Bible Strands

Numbers 36:4

And when the Jubilee for the Israelites comes, their inheritance will be added to the tribe into which they marry and taken away from the tribe of our fathers.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the clan leaders of Joseph in the plains of Moab, responding to their concern that daughters inheriting land would permanently transfer it to their husbands' tribes. He outlines the procedural limit that preserves each tribe's original allotment.

The words — The text marks יִהְיֶה (yih.Yeh, "it will come") as the trigger for הַיּוֹבֵל (hai.yo.Vel, "the Jubilee"), the moment land reallocation occurs. It uses וְנֹסְפָה (ve.nos.Fah, "and it will be added") to describe how an inheritance attaches to a husband's tribal portion.

The thread — The Jubilee framework originates in Leviticus 25:10 as the consecration of the fiftieth year for liberty, and Leviticus 25:23 grounds land retention in God's permanent ownership. Isaiah 61:2 later echoes the Jubilee's proclamation of favor and restoration.

Why it lands — The verse establishes a structural boundary that prevents tribal inheritances from dissolving through intermarriage. It requires readers to recognize that land distribution is governed by collective tribal preservation rather than individual familial choice.

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

וְאִם־ve./'im-and/ ifיִהְיֶ֣הyih.Yehit will comeהַיֹּבֵל֮hai./yo.Velthe/ jubileeלִבְנֵ֣יli/v.Neiof/ [the] people ofיִשְׂרָאֵל֒Yis.ra.'ElIsraelוְנֽוֹסְפָה֙ve./nos.Fahand/ it will be addedנַחֲלָתָ֔ןna.cha.la.Ta/ninheritance/ theirעַ֚ל'altoנַחֲלַ֣תna.cha.Lat[the] inheritance ofהַמַּטֶּ֔הha./ma.Tehthe/ tribeאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwhichתִּהְיֶ֖ינָהtih.Yei.nahthey will belongלָהֶ֑םla./Hemto <the>/ themוּמִֽנַּחֲלַת֙u./mi./na.cha.Latand/ from/ [the] inheritance ofמַטֵּ֣הma.Teh[the] tribe ofאֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּ'a.vo.Tei./nuancestors/ ourיִגָּרַ֖עyi.ga.Ra'it will be withdrawnנַחֲלָתָֽן׃na.cha.la.Ta/ninheritance/ their

King James Version

And 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.

Cross-references