God’s Word Translation
Numbers 36:1
1The heads of the households whose families were descended from Gilead, son of Machir and grandson of Manasseh, (families of Joseph’s descendants) came and spoke to Moses and the leaders of the other Israelite households.
Numbers 36:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spake before Moses, and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel:
- New International Version (NIV)The family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, who were from the clans of the descendants of Joseph, came and spoke before Moses and the leaders, the heads of the Israelite families.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The heads of the fathers' houses of the clan of the people of Gilead the son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of the people of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the chiefs, the heads of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the leaders, the chief fathers of the children of Israel.
Context of Numbers 36:1
The heads of the households whose families were descended from Gilead, son of Machir and grandson of Manasseh, (families of Joseph’s descendants) came and spoke to Moses and the leaders of the other Israelite households. 2They said, “Sir, the Lord commanded you to give the Israelites their land by drawing lots. The Lord also commanded you to give the land of our relative Zelophehad to his daughters. 3Suppose they marry men from the other tribes of Israel. Their land will be taken away from that of our ancestors and added to the land of the tribe they marry into. Then we will have lost part of our land.
Read all of Numbers 36Numbers 36:1 word by word
וַֽיִּקְרְב֞וּ רָאשֵׁ֣י הָֽאָב֗וֹת לְמִשְׁפַּ֤חַת בְּנֵֽי־גִלְעָד֙ בֶּן־מָכִ֣יר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁ֔ה מִֽמִּשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת בְּנֵ֣י יוֹסֵ֑ף וַֽיְדַבְּר֞וּ לִפְנֵ֤י מֹשֶׁה֙ וְלִפְנֵ֣י הַנְּשִׂאִ֔ים רָאשֵׁ֥י אָב֖וֹת לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the chiefרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
- fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
- of the familiesמִשְׁפָּחָהmishpâchâh · familyH4940
- of the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Gileadגִּלְעָדgil‛âd · GileadH1568
- the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Machirמָכִירmâkîyr · MachirH4353
- of Manassehמְנַשֶּׁהmenashsheh · ManassehH4519
- of Josephיוֹסֵףyôsêph · JosephH3130
- came nearקָרַבqârab · to present: comeH7126
- and spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- the princesנָשִׂיאnâώîy' nâώi' · leaderH5387
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
Cross-references for Numbers 36:1
- Numbers 26:29(from Manasseh) the family of Machir (Machir was the father of Gilead) and the family of Gilead.
- Numbers 27:1The daughters of Zelophehad, son of Hepher, grandson of Gilead, descendant of Machir, whose father was Manasseh, belonged to the families of Manasseh, son of Joseph. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They came
- Joshua 17:2The land was given to the rest of the families descended from Manasseh, to the descendants of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These were the male descendants of Joseph’s son Manasseh listed by their families.
- 1 Chronicles 7:14Manasseh’s sons were Asriel and Machir. Their mother was Manasseh’s Aramean concubine. Machir was the first to settle Gilead.
Commentaries on Numbers 36:1
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-13Verses 1-13 The daughters of Zelophehad had obtained an ordinance Numbers 28:6-11 which permitted the daughters of an Israelite dying without male issue to inherit their father‘s property. The chiefs of the Machirites, of whom Zelophehad had been one, now obtain a supplemental enactment, directing that heiresses should marry within their own tribe. Numbers 36:4 Be taken away - i. e. be permanently taken away. The jubilee year, by not restoring the estate…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The inheritance of the daughters of Zelophehad. (1-4) The daughters of Zelophehad are to marry in their own tribe. (5-12) Conclusion. (13) Verses 1-4 The heads of the tribe of Manasseh represent the evil which might follow, if the daughters of Zelophehad should marry into any other tribes. They sought to preserve the Divine appointment of inheritances, and that contests and quarrels should not rise among those who should come afterwards. It is the wisdom…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-4Women who inherited land might marry men from another tribe. Their land would then be lost by their ancestral tribe and transferred to their husband’s tribe. The "Year of Jubilee" usually allowed land to return to its original owner (Leviticus 25:8–55). But it only applied to land sold, not land gained through marriage.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-131. the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead--Being the tribal governors in Manasseh, they consulted Moses on a case that affected the public honor and interests of their tribe. It related once more to the daughters of Zelophehad. Formerly they had applied, at their own instance, to be recognized, for want of male heirs in their family, as entitled to inherit their father's property [Nu 27:1-11]; now the application was made on behalf of…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 36:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 36
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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