Numbers 27:7
in Numbers 27“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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Numbers 27
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThou 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.
This site's exposition
The daughters of Zelophehad speak right
on Numbers 27:7-8
The ruling goes further than the request. They asked for their father's portion, and verse 8 turns the particular case into a standing law for every man in Israel who dies leaving no son. Gill notes that what was determined in their case was made into a general law, so a petition brought by five women without an advocate becomes the inheritance rule of the nation. The same verdict of having spoken right is given to the tribe of Joseph at Numbers 36:5, when they come to object to this very ruling.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
It should seem, by the particular notice taken of it, that it was a singular case, and that the like did not at this time occur in all Israel, that the head of a family had no sons, but daughters only. Their case is again debated ( ch. xxxvi. ) upon another article of it; and, according to the judgments given in their case, we find them put in possession, Josh. xvii.
The daughters of Zelophehad speak right,....
Those that seek an inheritance in the land of promise shall have what they seek, and other things shall be added to them. These are claims which God will countenance and crown. The point is settled for all future occasions.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כֵּ֗ן | ken | right | H3651 → | 771 times |
| בְּנ֣וֹת | benot | [the] daughters of | H1323 → | 588 times |
| צְלָפְחָד֮ | tzelafechad | Zelophehad | H6765 → | 11 times |
| דֹּבְרֹת֒ | doerot | [are] speaking | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| נָתֹ֨ן | naton | certainly <to give> | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| תִּתֵּ֤ן | titen | you will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָהֶם֙ | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| אֲחֻזַּ֣ת | ʾachuzat | possession of | H272 → | 66 times |
| נַחֲלָ֔ה | nachalah | an inheritance | H5159 → | 222 times |
| בְּת֖וֹךְ | betokh | in among | H8432 → | 418 times |
| אֲחֵ֣י | ʾachei | [the] brothers of | H251 → | 630 times |
| אֲבִיהֶ֑ם | ʾavihem | father their | H1 → | 1212 times |
| וְהַֽעֲבַרְתָּ֛ | vehaavarta | and you will make pass over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| נַחֲלַ֥ת | nachalat | [the] inheritance of | H5159 → | 222 times |
| אֲבִיהֶ֖ן | ʾavihen | father their | H1 → | 1212 times |
| לָהֶֽן׃ | lahen | to <the> them |
כֵּ֗ןright
kenH3651 →771 times
בְּנ֣וֹת[the] daughters of
benotH1323 →588 times
צְלָפְחָד֮Zelophehad
tzelafechadH6765 →11 times
דֹּבְרֹת֒[are] speaking
doerotH1696 →1141 times
נָתֹ֨ןcertainly <to give>
natonH5414 →2011 times
תִּתֵּ֤ןyou will give
titenH5414 →2011 times
לָהֶם֙to <the> them
lahem
אֲחֻזַּ֣תpossession of
ʾachuzatH272 →66 times
נַחֲלָ֔הan inheritance
nachalahH5159 →222 times
בְּת֖וֹךְin among
betokhH8432 →418 times
אֲחֵ֣י[the] brothers of
ʾacheiH251 →630 times
אֲבִיהֶ֑םfather their
ʾavihemH1 →1212 times
וְהַֽעֲבַרְתָּ֛and you will make pass over
vehaavartaH5674 →556 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
נַחֲלַ֥ת[the] inheritance of
nachalatH5159 →222 times
אֲבִיהֶ֖ןfather their
ʾavihenH1 →1212 times
לָהֶֽן׃to <the> them
lahen
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Galatians 3:28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 12:12–13
The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ.
- Colossians 3:11
Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.
- Romans 3:29–30
Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
- Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.
- Romans 10:12–15
For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him,
- 1 Corinthians 12:12–13
Through
Psalms 68:5A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in His holy habitation.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 49:11
Abandon your orphans; I will preserve their lives. Let your widows trust in Me.”
- Psalms 10:14
But You have regarded trouble and grief; You see to repay it by Your hand. The victim entrusts himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.
- Deuteronomy 10:18
He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing.
- Jeremiah 49:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Numbers

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
