Numbers 27

Numbers 27 follows directly after Numbers 26, which recounts the second census taken on the plains of Moab. The daughters of Zelophehad, who were mentioned only by name in 26:33, come forward in this chapter, after which Moses' successor is appointed.

Outline

• Verses 1-4: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, the daughters of Zelophehad, request an inheritance at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, the tent where God meets His people. They state that their father was not part of the company of Korah but died in his own sin, and that he had no sons.
• Verses 5-7: Moses brings their case before the LORD, who answers that the daughters speak rightly.
• Verses 8-11: An order of inheritance is established as "a statute of judgment." If a man has no son, his inheritance passes to his daughter; if he has no daughter, to his brothers; if he has no brothers, to his father's brothers; and if there are none, to his nearest kinsman.
• Verses 12-14: The LORD commands Moses to go up Mount Abarim and view the land. Because of the incident at the waters of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin, Moses will die without entering the land.
• Verses 15-17: Moses prays that the LORD will appoint a leader so that the congregation will not be as sheep without a shepherd.
• Verses 18-23: The LORD designates Joshua the son of Nun. Moses lays his hands on Joshua before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation and gives him his charge. Joshua is to follow the judgment that Eleazar seeks from the LORD by means of the Urim.

Key Verses

• Numbers 27:7 "The daughters of Zelophehad speak right": The daughters' request is granted, and a new law of inheritance is established.
• Numbers 27:17 "That the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd": The role of a leader is compared to that of a shepherd.
• Numbers 27:18 "Take thee Joshua the son of Nun... and lay thine hand upon him": The duties of leadership are transferred in the presence of the community.

People and Places

• The daughters of Zelophehad: The five daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, of the tribe of Manasseh.
• Moses: Told of his coming death, he appoints a successor.
• Eleazar: The priest who succeeded Aaron.
• Joshua: Appointed as Moses' successor.
• Korah: The leader of a company that rebelled against Moses, mentioned in verse 3.
• Mount Abarim: A mountain range east of the plains of Moab. In Deuteronomy, Mount Nebo is presented as part of this range.
• Meribah: The place in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin where strife arose over water (Numbers 20).

Points for Reflection

• The account of Zelophehad's daughters continues in Numbers 36, where a condition is added: the daughters must marry within their own tribe so that the inheritance does not pass to another tribe. Their actual receipt of land is recorded in Joshua 17:3-6.
• This episode is frequently cited in discussions of women's inheritance rights. Some interpreters regard it as a progressive measure for an ancient society, while others hold that its chief purpose was to preserve the family name and land.
• The phrase "his own sin" in verse 3 is usually read as referring to the death shared by the entire wilderness generation. Some strands of Jewish rabbinic tradition identify Zelophehad with the man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath (Numbers 15:32), but the text itself does not say this.
• The laying on of hands in verses 18-23 is read, together with Acts 6:6 and 1 Timothy 4:14, as Old Testament background for ordination in the church. Traditions differ on whether the laying on of hands should be understood as a rite through which grace is conveyed or as a sign that publicly entrusts someone with an office.
• The expression "sheep which have no shepherd" in verse 17 also appears in Matthew 9:36 and Mark 6:34.

In the Korean Church

Moses' handing over of his duties to Joshua is sometimes used as a sermon text on leadership transitions at services marking the departure of one pastor and the installation of another, or at ordination services.