Numbers 27

The Daughters of Zelophehad

1 Then drew near the daughters of *ch. 26:33;36:11;Josh. 17:3Zelophehad the son of Hepher, 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. 2 And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the chiefs and all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, saying, 3 "Our father *ch. 14:35;26:64,65died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the Lord*ch. 16:1,2in the company of Korah, but *[Ezek. 18:4]died for his own sin. And he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? *Josh. 17:4Give to us a possession among our father’s brothers."

5 Moses *Ex. 18:19brought their case before the Lord. 6 And the Lord said to Moses, 7 "The daughters of Zelophehad *ch. 36:5are right. *ch. 36:2You shall give them possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers and transfer the inheritance of their father to them. 8 And you shall speak to the people of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance 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 the nearest *See Ruth 4:3-6;Jer. 32:6-9kinsman of his clan, and he shall possess it. And it shall be for the people of Israel *ch. 35:29a statute and rule, as the Lord commanded Moses.’"

Joshua to Succeed Moses

12 The Lord said to Moses, "Go up into *ch. 21:11;33:44,47;Deut. 32:49;[Deut. 3:27;34:1]this mountain of Abarim and see the land that I have given to the people of Israel. 13 When you have seen it, you also *See ch. 20:24shall be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, 14 *ch. 20:12,24because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin when the congregation quarreled, failing *ch. 20:12,13to uphold me as holy at the waters before their eyes." (These are *ch. 20:13;Deut. 32:51;[Ex. 17:7]the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.) 15 Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, 16 "Let the Lord, *See ch. 16:22the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation 17 who *Deut. 31:2;1 Sam. 8:20;18:13;1 Kgs. 3:7;2 Chr. 1:10;[Josh. 14:11] shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be *1 Kgs. 22:17;Ezek. 34:5;Zech. 10:2;Matt. 9:36;Mark 6:34as sheep that have no shepherd." 18 So the Lord said to Moses, "Take *ch. 32:28Joshua the son of Nun, a man *Gen. 41:38;See Judg. 3:10in whom is the Spirit, and *Deut. 34:9lay your hand on him. 19 Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall *Deut. 3:28;31:7,8commission him in their sight. 20 You shall invest him with some of your authority, *See Josh. 1:16-18that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey. 21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him *See Ex. 28:30by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation." 22 And Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and made him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, 23 and he laid his hands on him and *[See ver. 19above]commissioned him as the Lord directed through Moses.