Deeper Commentary
Num 27:1 Then drew near 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-
The names of these women all feature the 'Yah' suffix. This is
unusual as most of the names we read at this time at best have 'el' for
God, or are just of secular meaning. All these women had accepted the
revelation of the Name of Yahweh given by Moses. I say they accepted it
because it is clear that many people didn't keep their birth names but
acquired other names later in their lives, reflective of their life
experience and developed beliefs.
Num 27:2 They stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and
before the princes and all the congregation at the door of the Tent of
Meeting, saying-
Examples of spiritual ambition are inspirational; just as soldiers
inspire each other by their acts of bravery. Achsah followed her father
Caleb’s spiritual ambition in specifically asking for an inheritance in
the Kingdom (Josh. 14:12; 15:18); and this in turn inspired the daughters
of Zelophehad to ask for an inheritance soon afterwards (Josh. 17:4). And
so it ought to be in any healthy congregation of believers. Ponder the
parallel between Is. 51:1 and 7: “Hearken to me, ye that follow after
righteousness, ye that seek the Lord… hearken unto me, ye that know
righteousness”. To know God’s righteousness is to seek / follow it; of
itself, it inspires us to ambitiously seeking to attain it.
Num 27:3 Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not among the
company of those who gathered themselves together against Yahweh in the
company of Korah; but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons-
The repeated occurrence of the phrase "in the
wilderness" in Num. 15:32; 27:3 leads the Rabbis to identify the man who
gathered sticks on the Sabbath as Zelophehad, who therefore "died in his
own sin", an allusion to Num. 15:31 which uses this term in prefacing the
incident of gathering sticks. Although it is then noteworthy that he had
apparently faithful daughters.
Num 27:4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his
family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the brothers
of our father-
Considering the low status of women at that time, we see here a
commendable spirit of initiative and spiritual ambition for these women to
dare ask a male dominated society to change their rules to allow them to
have an inheritance. We see too how God and Moses weren’t at all
anti-women, and responded positively. Note how the women were allowed to
come directly to the decision makers, without needing to appoint a male
representative for their case, as was common in surrounding cultures. The
value of the human person is consistently seen throughout the Pentateuch.
They asked about this matter before
the land had been possessed, reflecting their strength of faith that God
would fulfil His promise of giving His people the Kingdom; they imagined
what it would be like there, and acted accordingly even before they got
there, as if the land was already theirs in possession- just as we should.
Num 27:5 Moses brought their cause before Yahweh-
This is not the only example of where the Mosaic law was structured
so as to intentionally need further interpretation and clarification. It
was designed to provoke relationship with God, rather than as a legalistic
total statement of how to live in every part of life. See on :11.
Num 27:6 Yahweh spoke to Moses saying-
In most societies of the time, a woman didn't get her father's
inheritance, but instead was intended to marry into another family. The
inheritance of land passed through the male line. But these women were
perceptive, and realize that the inheritance was going to be eternal, and
so they wanted their father to have his name preserved in association with
his inheritance- otherwise he would as it were lose his inheritance
because he had no sons. And so they were granted their request. We see
from Ezra 2:61 another case of how this worked out in practice. God cannot
be accused of being against women; His legislation valued every human
person to a degree unseen in any contemporary legislation.
Num 27:7 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-
The fact God allows His children to live His truth on different
levels needs to be grasped firmly by us, lest we become discouraged that
others live on an apparently lower level than we do in some aspects of
life. Being surrounded by ‘lower levels’ ought to inspire us to the higher
levels. Zelophehad had only daughters; usually, in his context, a man
would have taken concubines in order to produce sons. The record of his
only having daughters is presented in the context of genealogies which
show that many Israelite men had more than one wife (1 Chron. 7:15). But
Zelophehad wasn’t dragged down by this; God inspired him to maintain the
higher level which he had chosen to live by. He didn't use the principle
of Jephthah's vow.
Num 27:8 You shall speak to the children of Israel saying, ‘If a man dies,
and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his
daughter-
See on :6. For land inheritance to pass on through the female was
unheard of in contemporary legal codes. We are all somewhat in
Zelophehad's position. He sinned and died for it, but he has the hope
still of eternal inheritance in the Kingdom at the resurrection- in his
own name.
Num 27:9 If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his
brothers-
What was important was that the man's inheritance should pass on in
his own name, or that of his family. As discussed on :6, the reasoning
behind this was because it was God's intention that Israel should
eternally inherit their allotments in the land, at the time of
resurrection.
Num 27:10 If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to
his father’s brothers-
As discussed on :6,8,9, this was not a case of male preference. It
was so that the land allotment which God had given to each family remained
in the name of that family.
Num 27:11 If his father has no brothers, then you shall give his
inheritance to his kinsman who is next to him of his family, and he shall
possess it; and it shall be to the children of Israel a statute and
ordinance, as Yahweh commanded Moses’-
One wonders why this statute had not been included within the Law of
Moses. Perhaps God had reserved it in potential, waiting the initiative of
these women?
Num 27:12 Yahweh said to Moses, Go up into this mountain of Abarim, and
see the land which I have given to the children of Israel-
In Jn. 3:3,5, the Lord speaks of how a man must be born again in
order to see and enter the Kingdom. He parallels seeing the Kingdom with
entering it. Moses saw the land of the Kingdom of God, but couldn’t enter
it. This is surely behind the Lord’s words here. Given the many allusions
to Moses in John’s Gospel, I submit that the Lord was surely saying
something about Moses’ seeing of the land before he died (Num. 27:12).
It’s as if He felt that Moses’ seeing the land meant that he would
ultimately enter it. To be enabled to see the land, with ‘born again’
special eyesight, was therefore a guarantee that Moses would enter the
Kingdom. And Is. 33:17 speaks of beholding the King in his beauty and
seeing “the land that is very far off” [an obvious allusion to Moses
seeing the land] as a picture of ultimate salvation.
Moses seeing the Kingdom but being unable to enter it, nor himself
lead God's people into it, points forward to how the law of Moses gave a
vision of the Kingdom, but was unable to bring us into it. That required
the work of Joshua / Jesus. "Abarim" means 'the regions beyond'. Moses and
his law gave an insight into the Kingdom, the region beyond him. For the
culture of grace and kindness, centered around the sacrificed future
Messiah, the Lord Jesus, was the outcome of the law. But it was
unattainable by weak men.
Num 27:13 When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your
people, as Aaron your brother was gathered-
Moses seeing the promised land but being unable to enter it himself
points to how the Law of Moses gave a view of salvation, but couldn’t
bring people into it.
Num 27:14 because you rebelled against My word in the wilderness of Zin,
in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify Me at the waters before
their eyes. (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness
of Zin)-
Israel had rebelled against the commandment of Yahweh through
disbelief, and therefore couldn't enter Canaan (Dt. 1:26; 9:7,23,24;
31:27; Num. 27:4); they were as the rebellious son who rebelled against
his father's commandment (s.w. Dt. 21:18,20). For he himself had rebelled
against the commandment of Yahweh and because of this was also barred from
entering Canaan (Num. 20:24; 27:14). One reason for this was that he had
called the Israelites "rebels" (Num. 20:10), and no sooner had he done so,
than he himself rebelled against Yahweh's commandment just like them, but
in a different way.
Num 27:15 Moses spoke to Yahweh, saying-
Moses did not get bitter at his rejection, nor disinterested
in Israel's future because he would not be with them in the land. He asked
God to provide a replacement for him. We see here Moses’ selflessness, his
concern was always for the wellbeing of God’s people rather than his own
status. He didn’t ask for one of his own family members to take over the
leadership; for he realized that spiritual leadership must be based upon
spiritual qualification, not family connection.
Num 27:16 Let Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man
over the congregation-
Num 27:17 who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and
who may lead them out, and who may bring them in-
This effectively meant 'to lead them in battle' (Josh. 14:11).
That the congregation of
Yahweh be not as sheep which have no shepherd-
Quoted by Jesus about the crowds of Israelites in the first century
(Mt. 9:36). He clearly saw those confused and misguided people, with all
their wrong beliefs and attitudes, as still the congregation of God. We
also learn from what Moses says and the Lord’s approval of it that God’s
people need shepherds. There is an undoubted teaching regarding the need
for leadership / shepherding throughout the Bible. When God’s people are
leaderless, they go astray.
Moses sought for a prophet / successor like unto him, who would lead out and bring in the sheep of Israel (Num. 27:17,21). The descriptions of the good shepherd not losing any sheep (Jn. 10:28; 17:12) perhaps allude to the well known Jewish stories about Moses being such a good shepherd that he never lost a sheep. L. Ginzberg, Legends Of The Jews has a section on ‘Moses as faithful shepherd’ (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1910) Vol. 2 pp. 300-316).
Moses was a shepherd for 40 years, and then for 40 years he put this into practice by leading Israel as God's shepherd for 40 years in the same wilderness (Num. 27:17; Ps. 80:1; Is. 63:11). As Moses was willing to sacrifice his eternal life for the salvation of the sheep of Israel (Ex. 32:30-32), so Christ gave his life for us. John's Gospel normally shows the supremacy of Christ over Moses. In this connection of them both being shepherds willing to die for the flock, Moses is not framed as being inferior to Christ- in that in his desire to die for Israel, he truly reached the fullness of the spirit of Christ. "The good shepherd" was a Rabbinical title for Moses; Christ was saying "I am Moses, in his love for your salvation; not better than him, but exactly like him in this". In a sense, Moses' prayer was heard, in that he was excluded from the land for their sakes (Dt. 1:37; 3:26; 4:21; Ps. 106:33); they entered after his death. This was to symbolize how the spirit of his love for Israel was typical of Christ's for us.
Num 27:18 Yahweh said to Moses, Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom
is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him-
Because Joshua had the Spirit, Moses was told to lay his hand on him.
Yet Dt. 34:9 says that Moses laid his hand on him so that Joshua might
receive the Spirit. Here we see the upward spiral of spirituality at work-
those who are of the Spirit are made more spiritual and confirmed in their
spirituality.
Num 27:19 and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the
congregation; and commission him in their sight-
"Commission" carries the idea of practically commanding him. A
similar public transference of authority from Moses had happened in Num.
11:17.
Num 27:20 You shall put of your honour on him, that all the congregation
of the children of Israel may obey-
Num. 27:20 LXX says that Moses put or gave of his glory upon Joshua- and this passage is alluded to by the Lord in Jn. 17:22: “The glory which thou hast given me I have given unto them”. Note that the Lord’s prayer of John 17 is full of allusion to Moses. So the disciples, indeed all those for whom the Lord prayed in His prayer, are to see themselves as Joshua. Further, in the same context, the Lord washed the disciples’ feet. This would’ve been understood by the disciples as an allusion to a well known Jewish legend that in Num. 27:15-23, Moses acted as a servant to Joshua by preparing a basin of water and washing Joshua’s feet. And the LXX of Moses’ final charge to Joshua in Dt. 31:7,8 [“fear not, neither be dismayed”] is quoted by the Lord to His disciples in Jn. 14:1,27.
Num 27:21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for
him by the judgment of the Urim before Yahweh. At his word shall they go
out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of
Israel with him, even all the congregation-
The contrast with Moses was that God communicated directly with him
face to face with the Angel, whereas He would communicate with Joshua
through the High Priest. The Urim and Thummim were apparently stones in
the breastplate which flashed out binary yes / no responses to questions.
"Breastplate" is LXX "oracle", as if the judgment flashed out from the
Urim and Thummim associated with the breastplate was God's word or
oracle to His people. After the time of David, we don't hear of them being
used- perhaps because the ministry of the prophets became God's chosen way
of communicating His word to His people.
Num 27:22 Moses did as Yahweh commanded him; and he took Joshua, and set
him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation-
Perhaps the obedience of Moses is stressed because it would have been
absolutely normal for a leader of his magnitude to assume that his sons,
or at least the sons of his brother Aaron, should take over from him. But
instead a man from another tribe is chosen. And Moses in characteristic
humility and desire to see God's work done and His glory achieved... has
therefore no objection to this and submits to it.
Num 27:23 and he laid his hands on him, and commissioned him, as Yahweh
spoke by Moses-
The obedience of Moses to God is continually emphasized, and he
thereby became a type of the Lord Jesus (Heb. 3:2-5).
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