Right of inheritance for daughters
27
📚Then the daughters of Zelophehad came to Moses. He was the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph. And these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 📚And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the leaders and all the congregation, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 3 📚“Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not in the company of those who joined themselves together against the LORD, the company of Korah, but he died for his own sin, and he had no sons. 4 📚Why should the name of our father be removed from among his family because he had no son? Therefore give us a possession among the brothers of our father”. 5 📚And Moses brought their case before the LORD. 6 📚And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 7 📚“The daughters of Zelophehad speak justly. You shall surely give them possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers, and you shall have the inheritance of their father pass to them.
8 “And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, If a man dies and has no son, then you shall have his inheritance pass to his daughter. 9 And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 And if he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 📚And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his closest relative in his family, and he shall possess it. And this shall be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment, just as the LORD commanded Moses”.
Moses’ successor
12 📚And the LORD said to Moses, “Go up on this Mount Abarim, and look at the land which I have given to the children of Israel. 13 📚And when you have seen it, you also will be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother was gathered. 14 📚For in the desert of Zin you rebelled against my command to show me as holy before their eyes at the waters there, during the strife of the congregation”. (These are the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the desert of Zin.)
27:12-14 See note at Num 20:12.⚜
15 And Moses spoke to the LORD, saying, 16 📚“Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, 17 📚who can go out before them and can come in before them, and who can lead them out and can bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd”.
27:16-17 Moses experienced great disappointment at not being permitted to enter the promised land (Deut 3:25-27). However he was not bitter, but still much concerned for the welfare of the people, and prayed for a successor who could lead them well. A wise and spiritual leader of God’s people will encourage the development of leaders who can serve after he is gone.⚜
18 📚And the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit 📖, and lay your hand on him; 19 📚and have him stand before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation, and give him a commission in their sight. 20 📚And you shall put some of your authority on him, so that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. 21 📚And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him in the LORD’s presence according to the decision of Urim. At his word the people shall go out and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him, the whole congregation”.
22 And Moses did as the LORD commanded him, and took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation. 23 📚And he laid his hands on him, and gave him a commission, just as the LORD commanded through Moses.