God’s Word Translation
Numbers 36:6
6This is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad’s daughters: They may marry anyone they want to, but only within a family of their ancestor’s tribe.
Numbers 36:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)This is the thing which the Lord doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry to whom they think best; only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry.
- New International Version (NIV)This is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad’s daughters: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within their father’s tribal clan.
- English Standard Version (ESV)This is what the Lord commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: 'Let them marry whom they think best, only they shall marry within the clan of the tribe of their father.
- New King James Version (NKJV)This is what the Lord commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, ‘Let them marry whom they think best, but they may marry only within the family of their father’s tribe.’
Context of Numbers 36:6
4When the Israelites’ jubilee year comes, their land will be added to that of the tribe they married into. Then part of the land of our ancestors’ tribe will be gone.” 5So Moses gave the Israelites a command from the Lord. “The tribe of Joseph’s descendants is right. This is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad’s daughters: They may marry anyone they want to, but only within a family of their ancestor’s tribe. 7In this way no land of the Israelites will pass from one tribe to another. Every Israelite must keep the tribal land inherited from his ancestors. 8A woman who inherits land in any of the tribes of Israel may marry a man from any family in her ancestor’s tribe. In this way every Israelite keeps the land inherited from his ancestors.
Read all of Numbers 36Numbers 36:6 word by word
זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֞ר אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֣ה יְהוָ֗ה לִבְנ֤וֹת צְלָפְחָד֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לַטּ֥וֹב בְּעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם תִּהְיֶ֣ינָה לְנָשִׁ֑ים אַ֗ךְ לְמִשְׁפַּ֛חַת מַטֵּ֥ה אֲבִיהֶ֖ם תִּהְיֶ֥ינָה לְנָשִֽׁים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- the thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
- which the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- doth commandצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
- concerning the daughtersבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- of Zelophehadצְלׇפְחָדtselophchâd · ZelophehadH6765
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Let them marryאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- to whom they thinkעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
- bestטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- only to the familyמִשְׁפָּחָהmishpâchâh · familyH4940
- of the tribeמַטֶּהmaţţeh maţţâh · tribeH4294
- of their fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
Cross-references for Numbers 36:6
- Numbers 36:12They married within the families of the descendants of Manasseh, son of Joseph. So their land stayed in the tribe of their father’s family.
- Genesis 24:3I want you to swear by the Lord God of heaven and earth that you will not get my son a wife from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I’m living.
- 2 Corinthians 6:14Stop forming inappropriate relationships with unbelievers. Can right and wrong be partners? Can light have anything in common with darkness?
Commentaries on Numbers 36:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Let them marry to whom they think best - Here was latitude sufficient, and yet a salutary and reasonable restraint, which prevented a vexatious mixture of property and possession.Read the comment
- 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. 5-12Verses 5-12 Those who consult the oracles of God, concerning the making of their heavenly inheritance sure, shall not only be directed what to do, but their inquiries shall be graciously accepted. God would not have one tribe enriched at the expense of another. Each tribe was to keep to its own inheritance. The daughters of Zelophehad submitted to this appointment. How could they fail to marry well, when God himself directed them? Let the people of God…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6-9These rules solved the problem. They ensured that each tribe would keep its land. In this way, the land given to each tribe would remain stable and continue within that tribe for future generations.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-125-12. Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the Lord--The plea appeared just and reasonable; and, accordingly an enactment was made by which the daughters of Zelophehad, while left to the free choice of their husbands, were restricted to marry not only within their own tribe, but within the family of their father's tribe--that is, one of their cousins. This restriction, however, was imposed only on those who were heiresses. The…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 36:6
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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