Episode 67: The daughters of Zelophehad

(Numbers 26-30)

Another census

26 ¹ After the plague, God said to Moses and Eleazar,

^2-4 Count the male Israelites who are twenty years old and older, who are able to go to war, and who left the land of Egypt.

⁵¹ The grand total found in the census was 601,730.

The daughters of Zelophehad

27 ¹ Zelophehad's five daughters (Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah), stood in front of Moses, Eleazar, and the princes of the congregation, and said,

Our father died, but he had no sons.

⁴ Why should his name die because he didn't have any sons?

⁵ Moses brought their case to God. ⁶ God said to Moses,

⁷ The daughters of Zelophehad are right.

Give them an inheritance from their father.

⁸ Say to the Israelites,

If a man dies and has no son, his inheritance shall pass to his daughter.

Joshua replaces Moses as leader of the Israelites

¹² God said to Moses,

Climb mount Abarim and see the land I have given to the Israelites.

¹³ When you see it, you’ll die, like Aaron died.

¹⁴ Because you rebelled against my commandment at the water of Meribah.

¹⁵ Moses said to God,

Let the God of the spirits of all flesh select a man to lead the congregation.

¹⁸ God said to Moses,

Make Joshua the leader of the Israelites.

^22-23 And Moses did as God commanded, making Joshua the leader of the Israelites.

Chapter 28

Animal sacrifices (daily, sabbath, monthly, Passover, and first fruits)

Chapter 29

More animal sacrifices (on trumpet-blowing and holy convocation days)

Vows for men

30 ¹ Moses spoke to heads of the Israelite tribes, saying,

This is the thing God commands:

² If a man vows a vow to God, he must keep it.

Vows for women

^3-4 If an unmarried woman vows a vow to God, and her father hears her vow and does not object, then she must keep it. But if her father disapproves of her vow, her vow is invalid.

^6-7 If a married woman vows a vow to God, and her husband hears her vow and does not object, then she must keep it.

⁸ But if her husband disapproves of her vow, her vow is invalid.

¹³ Every oath that a wife takes requires her husband's approval.