Numbers 27:11
in Numbers 27And if his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the next of kin from his clan, that he may take possession of it. This is to be a statutory ordinance for the Israelites, as the LORD has commanded Moses.’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute and ordinance, as Jehovah commanded Moses.
KJV
And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the Lord commanded Moses.
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This verse in Numbers 27
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
If he has no daughter
on Numbers 27:9-11
The law sets an order of succession: son, daughter, brothers, father's brothers, then "the next of kin from his clan". Every step stays inside the father's house, and the order stands as "a statutory ordinance for the Israelites".
This site's exposition
the next of kin from his clan
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that the rule reached estates with no children and no brothers, so no patrimony would pass to another tribe. Matthew Henry observes that the English law of his day agreed with this order, and sums it up: God makes heirs.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
13 And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. 14 For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
And if his father have no brethren,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
The meaning thereof is that this judgment should be for all [future] generations, and not only for now when they inherited the Land [hence the expression “ a statute, i.e., a permanent one, for all the children of Israel in all future generations”].
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
If he has no brothers, you shall give his hereditary property to his father’s brothers.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| אֵ֣ין | ʾein | not | H369 → | 789 times |
| אַחִים֮ | ʾachim | brothers | H251 → | 630 times |
| לְאָבִיו֒ | leaviv | [belong] to father his | H1 → | 1212 times |
| וּנְתַתֶּ֣ם | unetatem | and you will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| נַחֲלָת֗וֹ | nachalato | inheritance his | H5159 → | 222 times |
| לִשְׁאֵר֞וֹ | lishero | to relative his | H7607 → | |
| הַקָּרֹ֥ב | hakaro | <the> near | H7138 → | |
| אֵלָ֛יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתּ֖וֹ | mimishpachto | from own clan his | H4940 → | 303 times |
| וְיָרַ֣שׁ | veyarash | and he will take possession of | H3423 → | 231 times |
| אֹתָ֑הּ | ʾotah | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְֽהָ֨יְתָ֜ה | vehayetah | and it will become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לִבְנֵ֤י | livnei | for [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לְחֻקַּ֣ת | lechukat | <into> a statute of | H2708 → | 104 times |
| מִשְׁפָּ֔ט | mishpat | judgment | H4941 → | 422 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוָּ֥ה | tzivah | he has commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מֹשֶֽׁה׃ ס | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
וְאִם־and if
veim-H518 →1069 times
אֵ֣יןnot
ʾeinH369 →789 times
אַחִים֮brothers
ʾachimH251 →630 times
לְאָבִיו֒[belong] to father his
leavivH1 →1212 times
וּנְתַתֶּ֣םand you will give
unetatemH5414 →2011 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
נַחֲלָת֗וֹinheritance his
nachalatoH5159 →222 times
לִשְׁאֵר֞וֹto relative his
lisheroH7607 →
הַקָּרֹ֥ב<the> near
hakaroH7138 →
אֵלָ֛יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתּ֖וֹfrom own clan his
mimishpachtoH4940 →303 times
וְיָרַ֣שׁand he will take possession of
veyarashH3423 →231 times
אֹתָ֑הּ<obj.> it
ʾotahH853 →10935 times
וְֽהָ֨יְתָ֜הand it will become
vehayetahH1961 →3559 times
לִבְנֵ֤יfor [the] people of
livneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לְחֻקַּ֣ת<into> a statute of
lechukatH2708 →104 times
מִשְׁפָּ֔טjudgment
mishpatH4941 →422 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֛רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
צִוָּ֥הhe has commanded
tzivahH6680 →494 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מֹשֶֽׁה׃ סMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
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
Leviticus 25:25If your brother becomes impoverished and sells some of his property, his nearest of kin may come and redeem what his brother has sold.
it leads to
- Ruth 2:20
Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the LORD, who has not withdrawn His kindness from the living or the dead.” Naomi continued, “The man is a close relative. He…
- Jeremiah 32:7–8
Behold! Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, is coming to you to say, ‘Buy for yourself my field in Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy it.’
- Ruth 3:9
“Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, for you are a kinsman-redeemer.”
- Ruth 2:20
Through
Jeremiah 32:8Then, as the LORD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and urged me, ‘Please buy my field in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for you…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 32:7
Behold! Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, is coming to you to say, ‘Buy for yourself my field in Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy it.’
- Jeremiah 32:2
At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard, which was in the palace of the king of…
- Jeremiah 33:1
While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him a second time:
- 1 Samuel 9:16–17
“At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you are to anoint him leader over My people Israel; he will save them from the hand of…
- 1 Samuel 10:3–7
Then you will go on from there until you come to the Oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying…
- Jeremiah 32:7
Where this verse is studied
About Numbers
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch; Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.