Numbers 27

Numbers 27:1 Then the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher came near, Zelophehad was a son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of Manasseh, the son of Joseph. The names of his daughters were: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

Numbers 27:2 And they stood at the face of Moses and the face of Eleazar, the priest and the face of the leaders and all the congregation, at the entrance of the conference tent, and this is what they said,

Numbers 27:3 “Our father died in the open country. He was not among the collection of those who collected themselves together against Yahveh in the collection of Korah but died for his failure. And he had no sons.

Numbers 27:4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers.”

Numbers 27:5 Moses brought their case to the face of Yahveh.

Numbers 27:6 And Yahveh said to Moses,

Numbers 27:7 “The daughters of Zelophehad are correct. You will give them possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers and transfer the inheritance of their father to them.

Numbers 27:8 And you will speak to the people of Israel, and this is what he you will say, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you will transfer his inheritance to his daughter.

Numbers 27:9 And if he has no daughter, then you will give his inheritance to his brothers.

Numbers 27:10 And if he has no brothers, then you will give his inheritance to his father’s brothers.

Numbers 27:11 And if his father has no brothers, then you will give his inheritance to the nearest kinsman of his clan, and he will possess it. And it will be for the people of Israel a prescription and rule, as Yahveh commanded Moses.'”

Numbers 27:12 Yahveh said to Moses, “Go up into this mountain of Abarim and see the land that I have given to the children of Israel.

Numbers 27:13 When you have seen it, you also will be gathered to your people, like your brother Aaron was,

Numbers 27:14 because you rebelled against my word in the open country of Zin when the congregation quarreled, failing to uphold me as holy at the water in the sight of their eyes.” (These refer to the water of Meribah of Kadesh in the open country of Zin.)

Numbers 27:15 Moses spoke to Yahveh, and this is what he said,

Numbers 27:16 “Let Yahveh, the God of the breath of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation

Numbers 27:17 who will exit in the sight of them and enter in the sight of them, who will lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of Yahveh may not be like sheep that have no shepherd.”

Numbers 27:18 So Yahveh said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Breath, and lay your hand on him.

Numbers 27:19 Make him stand at the face of Eleazar, the priest, and all the congregation and you will commission him to their face.

Numbers 27:20 You will invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey.

Numbers 27:21 And he will stand at the face of Eleazar the priest, who will inquire for him by the judgment of the Lights[1] at the face of Yahveh. At his word, they will go out, and at his word, they will come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation.”

Numbers 27:22 And Moses did as Yahveh commanded him. He took Joshua and made him stand at the face of Eleazar, the priest, and the whole congregation,

Numbers 27:23 and he laid his hands on him and commissioned him as Yahveh directed through Moses.

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[1] אוּרִים = lights.

Numbers 27 quotes:

“They were happy in being able to make this plea on the ground of the good character nof their faither. … Here we may see what a comfort, what a credit and glory, honest parents be to their children”

Bush, George. Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Numbers. New York: [publisher not identified], 1858. p. 424.

“All efforts to exclude woman from her properly adjusted rights must fail. God is on her side, and his word is on her side. The efforts of some Churches to padlock their lips, to refuse them permission to say, even in the house of God, that Christ died for them, or to speak upon religious questions in the presence of their lords must come to an end.”

DUNN, Lewis R. The Gospel in the Book of Numbers. Hunt & Eaton: New York, 1889.

“It is to be observed that the spiritual qualifications of Joshua did not supersede the necessity of an outward consecration to his office. Nay, more ; it seems that pecial qualifications for the office were bestowed in connection with the imposition of the hands of Moses (Deuteronomy 34:9).”

Ellicott, C. J. The Fourth Book of Moses, Called Numbers. London: Cassell & Co, 1850. p. 179.

“Blessed Lord ! make me as anxious for an inheritance among all them that are sanctified , as those daughters of Israel were for an inheritance among their brethren.”

“Hawker, Robert. The Poor Man’s Commentary on the Bible. London: Printed by W. Nicholson, Warner Street, for Williams and Smith, stationers’ court, 1805. p. 411.

Numbers 27 links:

“To be gathered to his people”
a cooperative walk
Excursus- “To Be Gathered”
introducing the breath of God
the weight of leadership
they are right

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The NUMBERS shelf in Jeff’s library