Inheritance and Transition
The older generation might have perished, but many aspects of its legacy would still need to be addressed before the Israelites were ready to enter the land of Canaan.
The Book of Numbers was aptly named bemidbar in Hebrew, for it bore witness to Israel’s experiences “in the wilderness.” Numbers 1:1-25:11 bore witness to the experience of the generation which YHWH delivered from Egypt: preparation of the camp and Tabernacle for entry into Canaan, persistence in rebellion, its condemnation, and the fulfillment of that condemnation.
A new census had been taken in Numbers 26:1-65: overall, the number of Israelites remained mostly constant despite all the consequences of Israel’s various rebellions, and, save for Moses, Caleb, and Joshua, all those from the generation YHWH delivered from Egypt had died. The next generation had arisen, and much of Numbers 27:1-36:13 would feature their preparation to enter the land of Canaan.
YHWH had delivered legislation to Moses as a consequence of the census involving inheritance rights in Numbers 36:53-56. The events of Numbers 27:1-11, 36:1-12 take place as a consequence of this legislation and the predicament of the daughters of Zelophehad.
Zelophehad was the son of Hepher the son of Gilead, a descendant of Manasseh and Joseph (Numbers 27:1). He and his daughters Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah were first introduced as part of the census of Manasseh in Numbers 26:33, anticipating the events about to be described. Zelophehad’s daughters approached Moses, Eleazar ben Aaron the high priest, and the leaders of the assembly of Israel at the entrance to the tent of meeting, and made their appeal: their father Zelophehad had died in the wilderness, not as part of the rebellion of Korah, but for his own sin; they asked why his name should be lost among his family because he had no sons, and asked to be given a possession of the inherited lands around their relatives (Numbers 27:2-4).
Moses brought the case of the daughters of Zelophehad before YHWH, and YHWH validated their claim and commanded Moses to give them an inheritance among their father’s relatives which would belong to them (Numbers 27:6-7). YHWH then issued appropriate overall legislation in light of this case law regarding how inheritances should be handled: if a man dies without a son, his daughter inherits the estate; if he has no son or daughter, it should be given to his brothers; if he has no children or brothers, it should be given to his uncles; and if he has no children, brothers, or uncles, it should be given to the nearest relative to possess (Numbers 27:8-11).
The daughters of Zelophehad deserve commendation for their intentions, integrity, and witness. They proved willing to stand before the authorities on their own and to make their petition. They perceived the prospect of injustice done to their father’s legacy and perhaps peril for themselves in their present predicament. They were well vindicated by God: they were declared in the right and they were given a portion of an inheritance with the fellow members of the Hepherite clan of Gilead in Manasseh, and would eventually take their place among their relatives in the “western” portion of Manasseh west of the Jordan River (cf. Joshua 17:1-4).
At some point after this conversation and determination, the family heads of the Gileadites would approach Moses and the other leaders of Israel regarding this decision (Numbers 36:1). They recognized, and had no intention of challenging, how the daughters of Zelophehad were granted a portion of land among the Hepherites (Numbers 36:2). But they were concerned about what would happen to that land if the daughters of Zelophehad were to marry men from another tribe of Israel (Numbers 36:3-4).
Moses, by the word of YHWH, determined the leaders of the Gileadites were also in the right (Numbers 36:5). YHWH thus encouraged the daughters of Zelophehad to marry whomever they desired, but within their family’s tribe (Numbers 36:6). Moses then appropriately explained and expanded the scope of this case law: Israel should not allow their land inheritances to transfer from tribe to tribe, and so daughters who held possession of inheritances should marry within their tribe (Numbers 26:7-9). The daughters of Zelophehad would duly marry the sons of their uncles (thus, their cousins), and their land holdings would therefore remain within their same clan and tribe (Numbers 26:10-12).
We should not understand the latter episode as any kind of rebuke of what took place beforehand. Instead, we can perceive from this situation exactly how case law would be worked out in Israel. Inheritances were generally patrilineal, handed over from father to son. But what would happen if a man had no sons? The daughters of Zelophehad forced the question, and YHWH made provision for them to inherit in the midst of their father’s family. Well and good; the daughters of Zelophehad would inherit land. But what would happen to it if they married Israelites from other tribes? The Gileadite leaders forced that question, and YHWH through Moses further amended the inheritance law so that the land would remain in possession of the same tribe. The whole situation presumes living in the land and having land inheritances; we can imagine later Israelites would make appeal back to the situation of the daughters of Zelophehad when dealing with any similar inheritance situations which would have arisen, and such likely explains why the plight of the daughters of Zelophehad, and the later amendment to keep the land within the same tribe, were set forth.
At some point after originally addressing the plight of the daughters of Zelophehad, YHWH commanded Moses to go up on a mountain in the Abarim to see the land YHWH would give to the Israelites, and then afterward Moses would be gathered to his ancestors like his brother Aaron; this would take place on account of how Moses rebelled against YHWH’s command in the Wilderness of Zin and did not show YHWH as holy before Israel (Numbers 27:12-14; cf. Numbers 20:2-13).
Moses did not argue with YHWH, but he did encourage YHWH to appoint a man over the community of Israel to lead them, lest Israel become like sheep without a shepherd (Numbers 27:15-17). YHWH told Moses to take Joshua ben Nun, a man in whom was spirit/the Spirit, and lay his hands upon him, and to set him before Eleazar ben Aaron the high priest and the whole community, and thus commission him (Numbers 27:18-19). YHWH further commanded Moses to give Joshua some of his glory/honor, which we do well to understand as delegating some of his authority to Joshua, so the Israelites might obey him (Numbers 27:20). YHWH foresaw Joshua standing before Eleazar in the future to seek YHWH’s counsel by means of the Urim, commanding Israel appropriately, and they would follow his commands (Numbers 27:21). Moses would then do as YHWH commanded: he took Joshua, set him before Eleazar and the community, and laid hands on him and commissioned him to lead Israel after him (Numbers 27:22-23).
Whereas it would seem Moses immediately fulfilled the command to appoint Joshua as leader of Israel after him, he would not climb Mount Nebo, gaze upon the land of Canaan, and perish until Deuteronomy 34:1-7. We therefore best understand Numbers 27:12-14 as anticipating Moses’ eventual demise. It was likely brought up here as another result of the new census: everyone else from the generation YHWH delivered from Egypt who was going to perish before entering the land had perished except for Moses. The narrative in Numbers 27:12-23 has many points of connection with Aaron’s demise and the transfer of the high priesthood to his son Eleazar in Numbers 20:22-28, and for understandable reasons: both lay out the satisfaction of the consequences for the rebellion of Aaron and Moses and the provision which YHWH made for Israel afterward.
YHWH had specifically called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into the land of Canaan (cf. Exodus 3:1-4:31). Moses would not be able to entirely fulfill his commission on account of his transgression but wanted to give confidence the commission would be fulfilled by another. Joshua ben Nun had already been the servant of Moses and would have been recognized as charismatic and a prospective leader for Israel (cf. Numbers 11:28, 27:18). But Joshua was not Moses, and would never be Moses. Only some of Moses’ glory/honor, thus authority, would come upon Joshua. Joshua would not speak with YHWH face to face like Moses had (cf. Numbers 12:8). Instead, Joshua would come before Eleazar the high priest for consultation. Eleazar, in turn, would consult YHWH via Urim: Urim, along with Thummim, were stones set in the “breastplate of decision,” and ostensibly Eleazar understood how to perceive YHWH’s determinations by means of Urim (Numbers 27:21; cf. Exodus 28:30).
These episodes regarding inheritance and transition in Numbers 27:1-23, 36:1-12 typify the whole situation of Israel in Numbers 26:1-36:13, and even through Deuteronomy and the beginning of the Book of Joshua. The generation YHWH delivered from Egyptian slavery had all perished save Caleb, Joshua, and Moses. The new generation looked forward to obtaining the fulfillment of all YHWH had promised. The transition was taking place, but was by no means complete. Aspects of the legacy of the former generation still required addressing, since some matters had not yet been resolved. The newer generation would need preparation and instruction before they could cross over. Zelophehad had appropriately died, but there was no reason his daughters should be cursed because he had no children; provision was made for his daughters to inherit his share of the promise. Moses would soon die, but Israel would continue to enjoy strong leadership under Joshua ben Nun. The past was being addressed; the future was being prepared. In many ways, we all live in this kind of space: addressing aspects of the legacy of those who have come before us, and seeking to prepare the way for those who will endure after us. May we therefore faithfully serve God in Christ through the Spirit and obtain the resurrection of life in Him!
Ethan R. Longhenry
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