1 The daughters of Zelophehad came to present their case. Their father Zelophehad was the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, and was from the tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph. The names of his daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They came 2 and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and all the Israelites at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. They said, 3 “Our father died in the desert, but he wasn't one of Korah's followers who joined together to rebel against the Lord. No, he died from his own sins, and he didn't have any sons. 4 Why should our family name be lost simply because he didn't have a son? Give us land to own alongside our uncles.” 5 Moses took their case before the Lord. 6 The Lord gave him this answer, 7 “What the daughters of Zelophehad are saying is right. You really must give them land to own alongside their uncles—give to them what would have been allocated to their father. 8 In addition, tell the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and doesn't have a son, give his property to his daughter. 9 If he doesn't have a daughter, give his property to his brothers. 10 If he doesn't have brothers, give his property to his father's brothers. 11 If his father doesn't have any brothers, give his property to his family's next of kin so that they can own it. This is a legal regulation for the Israelites, given as an order by the Lord to Moses.’” 12 The Lord told Moses, “Go up into the Abarim mountains so you can see the land that I have given the Israelites. 13 After you have seen it, you will also join your forefathers in death, just as your brother Aaron did, 14 because when the Israelites complained in the Desert of Zin, you both rebelled against my instructions to show my holiness before them in regard to providing water.” (These were the waters of Meribah in Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.) 15 Then Moses pleaded with the Lord, 16 “May the Lord, the God who gives life to all living beings, choose a man to lead the Israelites 17 who will tell them what to do and show them where to go, so that the people of the Lord won't be like sheep without a shepherd.” 18 The Lord told Moses, “Call for Joshua, son of Nun, a man who has the Spirit in him, and place your hands on him. 19 Make him stand in front of Eleazar the priest and all the Israelites, and dedicate him while they watch. 20 Hand over some of your authority to him so that all the Israelites will obey him. 21 When he needs instructions, he is to go before Eleazar the priest who will ask the Lord on his behalf and find out the decision using the Urim. Joshua will give orders to all the Israelites concerning everything they are to do.” 22 Moses followed the Lord's instructions. He had Joshua come and stand in front of Eleazar the priest and all the Israelites. 23 Moses placed his hands on Joshua and dedicated him, just as the Lord had told him to do.
Numbers 27 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Gilead
The son of Machir son of Manasseh and the ancestor of the Gileadite clans, whose sons are listed in Numbers 26.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 26:29–30; Numbers 27:1; Numbers 36:1
Hepher
A son of Gilead, the founder of the Hepherite clan of Manasseh and the father of Zelophehad.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 26:32–33; Numbers 27:1; Joshua 17:2
Hoglah
One of the five daughters of Zelophehad who asked Moses for their father's inheritance, which the LORD granted, and who married cousins on their father's side.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 26:33; Numbers 27:1; Numbers 36:11
Mahlah
One of the five daughters of Zelophehad who asked Moses for their father's inheritance, which the LORD granted, and who married cousins on their father's side.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 26:33; Numbers 27:1; Numbers 36:11
Milcah
One of the five daughters of Zelophehad who asked Moses for their father's inheritance, which the LORD granted, and who married cousins on their father's side.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 26:33; Numbers 27:1; Numbers 36:11
Moses
Drawn from the Nile, he led Israel out of Egypt and received God's Law.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 2–Deuteronomy 34
Noah
One of the five daughters of Zelophehad who asked Moses for their father's inheritance, which the LORD granted, and who married cousins on their father's side.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 26:33; Numbers 27:1; Numbers 36:11
Tirzah
One of the five daughters of Zelophehad who asked Moses for their father's inheritance, which the LORD granted, and who married cousins on their father's side.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 26:33; Numbers 27:1; Numbers 36:11
Zelophehad
A Manassite, son of Hepher, who died in the wilderness without sons, so that the LORD granted his five daughters his inheritance.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 26:33; Numbers 27:1; Numbers 27:7
Cross references (18)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Numbers 26:33; Galatians 3:28; 1 Chronicles 7:15; Numbers 36:1–12; Joshua 17:3–6
- 2 Exodus 18:19–26; Numbers 15:33–34; Exodus 18:13–14; Deuteronomy 17:8–10
- 3 Numbers 26:64–65; Ezekiel 18:4; Numbers 14:35; Numbers 16:1–3; Numbers 26:33
- 4 Joshua 17:4; Psalm 109:13; Exodus 32:11; Proverbs 13:9
- 5 Leviticus 24:12–13; Numbers 9:8; Exodus 25:22; Job 23:4; Proverbs 3:5–6
- 6 Psalm 68:5–6; Galatians 3:28
- 7 Jeremiah 49:11; Galatians 3:28; Numbers 36:1–2; Joshua 17:4; Psalm 68:5
- 11 Numbers 35:29; Jeremiah 32:8; Ruth 4:3–6; Leviticus 25:49; 1 Samuel 30:25
- 12 Deuteronomy 3:23–27; Deuteronomy 34:1–4; Numbers 33:47–48; Deuteronomy 32:48–52
- 13 Deuteronomy 10:6; Numbers 31:2; Numbers 20:24–28; Genesis 25:8; Deuteronomy 32:50
- 14 Deuteronomy 1:37; Numbers 20:8–13; Exodus 17:7; Deuteronomy 32:51–52; Psalm 106:32–33
- 16 Numbers 16:22; Jeremiah 3:15; Hebrews 12:9; Deuteronomy 31:14; Ezekiel 34:23
- 17 Ezekiel 34:5; Mark 6:34; 1 Kings 22:17; 2 Chronicles 1:10; Matthew 9:36
- 18 Deuteronomy 34:9; Genesis 41:38; Numbers 27:23; Deuteronomy 31:7–8; Judges 3:10
- 19 Deuteronomy 3:28; Deuteronomy 31:23; Deuteronomy 31:7–8; Colossians 4:17; 2 Timothy 4:1–6
- 20 Joshua 1:16–18; 1 Samuel 10:9; 1 Chronicles 29:25; 2 Kings 2:15; 2 Kings 2:9–10
- 21 Exodus 28:30; Joshua 9:14; 1 Samuel 28:6; Judges 1:1; Judges 20:18
- 23 Deuteronomy 3:28; Numbers 27:19; Deuteronomy 31:7–8
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
XIX. "Take unto thee Joshua ('Iesoun) the son of Nun." For it was proper that Moses should lead the people out of Egypt, but that Jesus (Joshua) should lead them into the inheritance.
XX. "And he laid his hands upon him." The countenance of Joshua was also glorified by the imposition of the hands of Moses, but not to the same degree [as that of Moses].