4. Mooseksen kirjaLuku 27

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Then the daughters of Zelophehad came forward—Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. These were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

They stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and the whole assembly at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and said:

"Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company that banded together against the LORD with Korah; he died for his own sin, and he had no sons.

Why should our father's name disappear from his clan just because he had no son? Give us a holding among our father's brothers."

So Moses brought their case before the LORD,

and the LORD said to Moses:

"The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You shall certainly give them a holding as their inheritance among their father's brothers, and transfer their father's inheritance to them.

And say to the Israelites: If a man dies and has no son, you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter.

If he has no daughter, you shall give his inheritance to his brothers.

If he has no brothers, you shall give his inheritance to his father's brothers.

And if his father had no brothers, you shall give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, and that man shall take possession of it. This shall be a binding statute for the Israelites, as the LORD commanded Moses."

The LORD said to Moses, "Go up this mountain of the Abarim range and look at the land I have given to the Israelites.

When you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was gathered,

because you rebelled against my command in the Wilderness of Zin, when the assembly quarreled and you failed to uphold my holiness before their eyes at the waters." These are the waters of Meribah at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.

Moses said to the LORD,

May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the assembly,

one who will go out and come in before them, who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the LORD's assembly will not be like sheep without a shepherd."

The LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom there is spirit, and lay your hand on him.

Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly, and commission him in their sight.

Give him some of your authority, so that the whole community of Israel will obey him.

He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek guidance for him from the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out and at his word they shall come in—he and all the Israelites with him, the entire assembly."

Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly.

He laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD had spoken through Moses.

Haku

Yhteenveto2

Luku 27

Main Theme: Inheritance rights for daughters and the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua.

Content: The daughters of Zelophehad claim inheritance rights because their father died without sons, and God upholds their case—this becomes a lasting inheritance law for Israel. God tells Moses that he will see the Promised Land from the mountain but not enter it due to the rebellion at Meribah. At Moses' request, God appoints Joshua as the new leader, and Moses transfers authority to him through the laying on of hands before the people.

Key Words/Images:

Daughters of Zelophehad: Five women who courageously step forward and establish inheritance rights for daughters in Israel.
Mount Abarim: The place where Moses is to see the land he will not enter, as a consequence of disobedience.
Laying on of hands: A ritual act by which Moses transfers authority and leadership to Joshua.
Urim: The means that the priest Eleazar is to use to seek God's will on behalf of Joshua and the people.

Historiallinen konteksti

Historical and Cultural Context for Numbers 27

People

The Daughters of Zelophehad – Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah – represent a rare case in the Old Testament where women are named and act as legal agents. Their father Zelophehad belonged to the tribe of Manasseh through the lineage Manasseh-Machir-Gilead-Hepher. That he "died for his own sin" (v. 3) without having participated in Korah’s rebellion suggests that he died as part of the wilderness generation condemned not to enter the land. The daughters’ bold action before the entire assembly was unusual in a culture where women rarely spoke in public gatherings.

Joshua, son of Nun is formally introduced here as Moses’ successor. He had already served as Moses’ assistant and military leader (Exodus 17; Numbers 11:28) and was one of the two spies who gave a positive report (Numbers 13–14). The description of him as "a man in whom is the Spirit" (v. 18) points to his spiritual equipage for the leadership role.

Places

Mount Abarim (הַר הָעֲבָרִים) was a mountain range east of the Jordan, where Mount Nebo was the highest point with a view over the Promised Land. The name means "mountains on the other side" or "crossings," from the perspective of Canaan. From there Moses could see the land he was not allowed to enter. Archaeological investigations have identified this area in present-day Jordan, overlooking the plain of Jericho and the Jordan Valley.

Events and Customs

Inheritance rights in the ancient Near East normally followed male lines. The case of Zelophehad’s daughters was groundbreaking because it challenged this norm. Interestingly, parallels exist in Mesopotamian legal texts from Nuzi (ca. 1500–1400 BC), where daughters could inherit under certain circumstances when there were no sons. God’s decision in this case established a legal precedent that was recorded as permanent law in Israel.

Laying on of hands (סָמַךְ, samakh) at the installation of Joshua was a ritual act that transferred authority and blessing. This custom became foundational for later ordination rituals in Jewish tradition (semikha) and has parallels in the ancient Near East where kings and officials were formally installed through physical actions symbolizing the transfer of power.

Key Terms

"Urim" (הָאוּרִים) is mentioned in verse 21 as a means to seek God’s will. These were likely sacred objects (often mentioned together with Thummim) that the high priest carried in the breastpiece, used to receive divine guidance in important decisions. The exact method of use is unknown, but it represented an oracular system intended to compensate for the fact that Joshua, unlike Moses, did not speak with God "face to face."

"Your dignity/glory" (מֵהוֹדְךָ, mehod'kha) in verse 20 describes the transfer of Moses’ authority to Joshua. The Hebrew word hod means majesty or glory and suggests that Joshua received part of, but not all of, Moses’ unique position. Rabbinic tradition commented that Moses’ face was like the sun, while Joshua’s was like the moon.

Henkilöt16

Joshua2 Eleazar4 Noah1 Milcah (Daughter of Zelophehad)1 Mahlah1 Tirzah1 Aaron1 Gilead1 Nun (Joshua's father)1 Machir1 Joseph1 Hoglah1 Zelophehad1 Moses7 Epher1 Manasse (Joseph's son)1

Kaikki: henkilöt →

Avainsanat7

Moses — A prophet and leader of the people of Israel, who received the law from God and led them out of Egypt.
Inheritance — The transfer of property, rights, or position from one person to another, often after death.
Daughters — Female children of a person; in this context, the daughters of Zelophehad who sought inheritance rights.
Law — A rule or principle given by God to Moses that governs the behavior and faith of the people of Israel.
Priest — A religious leader who performs ceremonies and sacrifices according to God's law.
Joshua — An important figure in Israel's history, Moses' successor as leader of the people of Israel who led them into the promised land.
Hands — Symbolize the transfer of authority, power, or blessing from one person to another through physical contact.