Numbers Chapter 27
Showing all 23 verses for Numbers Chapter 27.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"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 Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. "
"Then the daughters of Zelophehad came forward. Zelophehad was the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh - from the tribe of Manasseh, one of Joseph's descendants. His daughters' names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah."
The daughters of Zelophehad are named individually and come forward together, showing courage and unity as they step into a moment no woman before them had approached in quite this way. Jesus welcomes such boldness from those the culture around them might expect to stay silent.
"And 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, "
"The five sisters stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the tribal leaders, and the whole community, at the entrance of the tent of meeting."
The women stand before Moses, Eleazar, the princes and the whole congregation at the door of the tabernacle, bringing their case directly to the highest and most public place of decision. Jesus welcomes anyone, however overlooked by convention, to bring their concerns openly and confidently before Him.
"Our 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. "
"They said, 'Our father died in the wilderness. He wasn't part of Korah's group that rebelled against the LORD - he simply died for his own reasons, and he had no sons.'"
The daughters carefully explain that their father died for his own sin, not as part of Korah's rebellion, showing they wanted their request judged fairly on its own merits rather than tainted by someone else's wrongdoing. Jesus judges each person and each situation individually, never lumping the innocent in with the guilty.
"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 father. "
"They asked, 'Why should our father's name disappear from his family just because he had no son? Give us property among our father's relatives.'"
The daughters ask why their father's name should disappear simply because he had no son, requesting a possession so his memory and inheritance could continue through them. Jesus cares about names and legacies being preserved fairly, not lost through a rigid technicality that overlooks real love and loss.
"And Moses brought their cause before the LORD. "
"Moses brought their case before the LORD."
Moses does not decide on his own but brings their case directly before the Lord, modelling humility in admitting he does not have every answer and needs to seek God first. Jesus values leaders who bring hard questions to God rather than assuming their own judgement is enough.
"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, "
"The LORD spoke to Moses."
God speaks directly to Moses in response to this request, showing that He takes personal, unresolved family matters seriously enough to address them Himself. Jesus is never too occupied with grand matters to attend to the specific, personal concerns you bring to Him.
"The 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. "
"The LORD said, 'The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You must certainly give them a piece of land to inherit among their father's relatives - transfer their father's inheritance to them.'"
God declares plainly that the daughters speak right, affirming their request and instructing that they receive their father's inheritance, a striking vindication of their courage to ask. Jesus consistently affirms those who ask boldly and rightly for justice, even when custom had never granted it before.
"And 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. "
"Tell the Israelites: if a man dies without a son, his inheritance is to pass to his daughter."
God establishes a new general rule that a daughter shall inherit when there is no son, turning this one family's request into a lasting principle of justice for all Israel. Jesus often takes one person's faithful request and turns it into a blessing that reaches far beyond them.
"And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren. "
"And if he has no daughter either, his inheritance is to go to his brothers."
The law continues by providing for brothers to inherit if there is no daughter, showing God's careful thought for every possible family situation so that no family line is simply left without provision. Jesus thinks through every circumstance of your life with the same detailed care, leaving nothing to chance.
"And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father’s brethren. "
"And if he has no brothers, his inheritance is to go to his father's brothers."
If there are no brothers, the inheritance passes to the father's brothers, showing the law extending outward through the family to ensure someone always receives the portion rather than it being lost. Jesus ensures that His provision always finds its way to someone who needs it, even through unexpected paths.
"And 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. "
"And if his father had no brothers, his inheritance is to go to the nearest relative in his family, who is to take possession of it. This is to be a legal rule for the Israelites, just as the LORD commanded Moses."
The law finally extends to the nearest kinsman as a statute of judgement, ensuring that every family's inheritance is settled fairly by a clear and lasting rule rather than left to guesswork or favouritism. Jesus is the ultimate source of clear, fair judgement, settling what human custom alone could not resolve.
"And 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. "
"The LORD said to Moses, 'Go up onto this mountain, the Abarim range, and look at the land I have given to the Israelites.'"
God tells Moses to go up Mount Abarim and see the land he would not enter, granting him the chance to view the promise even though he would not personally cross into it. Jesus allows you to glimpse the fullness of what He has promised, even in seasons when you cannot yet fully enter into it.
"And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. "
"'After you have seen it, you too will die, just as your brother Aaron did.'"
Moses is told he will be gathered to his people as Aaron was, a gentle way of describing death that speaks of reunion rather than mere ending. Jesus transforms death itself into a gathering to one's people, a homecoming rather than a final loss.
"For 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. "
"'This is because both of you rebelled against my instruction in the wilderness of Zin, during the people's dispute, when you failed to honour me properly in front of them at the water - that is, the water of Meribah in Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin.'"
God reminds Moses that this is the consequence of his earlier failure to honour Him at the waters of Meribah, showing that even a lifetime of faithful leadership does not erase the real weight of a specific moment of disobedience. Jesus takes sin seriously even in the lives of His most faithful servants, while still offering them full grace and honour.
"And Moses spake unto the LORD, saying, "
"Moses replied to the LORD."
Moses responds to this hard news not with bitterness but by immediately speaking to the Lord about what comes next for the people he loves, showing remarkable selflessness in his final days. Jesus commends this kind of others-focused faith, thinking of those you serve even in your own hardest moments.
"Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, "
"Moses said, 'Let the LORD, the God who gives life to every living thing, appoint someone to lead this community.'"
Moses asks God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, to appoint a leader over the congregation, entrusting the choice entirely to the One who truly knows every heart. Jesus alone truly knows every person's heart and is fully trustworthy to guide decisions about who should lead.
"Which 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. "
"'Someone who can go out ahead of them and come in ahead of them, who can lead them out and bring them back, so that the LORD's community isn't left like sheep without a shepherd.'"
Moses asks for a leader who will go out and come in before the people so they are not left like sheep without a shepherd, showing his deep concern for the people's wellbeing even as his own leadership ends. Jesus is Himself the Good Shepherd who never leaves His people without guidance and care.
"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 him; "
"The LORD said to Moses, 'Take Joshua, son of Nun, a man who has the right spirit in him, and place your hand on him.'"
God tells Moses to take Joshua, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay his hand upon him, choosing someone already marked by God's presence rather than simply the most obvious candidate. Jesus looks for the presence of His Spirit within a person as the true qualification for leadership, above outward credentials.
"And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. "
"'Present him before Eleazar the priest and the whole community, and commission him for the role in front of everyone.'"
Joshua is set before Eleazar and the whole congregation and given his charge publicly, showing that leadership transitions matter enough to be marked openly and clearly before everyone. Jesus values transparency in how responsibility and authority are passed on within His people.
"And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. "
"'Give him some of your authority, so that the whole community of Israel will follow him.'"
Moses is told to put some of his own honour upon Joshua so that the people would be ready to obey him, a generous transfer of authority rather than a jealous guarding of status. Jesus models this same generosity, sharing His authority freely with those He calls to serve after Him.
"And 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. "
"'He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek guidance for him using the Urim before the LORD. At his word the people will go out, and at his word they will come in - Joshua, and the whole community of Israel with him.'"
Joshua would not lead entirely on his own initiative but would seek counsel through Eleazar and the judgement of Urim before the Lord, showing that even a strong, Spirit-filled leader depends on ongoing guidance rather than relying purely on himself. Jesus calls every leader, however gifted, to remain dependent on God rather than self-sufficient.
"And Moses did as the LORD commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation: "
"Moses did exactly as the LORD had commanded. He took Joshua and presented him before Eleazar the priest and the whole community."
Moses does exactly as the Lord commanded, following through fully on a difficult and personally poignant instruction to hand leadership to another man. Jesus honours obedience that follows through completely, even when a command touches something deeply personal.
"And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses. "
"He placed his hands on Joshua and commissioned him, just as the LORD had instructed through Moses."
Moses lays his hands on Joshua and commissions him publicly, completing his final major act of leadership by empowering someone else to carry the mission forward. Jesus, too, commissioned His followers before His own departure, entrusting them with the work that would continue after Him.