Bible Strands
Numbers 27:7
“The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly. You certainly must give them property as an inheritance among their father’s brothers and transfer their father’s inheritance to them.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The LORD addresses Moses in response to the daughters of Zelophehad’s petition, establishing a legal precedent for inheritance when a man dies without a son. This ruling occurs during the wilderness period, immediately preceding broader regulations for the tribe of Manasseh.
The words — The Hebrew כֵּן (ken) translates literally to “right” or “correctly,” validating the daughters’ petition. The verb תִּתֵּן (titteṇ) means “you will give,” commanding the transfer of the father’s נַחֲלָה (nachalâ), or “inheritance,” to them.
The thread — This inheritance principle expands in Numbers 36:1 when clan heads question how it affects tribal land allotments. The theme of protecting vulnerable families appears in Jeremiah 49:11, while Paul later references the principle of equal standing in Galatians 3:28.
Why it lands — The text commands the direct transfer of a father’s property to his daughters when no sons exist, establishing a clear legal mechanism for family preservation. It requires readers to recognize that divine law operates through specific, actionable instructions rather than abstract principles.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.
Cross-references
- Jeremiah 49:11 Abandon your orphans; I will preserve their lives. Let your widows trust in Me.”
- Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
- Numbers 36:1 Now the family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh, one of the clans of Joseph, approached Moses and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families and addressed them,
- Joshua 17:4 They approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, and said, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers, in keeping with the command of the LORD.
- Psalms 68:5 A father of the fatherless and a defender of widows is God in His holy habitation.