Numbers 36
(1) Should Marriage Transfer Property Between Tribes?
Joseph’s son Manasseh had a son named Machir who had a son named Gilead. The leaders of Gilead’s descendants brought something up to Moses and the leaders of the tribes. They said,
“The Existing One told you to give the land to Israel’s descendants as an inheritance. Zelophehad was our brother, but when he died, the Existing One told you to give his inheritance to his daughters. If they marry an Israelite from one of the other tribes, then their inheritance will leave our tribe and transfer to the other tribe! And when Israel’s jubilee year comes, their property will be counted as the property of their new tribe! That means their property will end up being transferred out of the tribe they were born into, which is the tribe that was supposed to inherit that property.”
(5) Each Tribe Should Keep its Property
So Moses told Israel the Existing One’s instructions, saying,
“Here’s what the Existing One said about Zelophehad’s daughters:
‘They can marry whoever they want—as long as it’s someone from their own tribe. That way, none of Israel’s land will be transferred from one tribe to another. Each of Israel’s tribes will be able to keep the land they inherit from their forefathers.
‘That applies to all women who become property owners: they need to marry someone from within their tribe so each tribe can keep the property given to their forefather. That will prevent properties from being transferred between tribes, because the tribes are intended to keep their own properties.’”
(10) Zelophehad’s Daughters Obey
Zelophehad’s daughters followed the guidelines the Existing One gave to Moses. Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah all married men within their tribes. They married cousins from other families within their tribe of Manasseh (Joseph’s son). As a result, their property stayed within the tribe they were born into.
(13) God’s Instructions Concluded
This concludes the instructions and orders the Existing One gave Israel through Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan River across from Jericho. [These instructions started in Numbers 35.]
