Bible Strands
Numbers 36:2
saying, “When the LORD commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the Israelites by lot, He also commanded him to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The family heads of Gilead, from the clans of Machir and Manasseh, address Moses and the Israelite leaders. They speak immediately after the decree granting Zelophehad’s daughters an inheritance to raise a procedural concern.
The words — צִוָּ֣ה (tzi.Vah) means “he commanded,” and לָ/תֵ֨ת (la./Tet) means “to give.” These terms state that Yahweh issued direct orders for both the general distribution of the land and the specific transfer of Zelophehad’s portion.
The thread — The land distribution by lot is established in Numbers 33:54, while the Zelophehad precedent is recorded in Numbers 27:1 and Joshua 17:3. This verse operates as the legal pivot between the initial inheritance petition and the tribal boundary restrictions that follow.
Why it lands — The text states that divine instruction governs both the general allotment of the land and the exceptional case of a patriarch with only daughters. It requires a reader to acknowledge that inheritance rights are fixed by tribal lineage and authoritative command rather than personal arrangement.
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
And 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.
Cross-references
- Numbers 27:1 Now the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. These were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They approached
- Numbers 33:54 And you are to divide the land by lot according to your clans. Give a larger inheritance to a larger clan and a smaller inheritance to a smaller one. Whatever falls to each one by lot will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to the tribes of your fathers.
- Joshua 17:3 But Zelophehad son of Hepher (the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh) had no sons but only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
- Numbers 26:55 Indeed, the land must be divided by lot; they shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.
- Joshua 13:6 All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim—all the Sidonians—I Myself will drive out before the Israelites. Be sure to divide it by lot as an inheritance to Israel, as I have commanded you.
- Joshua 14:1 Now these are the portions that the Israelites inherited in the land of Canaan, as distributed by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of Israel.
- Job 42:15 No women as beautiful as Job’s daughters could be found in all the land, and their father granted them an inheritance among their brothers.