Numbers Chapter 36 Discussion

This the last chapter in Numbers speaks again of the daughters of Zelphehad. The leaders of their tribe came to Moses to see if the Lord deemed it best for these daughters to marry within their tribe so that the inheritance will not pass to another tribe through marriage. When they marry, their husband will be the inheritor of their inheritance. The concern was by such intermarriage with other tribes the tribal land allotment of some tribes could be much increased or decreased depending on how much cross tribal marriage there was. Also, it seems that within one tribes alottment, the inheritance of a woman without brothers would go to her husband and thus resulting in another tribe inheriting this land within the wife's tribe. This intermarrying would certainly blur the lines of the tribal allotment.

This came up as a suggestion from the tribe of Manasseh rather than God telling Moses to speak about this possible situation. But when Moses spoke this out as new commandment, it says in verse 5 that it was the command of the Lord. If so, then God wanted the tribes to remain genetically separate from one another. There would be specific tribal physical characteristics passed on within tribes distinguishing one tribal ancestry.

I can understand the concerns of the tribe of Manasseh (specifically the family of Gideon) of how intermarriage would alter the allotments of land that were decided by lots (by the change that God chose). I am not sure how long this commandment was followed after the tribes settled but perhaps the story of Ruth is an example of this with Boaz being a kinsmen redeemer from the tribe of Naomi and thus able to redeem the inheritance of Naomi's sons through Ruth's marriage to Boaz.

I believe that this commandment concerning marriage was important for the time of the settling of the land of Canaan, but I don't think it is necessarily a ban on intermarriage of people from different cultures or races. It does shadow the recommendation of Paul.

First cousins then were not the same as today. It does not say they HAD to marry their brothers sons but that they did marry them. Moses only said that God had told him to keep their marriages in the tribe.

It's very simple. Follow and obey God.

Most societies are patriarchical. In Israel tribal reckoning is through the male line. If a man has no male heir the inheritance passes to the daughter. If she marries into another tribe the inheritance passes to the tribe into which she marries. If this process continues one tribe can lose property to other tribes and will eventually become weak and impoverished and due to other factors might lose its identity. Also though the language suggests that the girls married their first cousins on their father's side the following verse clarifies that the girls were married within the tribe. Even a distant cousin is called a 'brother'.

This was an interesting book showing how God kept His people safe and regulated! And shows where society gets some of their moral practices from!

iv never see a she goat marrying a he dog cos there of nor same kind of animal,if it happens,who will the baby look like?,since it does not share the face of dog or goat,he or she can not enjoy the inheritance of either parents.so also the daughter of God,if u marry outside or fathers family[christians],u cant enjoy the inheritance of your father.

I guess for the sake of the inheritance. The fathers daughters had to marry his brothers son's which would be first cousins. If the other families that came to the city to were of the same nationality. Why would it not of been o.k to marry them. instead of family?

women are recognized by God as God wants us to be in not want but among the blessings of Abraham, because we are Abraam 's seed.