Numbers 27:6

⁵So Moses brought their case before the LORD,⁶and the LORD answered him,⁷“The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly. You certainly must give them property as an inheritance among their father’s brothers, and transfer their father’s inheritance to them.

Summary

In Numbers 27:6, the daughters of Zelophehad approach Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting. They present their case for inheriting their father's property since he had no sons. This situation raises a significant legal and cultural issue regarding inheritance rights for women in ancient Israel. Through their boldness and initiative, these women challenge the existing norms and prompt Moses to seek God's guidance, resulting in a new law that allows daughters to inherit when there are no sons, ensuring justice and fairness in the distribution of land.

Commentary

John Gill

John Gill Bible Commentary

The daughters of Zelophehad speak right,.... What is just and reasonable: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; their uncles, or rather the children of them; for it is reasonable to suppose their father's brethren, or their uncles, were dead also: or "in giving thou shall give" (u); which, according to Jarchi, denotes two parts or portions they should receive; the part of their father, who was of them that came out of Egypt, and his part with his brethren in the goods of Hepher: in the Misnah (w), from whence he seems to have taken it, it is;"the daughters of Zelophehad took three parts for inheritance; the part of their father, who was with them that came out of Egypt, and his part with his brethren in the goods of Hepher, and because he was the firstborn he was to take two parts:''and though this strict command was given to Moses, yet it does not respect him personally, who lived not to enter into the land to see it divided; but him who should be his successor, and chief magistrate at the time of the division of it, which was Joshua, and of whom these ladies claimed their part, and had it, Jos 17:3, and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them; that is, that part which would have fallen to him by lot, had he been living, these were to take, they standing in his place; and so the portion of the land he would have had was to be divided between these live daughters of his. (u) "dando dabis", Pagninus, Montanus. (w) Bava Bathra, c. 8. sect. 3.