The big picture
Numbers 27 opens in verse 1 with “Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 12 with “And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which…”, and closes in verse 23 with “And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, congregation, Moses, brethren, inheritance. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Numbers · King James Version · 23Numbers 27:1-8
1–8: Came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead…
Numbers 27:1–8 opens with “Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir…” and reaches “And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Numbers 27 develops its own movement around LORD, congregation, Moses, brethren, inheritance, with particular weight carried by father, cause, daughters.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh…” Naming Manasseh and Gilead keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the…” Naming Korah and Our keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Numbers 27:1-8
King James Version1Then 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.
2And 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,
3Our 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.
4Why 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.
5And Moses brought their cause before the LORD .
6And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
7The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.
8And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.
Numbers 27:9-16
9–16: If he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his…
Numbers 27:9–16 opens with “And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.” and reaches “Let the LORD , the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Numbers 27 develops its own movement around LORD, congregation, Moses, brethren, inheritance, with particular weight carried by brethren, LORD, inheritance.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Numbers 27:9-16
King James Version9And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.
10And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father’s brethren.
11And 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.
12And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.
13And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.
14For 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.
15And Moses spake unto the LORD , saying,
16Let the LORD , the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,
Numbers 27:17-23
17–23: Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which…
Numbers 27:17–23 opens with “Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and…” and reaches “And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand of…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Numbers 27 develops its own movement around LORD, congregation, Moses, brethren, inheritance, with particular weight carried by congregation, LORD, Eleazar.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them…” The line’s distinctive content terms include congregation, lead, LORD. Its relationship to verses 18 shows what work it does in this passage.
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon…” Naming Joshua and Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Numbers 27:17-23
King James Version17Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.
18And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him;
19And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.
20And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.
21And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD : 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.
22And Moses did as the LORD commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:
23And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Numbers 27:1 begins with “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…”
Where the chapter turns
Numbers 27:4 forms a natural hinge: “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…”
The final note
Numbers 27:23 leaves the reader with “And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, congregation, Moses, brethren, inheritance, children help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What makes the deception more than a harmless family trick?
Jacob exploits his father's blindness, impersonates his brother and invokes God while lying.
What does the family lose?
Trust, safety and proximity: Jacob must flee, and Esau carries murderous resentment.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.