they did not want to trespass against the daughters of Zelophehad, who had the right to inherit the land. Moses consulted God, who responded specifically to the case of the daughters of Zelophehad. They could marry whomever they wanted; however, they could only marry within their tribe. Thus, their husbands would be from the children of their father’s brothers, which meant that they would marry into the tribe of Manasseh.
It seems that their primary concern was indeed the territorial integrity of the tribes. Thus, the problem was not with the daughters of Zelophehad directly, except for the fact that they could become the catalysts for splitting the land between different tribes. The leaders of Manasseh were not opposed to the idea of the daughters inheriting the land, but marrying into another tribe would have caused serious issues for the territorial integrity and, by extension, the social cohesion of the tribes. The women could inherit their father’s land, but only if they married within their own tribe.
The names of the five daughters were repeated – Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah – who married the children of their father’s brothers at the suggestion of Moses and the leaders of Israel. Thus, the women married men from their tribe, their father’s tribe. The case of the daughters of Zelophehad was concluded. The women obtained their father’s inheritance and, subsequently, his name.
Therefore, the chapter provides a broader look at the issue with the initial allocation of the land to the daughters of Zelophehad. According to the Torah, an inheritance belonged solely to the tribe and could only be owned by its members. The territory that had been allocated to the Israelites had to be distributed among them, and each tribe received its own share. However, these shares could only be modified every fifty years, during the Jubilee Year, when land owned by one tribe could be bought from another tribe. Thus, the women would be able to sell their father’s land to another tribe. Therefore, there needed to be regulations concerning such transactions.
The Torah provides a specific regulation concerning women and land inheritance. It dictates that daughters could only marry within their tribe. It seems that the concerns of the leaders of Manasseh had not been groundless. In fact, the daughters of Zelophehad could become the reason for the tribes’ territorial integrity to be compromised. Thus, the regulation was necessary to prevent further issues.
The regulation was also necessary in order to balance the interests of the different Israelites. It made it possible for the daughters of Zelophehad to retain their father’s inheritance while preventing it from becoming the cause for the disunity of the Israelites. The women married men from their father’s tribe, which resolved the issue for both sides. The women retained their father’s inheritance, and the tribe of Manasseh gained additional land.
Hence, the case of the daughters of Zelophehad was concluded. The women retained their father’s inheritance, but they had to marry men from their father’s tribe. The book of Numbers ended on this note, as the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land. The entire book narrates about the Israelites’ journey through the desert, their trials, tribulations, and laws. The last several chapters describe the preparations to enter the Promised Land and settle there.
The last chapter describes the laws concerning the land, which had to be followed strictly in order to maintain the integrity of the possessions of the Israelites. The Israelites were about to transition from being a wandering nation to a nation with cities and land, with each tribe having its own lands and properties. The Israelites needed to be prepared to maintain their society, to avoid conflicts, and to preserve their unique identity.
Moreover, the last chapter demonstrates the necessity of bringing all issues before God. The Israelites did not decide what to do with the daughters of Zelophehad on their own – they brought the issue to Moses and, subsequently, to God. The regulation was necessary to establish in order to avoid further complications with land possession and inheritance. The Israelites had to follow the rules, even if it caused personal inconvenience or issues in family relationships.
The book of Numbers demonstrates that the Israelites had to respect and uphold each law, even if it might have been personally unwanted or difficult to fulfill. Thus, there had to be regulations for every aspect of communal life, including family life and land ownership. The Israelites had to follow the rules concerning land possession, family relationships, and personal conduct. In doing so, they would maintain their social and territorial integrity as a nation. They would be able to preserve their identity and land as a nation of their own.
The case of the daughters of Zelophehad and their father’s inheritance had taught the Israelites several lessons. The daughters had been able to receive their father’s share of land, which demonstrated God’s protection and care over them.
It also demonstrated the necessity of the regulations concerning land ownership and inheritance. Although they might be inconvenient, they were necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the Israelite society. Numbers 36 describes one of these regulations, which dictated that daughters of Israel could only marry within their tribes, according to the Torah. The Israelites had to understand the importance of following God’s laws and bringing all issues before Him.
The book of Numbers concludes with the daughters of Zelophehad marrying the children of their father’s brothers. Thus, they retained their father’s land and the name of their father. The book of Numbers concluded one of the most significant chapters of the Israelites’ lives – the time spent wandering in the desert. The Israelites had become a nation during the time spent in the desert, and God had brought them to the border of the Promised Land. The book ends with them preparing to enter it and settle there, following His laws.
The heads of the family of Gilead, the tribe of Manasseh, brought the issue before Moses and the heads of Israel. They were not concerned with the daughters of Zelophehad directly. Actually, they did not object to them receiving the land inheritance. However, if the women married someone from another tribe, it would cause problems with the territorial integrity of the tribes. According to the law of inheritance, the land belonged to the tribe, not to individuals. If the women married men from other tribes, then those men’s tribes would gain additional land.
The leaders of Manasseh brought the issue before Moses because they did not want to trespass against the daughters of Zelophehad, who had the right to inherit the land. Moses consulted God, who responded specifically to the case of the daughters of Zelophehad. They could marry whomever they wanted; however, they could only marry within their tribe. Thus, their husbands would be from the children of their father’s brothers, which meant that they would marry into the tribe of Manasseh.
It seems that their primary concern was indeed the territorial integrity of the tribes. Thus, the problem was not with the daughters of Zelophehad directly, except for the fact that they could become the catalysts for splitting the land between different tribes. The leaders of Manasseh were not opposed to the idea of the daughters inheriting the land, but marrying into another tribe would have caused serious issues for the territorial integrity and, by extension, the social cohesion of the tribes. The women could inherit their father’s land, but only if they married within their own tribe.
The names of the five daughters were repeated – Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah – who married the children of their father’s brothers at the suggestion of Moses and the leaders of Israel. Thus, the women married men from their tribe, their father’s tribe. The case of the daughters of Zelophehad was concluded. The women obtained their father’s inheritance and, subsequently, his name.
Therefore, the chapter provides a broader look at the issue with the initial allocation of the land to the daughters of Zelophehad. According to the Torah, an inheritance belonged solely to the tribe and could only be owned by its members. The territory that had been allocated to the Israelites had to be distributed among them, and each tribe received its own share. However, these shares could only be modified every fifty years, during the Jubilee Year, when land owned by one tribe could be bought from another tribe. Thus, the women would be able to sell their father’s land to another tribe. Therefore, there needed to be regulations concerning such transactions.
The Torah provides a specific regulation concerning women and land inheritance. It dictates that daughters could only marry within their tribe. It seems that the concerns of the leaders of Manasseh had not been groundless. In fact, the daughters of Zelophehad could become the reason for the tribes’ territorial integrity to be compromised. Thus, the regulation was necessary to prevent further issues.
The regulation was also necessary in order to balance the interests of the different Israelites. It made it possible for the daughters of Zelophehad to retain their father’s inheritance while preventing it from becoming the cause for the disunity of the Israelites. The women married men from their father’s tribe, which resolved the issue for both sides. The women retained their father’s inheritance, and the tribe of Manasseh gained additional land.
Hence, the case of the daughters of Zelophehad was concluded. The women retained their father’s inheritance, but they had to marry men from their father’s tribe. The book of Numbers ended on this note, as the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land. The entire book narrates about the Israelites’ journey through the desert, their trials, tribulations, and laws. The last several chapters describe the preparations to enter the Promised Land and settle there.
The last chapter describes the laws concerning the land, which had to be followed strictly in order to maintain the integrity of the possessions of the Israelites. The Israelites were about to transition from being a wandering nation to a nation with cities and land, with each tribe having its own lands and properties. The Israelites needed to be prepared to maintain their society, to avoid conflicts, and to preserve their unique identity.
Moreover, the last chapter demonstrates the necessity of bringing all issues before God. The Israelites did not decide what to do with the daughters of Zelophehad on their own – they brought the issue to Moses and, subsequently, to God. The regulation was necessary to establish in order to avoid further complications with land possession and inheritance. The Israelites had to follow the rules, even if it caused personal inconvenience or issues in family relationships.
The book of Numbers demonstrates that the Israelites had to respect and uphold each law, even if it might have been personally unwanted or difficult to fulfill. Thus, there had to be regulations for every aspect of communal life, including family life and land ownership. The Israelites had to follow the rules concerning land possession, family relationships, and personal conduct. In doing so, they would maintain their social and territorial integrity as a nation. They would be able to preserve their identity and land as a nation of their own.
The case of the daughters of Zelophehad and their father’s inheritance had taught the Israelites several lessons. The daughters had been able to receive their father’s share of land, which demonstrated God’s protection and care over them.
It also demonstrated the necessity of the regulations concerning land ownership and inheritance. Although they might be inconvenient, they were necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the Israelite society. Numbers 36 describes one of these regulations, which dictated that daughters of Israel could only marry within their tribes, according to the Torah. The Israelites had to understand the importance of following God’s laws and bringing all issues before Him.
The book of Numbers concludes with the daughters of Zelophehad marrying the children of their father’s brothers. Thus, they retained their father’s land and the name of their father. The book of Numbers concluded one of the most significant chapters of the Israelites’ lives – the time spent wandering in the desert. The Israelites had become a nation during the time spent in the desert, and God had brought them to the border of the Promised Land. The book ends with them preparing to enter it and settle there, following His laws.