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Contemporary English Version

Numbers 27:7

Zelophehad's daughters are right. They should each be given part of the land their father would have received.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Daughter;   Inheritance;   Israel;   Land;   Legislation;   Mahlah;   Milcah;   Noah;   Property;   Tirzah;   Women;   Zelophehad;   Thompson Chain Reference - Woman;   Women;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Children;   Desert, Journey of Israel through the;   Manasseh, the Tribe of;   Theocracy, the, or Immediate Government by God;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Children;   Zelophehad;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Inheritance;   Moses;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Woman;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Mahlah;   Zelophehad;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Mahlah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ancestors;   Economic Life;   Inheritance;   Mahlah;   Milcah;   Noah;   Zelophehad;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Inheritance;   Numbers, Book of;   Zelophehad;   Zin;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Zelophehad ;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Law of Moses;   Mah'lah;   Zelo'phehad;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;   Testament;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Genealogy;   Heir;   Hoglah;   Woman;   Zelophehad;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Daughter in Jewish Law;   Family and Family Life;   Manasseh;   Midrashim, Smaller;   Priestly Code;   Zelophehad;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The daughters of Tzelohchad speak right: you shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brothers; and you shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.
King James Version
The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.
Lexham English Bible
"The statements of the daughters of Zelophehad are right. You must surely give them the property of an inheritance in the midst of their father's brothers, and you must transfer the inheritance of their father to them.
English Standard Version
"The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You shall give them possession of an inheritance among their father's brothers and transfer the inheritance of their father to them.
New Century Version
"The daughters of Zelophehad are right; they should certainly get what their father owned. Give them property among their father's relatives.
New English Translation
"The daughters of Zelophehad have a valid claim. You must indeed give them possession of an inheritance among their father's relatives, and you must transfer the inheritance of their father to them.
Amplified Bible
"The request of the daughters of Zelophehad is justified. You shall certainly give them a possession as an inheritance among their father's brothers, and you shall transfer their father's inheritance to them.
New American Standard Bible
"The daughters of Zelophehad are right about their statements. You shall certainly give them hereditary property among their father's brothers, and you shall transfer the inheritance of their father to them.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The daughters of Zelophehad speake right: thou shalt giue them a possession to inherite among their fathers brethren, and shalt turne the inheritance of their father vnto them.
Legacy Standard Bible
"The daughters of Zelophehad are right in their statements. You shall surely give them a possession for an inheritance among their father's brothers, and you shall have the inheritance of their father pass on to them.
Complete Jewish Bible
"The daughters of Tz'lof'chad are right in what they say. You must give them property to be inherited along with that of their father's brothers; have what their father would have inherited pass to them.
Darby Translation
The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.
Easy-to-Read Version
"The daughters of Zelophehad are right. They should share the land with their father's brothers. So give them the land that you would have given to their father.
George Lamsa Translation
The daughters of Zelophehad speak right, you shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their fathers brothers; and you shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.
Good News Translation
"What the daughters of Zelophehad request is right; give them property among their father's relatives. Let his inheritance pass on to them.
Christian Standard Bible®
“What Zelophehad’s daughters say is correct. You are to give them hereditary property among their father’s brothers and transfer their father’s inheritance to them.
Literal Translation
The daughters of Zelophehad speak rightly. Giving you shall give them a possession, an inheritance among their father's brothers. And you shall cause their father's inheritance to pass to them.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The doughters of Zelaphead haue spoke righte. Thou shalt geue the a possession to inheret amonge their fathers brethren, & shalt turne their fathers enheritaunce vnto them.
American Standard Version
The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.
Bible in Basic English
What the daughters of Zelophehad say is right: certainly you are to give them a heritage among their father's brothers: and let the property which would have been their father's go to them.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The daughters of Zalphaad speake ryght: thou shalt geue them a possession to inherite among their fathers brethren, and shalt turne the inheritaunce of their father vnto them.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
'The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.
King James Version (1611)
The daughters of Zelophehad speake right: thou shalt surely giue them a possession of an inheritance among their fathers brethren, and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to passe vnto them.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thou shalt speak to the children of Israel, saying,
English Revised Version
The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.
Berean Standard Bible
"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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe thou schalt speke these thingis to the sons of Israel,
Young's Literal Translation
`Rightly are the daughters of Zelophehad speaking; thou dost certainly give to them a possession of an inheritance in the midst of their father's brethren, and hast caused to pass over the inheritance of their father to them.
Update Bible Version
The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: you shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brothers; and you shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.
Webster's Bible Translation
The daughters of Zelophehad speak [what is] right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.
World English Bible
The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: you shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brothers; and you shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.
New King James Version
"The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father's brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.
New Living Translation
"The claim of the daughters of Zelophehad is legitimate. You must give them a grant of land along with their father's relatives. Assign them the property that would have been given to their father.
New Life Bible
"The daughters of Zelophehad are right in what they say. Be sure to give them their own land among their father's brothers. Give them what would have been given to their father.
New Revised Standard
The daughters of Zelophehad are right in what they are saying; you shall indeed let them possess an inheritance among their father's brothers and pass the inheritance of their father on to them.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
A right thing, are the daughters of Zelophehad speaking: Thou shalt, surely give, them a possession for an inheritance, in the midst of the brethren of their father, - and shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass over unto them.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And to the children of Israel thou shalt speak these things:
Revised Standard Version
"The daughters of Zeloph'ehad are right; you shall give them possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"The daughters of Zelophehad are right in their statements. You shall surely give them a hereditary possession among their father's brothers, and you shall transfer the inheritance of their father to them.

Contextual Overview

1 Zelophehad was from the Manasseh tribe, and he had five daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 One day his daughters went to the sacred tent, where they met with Moses, Eleazar, and some other leaders of Israel, as well as a large crowd of Israelites. The young women said: 3 You know that our father died in the desert. But it was for something he did wrong, not for joining with Korah in rebelling against the Lord . Our father left no sons 4 to carry on his family name. But why should his name die out for that reason? Give us some land like the rest of his relatives in our clan, so our father's name can live on. 5 Moses asked the Lord what should be done, 6 and the Lord answered: 7 Zelophehad's daughters are right. They should each be given part of the land their father would have received. 8 Tell the Israelites that when a man dies without a son, his daughter will inherit his land. 9 If he has no daughter, his brothers will inherit the land. 10 But if he has no brothers, his father's brothers will inherit the land.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Numbers 36:1, Numbers 36:2, Psalms 68:5, Jeremiah 49:11, Galatians 3:28

Reciprocal: Numbers 36:5 - hath said well Deuteronomy 5:28 - they have well said all Joshua 17:4 - The Lord commanded Job 42:15 - gave

Cross-References

Deuteronomy 33:1
Moses was a prophet, and before he died, he blessed the tribes of Israel by saying:
Joshua 6:26
After Jericho was destroyed, Joshua warned the people, "Someday a man will rebuild Jericho, but the Lord will put a curse on him, and the man's oldest son will die when he starts to build the town wall. And by the time he finishes the wall and puts gates in it, all his children will be dead."
1 Samuel 24:19
If you really were my enemy, you wouldn't have let me leave here alive. I pray that the Lord will give you a big reward for what you did today.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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, Joshua 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 נתן תתן "dando dabis", Pagninus, Montanus. w Bava Bathra, c. 8. sect. 3.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 27:7. Thou shalt surely give them-an inheritance among their father's brethren — There is a curious anomaly here in the Hebrew text which cannot be seen in our translation. In Hebrew they, them, and their, you, ye, and your, are both of the masculine and feminine genders, according as the nouns are to which they are affixed; but these words are of no gender in English. In this verse, speaking of the brethren of the father of those women, the masculine termination הם hem, THEIR, is used instead of the feminine, הן hen, governed by בנות benoth, daughters. So להם lahem, to THEM, and אביהם abihem, THEIR fathers, masculine, are found in the present text, instead of להן lahen and אביהן abihen, feminine. Interpreters have sought for a hidden meaning here, and they have found several, whether hidden here or not. One says, "the masculine gender is used because these daughters are treated as if they were heirs male." Another, "that it is because of their faith and conscientious regard to the ancient customs, and to keep the memory of their father in being, which might well benefit men." Another, "that it signifies the free gift of God in Christ, where there is neither male nor female, bond or free, for all are one in Christ;" and so on, for where there is no rule there is no end to conjecture. Now the plain truth is, that the masculine is in the present printed text a mistake for the feminine. The Samaritan, which many think by far the most authentic copy of the Pentateuch, has the feminine gender in both places; so also have upwards of fourscore of the MSS. collated by Kennicott and De Rossi. Therefore all the curious reasons for this anomaly offered by interpreters are only serious trifling on the blunder of some heedless copyists.

While on the subject of mysterious reasons and meanings, some might think it unpardonable if I passed by the mystery of the fall, recovery, and full salvation of man, signified, as some will have it, by the names of Zelophehad and his daughters.

"1. Zelophehad's daughters, claiming a portion in the promised land, may represent believers in Christ claiming an inheritance among the saints in light.

2. These five virgins may be considered as the five wise virgins, (Matthew 25:1-10), who took oil in their vessels with their lamps, and consequently are types of those who make a wise provision for their eternal state.

3. They are examples of encouragement to weak and destitute believers, who, though they are orphans in this world, shall not be deprived of their heavenly inheritance.

4. Their names are mysterious; for Zelophehad, צלפחד TSELOPHCHAD, signifies the shadow of fear or dread.

His first daughter, מחלה MACHLAH, infirmity;

the second, נעה NOAH, wandering;

the third, חגלה CHOGLAH, turning about or dancing for joy:

the fourth, מלכה MILCAH, a queen;

the fifth, תרצה TIRTSAH, well-pleasing or acceptable.

By these names we may observe our reviving by grace in Christ; for we are all born of the shadow of fear, (Tselophchad), being brought forth in sin, and through fear of death being all our life time subject to bondage, Hebrews 2:15. This begets (Machlah) infirmity or sickness - grief of heart for our estate. After which (Noah) wandering about for help and comfort we find it in Christ, by whom our sorrow is turned into joy (Choglah). He communicates of his royalty (Milcah) to us, making us kings and priests unto God and his Father, Revelation 1:6. So we shall at last be presented unto him glorious and without blemish, being (Tirtsah) well-pleasing and acceptable in his sight." This is a specimen of pious INGENUITY, which has been endeavouring to do the work of an EVANGELIST in the Church of God from the time of Origen to the present day.


 
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