Numbers 36 · Verse 1

Numbers 36:1

And the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spake before Moses, and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel:
Numbers 36:1, King James Version

Numbers 36:1 in other translations

BSBNow the family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh, one of the clans of Joseph, approached Moses and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families and addressed them,
WEBThe heads of the fathers’ households of the family of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the princes, the heads of the fathers’ households of the children of Israel.
ASVAnd the heads of the fathers’ houses of the family of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spake before Moses, and before the princes, the heads of the fathers’ houses of the children of Israel:
YLTAnd the heads of the fathers of the families of the sons of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, come near, and speak before Moses, and before the princes, heads of the fathers of the sons of Israel,
DARBYAnd the chief fathers of families of the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spoke before Moses, and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel:
BBENow the heads of the families of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came to Moses, the chiefs and the heads of families of the children of Israel being present,
WebsterAnd the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spoke before Moses, and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel:

What does Numbers 36:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Nu 36:1-13. The Inconvenience of the Inheritance.

1. the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead--Being the tribal governors in Manasseh, they consulted Moses on a case that affected the public honor and interests of their tribe. It related once more to the daughters of Zelophehad. Formerly they had applied, at their own instance, to be recognized, for want of male heirs in their family, as entitled to inherit their father's property [Nu 27:1-11]; now the application was made on behalf of the tribe to which they belonged--that steps might be taken to prevent the alienation of their patrimony by their alliance with husbands of another tribe. The unrestricted marriages of daughters in such circumstances threatened seriously to affect the tenure of land in Israel, as their inheritance would go to their children, who, by the father's side, would belong to another tribe, and thus lead, through a complication of interests and the confusion of families, to an evil for which even the Jubilee could not afford a remedy. [See on Le 25:13].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

The inconveniences which might be produced by daughters, inheritances, marrying out of their own tribe, remedied on the recommendation of certain chiefs of the tribe of Joseph, who stated the case of the daughters of Zelophehad, Num 36:1-4. The daughters of Zelophehad are commanded to marry in their own tribe, Num 36:5, Num 36:6; which is to be an ordinance in all similar circumstances, Num 36:7-9. The daughters of Zelophehad marry their father's brother's sons, and thus their inheritance is preserved in their own tribe, Num 36:10-12. The conclusion of the commandments given by the Lord to the Israelites in the plains of Moab, Num 36:13.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 36:1-4
The heads of the tribe of Manasseh represent the evil which might follow, if the daughters of Zelophehad should marry into any other tribes. They sought to preserve the Divine appointment of inheritances, and that contests and quarrels should not rise among those who should come afterwards. It is the wisdom and duty of those who have estates in the world, to settle them, and to dispose of them, so that no strife and contention may arise. (Nu 36:5-12)

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Numbers 36:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַֽיִּקְרְב֞וּvai.yik.re.Vuand they drew nearH7126
רָאשֵׁ֣יra.Shei[the] leaders ofH7218
הָֽאָב֗וֹתha.'a.Votthe fathersH1
לְמִשְׁפַּ֤חַתle.mish.Pa.chatof [the] clan ofH4940
בְּנֵֽי\־be.nei-[the] descendants ofH1121
גִלְעָד֙gil.'AdGileadH1568
בֶּן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121
מָכִ֣ירma.KhirMakirH4353
בֶּן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121
מְנַשֶּׁ֔הme.na.ShehManassehH4519
מִֽמִּשְׁפְּחֹ֖תmi.mish.pe.Chotfrom [the] clans ofH4940
בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] descendants ofH1121
יוֹסֵ֑ףyo.SefJosephH3130
וַֽיְדַבְּר֞וּvay.da.be.Ruand they spokeH1696
לִפְנֵ֤יlif.Nei<to> beforeH6440
מֹשֶׁה֙mo.ShehMosesH4872
וְלִפְנֵ֣יve.lif.Neiand <to> beforeH6440
הַנְּשִׂאִ֔יםha.ne.si.'Imthe leadersH5387
רָאשֵׁ֥יra.Sheiheads ofH7218
אָב֖וֹת'a.VotfathersH1
לִבְנֵ֥יliv.Neiof [the] people ofH1121
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל\׃Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Numbers 36:1

  • Numbers 27:1

    Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.

  • Joshua 17:2-3

    There was also a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh by their families; for the children of Abiezer, and for the children of Helek, and for the children of Asriel, and for the children of Shechem, and for the children of Hepher, and for the children of Shemida: these were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph by their families. But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters: and these are the names of his daughters, Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

  • Numbers 26:29-33

    Of the sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites: and Machir begat Gilead: of Gilead come the family of the Gileadites. These are the sons of Gilead: of Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites: of Helek, the family of the Helekites: And of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites: and of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites: And of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites: and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites. …

  • 1 Chronicles 7:14-16

    The sons of Manasseh; Ashriel, whom she bare: (but his concubine the Aramitess bare Machir the father of Gilead: And Machir took to wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister’s name was Maachah;) and the name of the second was Zelophehad: and Zelophehad had daughters. And Maachah the wife of Machir bare a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 The inconvenience of the inheritance of daughters is remedied by marrying in their own tribes,
7 lest the inheritance should be removed from the tribe.
10 The daughters of Zelophehad marry their father's brothers' sons.

Gilead.
26:29-33; 27:1; Jos 17:2,3; 1Ch 7:14-16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Numbers 36:1

    And the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spake before Moses, and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel:

  • Numbers 36:2

    And they said, The Lord commanded my lord to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel: and my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters.

Read all of Numbers 36

Numbers 36:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y LLEGARON los príncipes de los padres de la familia de Galaad, hijo de Machîr, hijo de Manasés, de las familias de los hijos de José; y hablaron delante de Moisés, y de los príncipes, cabezas de padres de los hijos de Israel,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
*Et les chefs des pères de la famille des fils de Galaad, fils de Makir, fils de Manassé, d’entre les familles des fils de Joseph, s’approchèrent et parlèrent devant Moïse et devant les princes, chefs des pères des fils d’Israël,
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und es traten herzu die Häupter der Väter vom Geschlecht der Söhne Gileads, des Sohnes Makirs, des Sohnes Manasses, aus den Geschlechtern der Söhne Josephs; und sie redeten vor Mose und vor den Fürsten, den Häuptern der Väter der Kinder Israel,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Accesserunt autem et principes familiarum Galaad filii Machir filii Manasse, de stirpe filiorum Joseph: locutique sunt Moysi coram principibus Israël, atque dixerunt: