Numbers 36 · Verse 2

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.
Numbers 36:2, King James Version

Numbers 36:2 in other translations

BSBsaying, “When the LORD commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the Israelites by lot, He also commanded him to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters.
WEBThey said, “The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the children of Israel. My lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters.
ASVand they said, Jehovah commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the children of Israel: and my lord was commanded by Jehovah to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters.
YLTand say, Jehovah commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the sons of Israel, and my lord hath been commanded by Jehovah to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters.
DARBYand they said, Jehovah commanded my lord to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel; and my lord was commanded by Jehovah to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters.
BBEAnd said, The Lord gave orders to my lord to make distribution of the land as their heritage to the children of Israel: and my lord was ordered by the Lord to give the heritage of Zelophehad, our brother, to his daughters.
WebsterAnd 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 to his daughters.

What does Numbers 36:2 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 To give the inheritance of Zelophehad - unto his daughters - See this case spoken of at large on Numbers 27 (note). Either the first eleven verses of Numbers 27 should come in before this chapter, or this chapter should come in immediately after those eleven verses; they certainly both make parts of the same subject. Here Moses determines that heiresses should marry in their own tribe, that no part of the ancient inheritance might be alienated from the original family.

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…

Read the full comment on Numbers 36:1-4 →

Numbers 36:2 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.

וַיֹּאמְר֗וּvai.yo.me.Ruand they saidH559
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אֲדֹנִי֙'a.do.Nilord myH113
צִוָּ֣הtzi.Vahhe commandedH6680
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
לָתֵ֨תla.Tetto giveH5414
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָאָ֧רֶץha.'A.retzthe landH776
בְּנַחֲלָ֛הbe.na.cha.Lah<in> an inheritanceH5159
בְּגוֹרָ֖לbe.go.Ralby lotH1486
לִבְנֵ֣יliv.Neito [the] people ofH1121
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
וַֽאדֹנִי֙va.do.Niand lord myH113
צֻוָּ֣הtzu.Vahhe was commandedH6680
בַֽיהוָ֔הba.Yah.wehby YahwehH3068
לָתֵ֗תla.Tetto giveH5414
אֶֽת\־'et-<obj.>H853
נַחֲלַ֛תna.cha.Lat[the] inheritance ofH5159
צְלָפְחָ֥דtze.la.fe.ChadZelophehadH6765
אָחִ֖ינוּ'a.Chi.nubrother ourH251
לִבְנֹתָֽיו\׃liv.no.Tavto daughters hisH1323

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

Cross references for Numbers 36:2

  • Numbers 33:54

    And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man’s inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit.

  • Joshua 17:3-6

    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. And they came near before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes, saying, The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren. Therefore according to the commandment of the Lord he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father. And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side Jordan; Because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons: and the rest of Manasseh’s sons had the land of Gilead.

  • Numbers 27:1-7

    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. And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons. Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father. …

  • Joshua 13:6

    All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephoth–maim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.

  • Joshua 14:1-2

    And these are the countries which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance to them. By lot was their inheritance, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half tribe.

  • Numbers 26:55-56

    Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. According to the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between many and few.

  • Job 42:15

    And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The Lord commanded.To one division of the tribe of Manasseh, a portion had been assigned eastward of Jordan; but Zelophehad was of that division, to which an inheritance was afterwards allotted west of Jordan; yet, expecting the promised land, the elders of the Manassites now propose a difficulty, upon the adjudged case of Zelophehad's daughters. (ch. 27:1-11.) If the females should inherit, in defect of male issue, and should intermarry with other tribes they would diminish the interest, and weaken the influence of their own tribes, and give occasion to future confusion, and perhaps contention. The Manassites therefore referred the case to Moses; and he, by the authority of God, annexed a clause, which would effectually keep the tribes and inheritances distinct, as long as it was observed. Heiresses were not allowed to marry out of their own tribe, though within those bounds they might consult their own inclinations.
26:55,56; 27:1-7; 33:54; Jos 13:6; 14:1,2; 17:3
to give.
27:1,7; Jos 17:3-6; Job 42:15

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.

  • Numbers 36:3

    And if they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and shall be put to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall it be taken from the lot of our inheritance.

Read all of Numbers 36

Numbers 36:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y dijeron: Jehová mandó á mi señor que por suerte diese la tierra á los hijos de Israel en posesión: también ha mandado Jehová á mi señor, que dé la posesión de Salphaad nuestro hermano á sus hijas;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et ils dirent: L’ Éternel a commandé à mon seigneur de donner le pays en héritage par le sort aux fils d’Israël, et mon seigneur a reçu de l’ Éternel commandement de donner l’héritage de Tselophkhad, notre frère, à ses filles.
German
Elberfelder 1871		und sprachen: Jehova hat meinem Herrn geboten, den Kindern Israel das Land durchs Los als Erbteil zu geben; und meinem Herrn ist von Jehova geboten worden, das Erbteil Zelophchads, unseres Bruders, seinen Töchtern zu geben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Tibi domino nostro præcepit Dominus ut terram sorte divideres filiis Israël, et ut filiabus Salphaad fratris nostri dares possessionem debitam patri: