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Thursday, August 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

English Standard Version

Numbers 27:4

Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father's brothers."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Daughter;   Israel;   Land;   Legislation;   Mahlah;   Milcah;   Noah;   Orphan;   Petition;   Property;   Tirzah;   Women;   Zelophehad;   Thompson Chain Reference - Woman;   Women;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Children;   Desert, Journey of Israel through the;   Fatherless;   Manasseh, the Tribe of;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Children;   Zelophehad;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Inheritance;   Name;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Woman;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Mahlah;   Zelophehad;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Mahlah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ancestors;   Inheritance;   Mahlah;   Milcah;   Noah;   Zelophehad;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Inheritance;   Marriage;   Numbers, Book of;   Zelophehad;   Zin;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Zelophehad ;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Mah'lah;   Zelo'phehad;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;   Testament;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Genealogy;   Heir;   Hoglah;   Woman;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Blessing of Children;   Family and Family Life;   Manasseh;   Priestly Code;   Zelophehad;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the brothers of our father.
King James Version
Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.
Lexham English Bible
Why should the name of our father disappear from the midst of his clan because he does not have a son? Give us property in the midst of the brothers of our father."
New Century Version
Our father's name will die out because he had no sons. Give us property among our father's relatives."
New English Translation
Why should the name of our father be lost from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among the relatives of our father."
Amplified Bible
"Why should the name of our father be removed from his family because he had no son? Give to us a possession (land) among our father's brothers."
New American Standard Bible
"Why should the name of our father be withdrawn from among his family simply because he had no son? Give us property among our father's brothers."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Wherefore should the name of our father be taken away from among his familie, because he hath no sonne? giue vs a possession among the brethren of our father.
Legacy Standard Bible
Why should the name of our father be withdrawn from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father's brothers."
Contemporary English Version
to carry on his family name. But why should his name die out for that reason? Give us some land like the rest of his relatives in our clan, so our father's name can live on.
Complete Jewish Bible
Why should the name of our father be eliminated from his family just because he didn't have a son? Give us property to possess along with the brothers of our father."
Darby Translation
Why should the name of our father be taken away from his family, because he has no son? Give unto us a possession among the brethren of our father.
Easy-to-Read Version
This means that our father's name will not continue. It is not fair that our father's name will not continue. His name will end because he had no sons. So we ask you to give us some of the land that our father's brothers will get."
George Lamsa Translation
Why should the name of our father be lost from among his family because he had no son? Give to us therefore a possession among the brothers of our father.
Good News Translation
Just because he had no sons, why should our father's name disappear from Israel? Give us property among our father's relatives."
Christian Standard Bible®
Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan? Since he had no son, give us property among our father’s brothers.”
Literal Translation
Why is our father's name taken away from the midst of his family because there is no son to him? Give us an inheritance among our father's brothers.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wherfore shulde or fathers name perishe then amonge his kynred, though he haue no sonne? Geue vs a possession also amonge oure fathers brethren.
American Standard Version
Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give unto us a possession among the brethren of our father.
Bible in Basic English
Why is the name of our father to be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give us a heritage among our father's brothers.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wherefore then is the name of our father taken away from among his kinred, because he hath no sonne? Geue vnto vs therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he had no son? Give unto us a possession among the brethren of our father.'
King James Version (1611)
Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no sonne? Giue vnto vs therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Moses brought their case before the Lord.
English Revised Version
Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give unto us a possession among the brethren of our father.
Berean Standard Bible
Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan because he had no sons? Give us property among our father's brothers."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Moises telde `the cause of hem to the doom of the Lord;
Young's Literal Translation
why is the name of our father withdrawn from the midst of his family because he hath no son? give to us a possession in the midst of the brethren of our father;'
Update Bible Version
Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the brothers of our father.
Webster's Bible Translation
Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give to us [therefore] a possession among the brethren of our father.
World English Bible
Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the brothers of our father.
New King James Version
Why should the name of our father be removed from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father's brothers."
New Living Translation
Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan just because he had no sons? Give us property along with the rest of our relatives."
New Life Bible
Why should the name of our father be taken away from his family because he had no son? Give us land among our father's brothers."
New Revised Standard
Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father's brothers."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Wherefore should the name of our father be withdrawn out of the midst of his family, because he had no son? Give ye unto us a possession, ill the midst of the brethren of our father.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Moses referred their cause to the judgment of the Lord.
Revised Standard Version
Why should the name of our father be taken away from his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father's brethren."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Why should the name of our father be withdrawn from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father's brothers."

Contextual Overview

1 Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of Manasseh the son of Joseph. The names of his daughters were: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the chiefs and all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, saying, 3 "Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah, but died for his own sin. And he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father's brothers." 5 Moses brought their case before the Lord . 6 And the Lord said to Moses, 7 "The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You shall give them possession of an inheritance among their father's brothers and transfer the inheritance of their father to them. 8 And you shall speak to the people of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter. 9 And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 And if he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father's brothers.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Why: Exodus 32:11, Psalms 109:13, Proverbs 13:9

done away: Heb. diminished

Give: Joshua 17:4

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 2:34 - no sons

Cross-References

Genesis 14:19
And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
Genesis 24:60
And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, "Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate him!"
Genesis 27:1
When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, "My son"; and he answered, "Here I am."
Genesis 27:7
‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the Lord before I die.'
Genesis 27:15
Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son.
Genesis 27:20
But Isaac said to his son, "How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?" He answered, "Because the Lord your God granted me success."
Genesis 27:22
So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau."
Genesis 27:23
And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands. So he blessed him.
Genesis 27:25
Then he said, "Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son's game and bless you." So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.
Genesis 27:27
So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said, "See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son.... Or be withdrawn, and his family lose their part and share on that account; this they thought was unreasonable: according to the Targum of Jonathan, to prevent the name of their father being lost, and his part in the land, their motion was, that their mother might marry their father's brother, according to the law in Deuteronomy 25:5, with which Jarchi agrees; but it does not appear that that law was as yet in being; though how otherwise the name of their father would be preserved, than by raising up seed in that way, is not easy to say; except, as some think, it was done by a son of one of those heiresses, or by the first son of everyone of them, being called after the name of their grandfather Zelophehad, or their mother's grandfather Hepher; though the Jews t commonly by the "name" understand no other than the "inheritance", which seems to be confirmed by what follows:

give us therefore a possession among the brethren of our fathers; a part with their uncles, or their children; by which they express their faith that the children of Israel would inherit the land, though as yet it was not conquered, nor even entered into; and might signify, as some think, their concern to have a part and portion in the heavenly inheritance the land of Canaan was typical of; and if so, as Ainsworth observes, they may be considered as five wise virgins indeed.

t Pesikta, T. Bab. Jebamot, fol. 49. 1. Moses Cotzensis Praecept. Affirm. 51. Apud Selden. de Succession. ad leg. Ebra. c. 14. p. 97, 98.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Give unto us - As representing our father; that so he, through us his representatives, may enjoy a like inheritance with his brethren.


 
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