“And Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying, The tribe of the sons of Joseph hath said well.”
This verse is part of a passage that addresses the issue of inheritance and the preservation of tribal land within the Israelite community. To fully understand the significance of Numbers 36:5, let’s examine the context surrounding it.
In the book of Numbers, the Israelites had completed their forty years of wandering in the wilderness and were preparing to enter the Promised Land. The tribes of Israel were allotted specific portions of land as their inheritance. However, a concern arose regarding the inheritance rights of women who were part of a particular family.
In Numbers 27:1-11, the daughters of Zelophehad approached Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the congregation, requesting that they receive an inheritance since their father had died without leaving any sons. Moses brought their case before the Lord, and God affirmed that the daughters of Zelophehad were entitled to inherit their father’s portion of land.
Now, in Numbers 36, the heads of the families of the Gileadites, from the tribe of Manasseh, raised another concern. They were worried that if the daughters of Zelophehad married men from another tribe, their land inheritance would be transferred to the tribe of their husbands, thus altering the tribal distribution of land.
In response to this concern, Moses received a commandment from the Lord, and he relayed it to the children of Israel, as recorded in Numbers 36:5. The verse states that Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the Lord, acknowledging that the tribe of the sons of Joseph (which included the daughters of Zelophehad) had spoken well. This means that their concern was valid, and appropriate measures needed to be taken to preserve the tribal land inheritance.
The commandment that follows in Numbers 36:6-9 establishes a regulation stating that women who inherited land must marry within their own tribe so that the land would remain within the tribe of their fathers. This regulation aimed to maintain the integrity and stability of tribal land ownership and prevent any alterations to the original allocation of inheritances.
Numbers 36:5 highlights the importance of adhering to God’s commandments and recognizing the validity of concerns raised by the people. Moses acted as the mediator, ensuring that the tribes of Israel honored the divine regulation to maintain the integrity of their land inheritance.
In summary, Numbers 36:5 is part of a passage that addresses the preservation of tribal land inheritance. It emphasizes the role of Moses as a leader and mediator, as he conveyed God’s commandment to the Israelites and affirmed the validity of the concerns raised by the tribe of the sons of Joseph.
