Lectionary Calendar
Monday, July 7th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

Revised Standard Version

Numbers 36:7

The inheritance of the people of Israel shall not be transferred from one tribe to another; for every one of the people of Israel shall cleave to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Heir;   Inheritance;   Land;   Milcah;   Property;   Thompson Chain Reference - Business Life;   Inheritance;   Land;   Laws of Inheritance;   Real Estate;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Agriculture or Husbandry;   Desert, Journey of Israel through the;   Marriage;   Tribes of Israel, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Inheritance;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Sexuality, Human;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Economic Life;   Mahlah;   Zelophehad;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Inheritance;   Zelophehad;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Heir Heritage Inheritance;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Zelophehad ;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Sea;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Other Laws;   On to Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Abiezer;   Daughter;   Heir;   Hoglah;   Inheritance;   Numbers, Book of;   Relationships, Family;   Woman;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Inheritance;   Zelophehad;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
So shall no inheritance of the children of Yisra'el remove from tribe to tribe; for the children of Yisra'el shall cleave everyone to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
King James Version
So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
Lexham English Bible
Thus an inheritance of the Israelites will not go around from tribe to tribe. Rather, the inheritance of each tribe of his father will remain with the Israelites.
English Standard Version
The inheritance of the people of Israel shall not be transferred from one tribe to another, for every one of the people of Israel shall hold on to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
New Century Version
In this way the Israelites' land will not pass from tribe to tribe, and each Israelite will keep the land in the tribe that belonged to his ancestors.
New English Translation
In this way the inheritance of the Israelites will not be transferred from tribe to tribe. But every one of the Israelites must retain the ancestral heritage.
Amplified Bible
"So no inheritance of the Israelites shall be transferred from tribe to tribe, for every one of the Israelites shall hold to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers (tribal ancestors).
New American Standard Bible
"So no inheritance of the sons of Israel will be transferred from tribe to tribe, for the sons of Israel shall each retain possession of the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remoue from tribe to tribe, for euery one of the children of Israel shal ioyne himselfe to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
Legacy Standard Bible
Thus no inheritance of the sons of Israel shall be transferred from tribe to tribe, for the sons of Israel shall each hold to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
Contemporary English Version
Tribal land must not be given to another tribe—it will remain the property of the tribe that received it.
Complete Jewish Bible
In this way no inheritance of the people of Isra'el will move from one tribe to another; for each of the people of Isra'el is to hold on to the land for inheritance belonging to his father's tribe.
Darby Translation
that no inheritance of the children of Israel pass from tribe to tribe; for every one of the children of Israel shall keep to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
Easy-to-Read Version
In this way land will not be passed from tribe to tribe among the Israelites. Each Israelite will keep the land that belonged to their own ancestors.
George Lamsa Translation
So that no inheritance of the children of Israel shall be transferred from one tribe to another tribe; for every one of the children of Israel shall cleave to the inheritance of the tribe of his father.
Good News Translation
The property of every Israelite will remain attached to his tribe.
Christian Standard Bible®
No inheritance belonging to the Israelites is to transfer from tribe to tribe, because each of the Israelites is to retain the inheritance of his ancestral tribe.
Literal Translation
so no inheritance of the sons of Israel shall turn from tribe to tribe, for each one of the sons of Israel shall cling to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
that the enheritaunce of the children of Israel fall not fro one trybe to another. For euery one amonge the children of Israel shall cleue to the enheritaunce of the trybe of his father:
American Standard Version
So shall no inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe; for the children of Israel shall cleave every one to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
Bible in Basic English
And so no property will be handed from tribe to tribe among the children of Israel; but every one of the children of Israel will keep the heritage of his father's tribe.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
So shall not the inheritaunce of the children of Israel remoue from tribe to tribe: for euery one of the chyldren of Israel shall ioyne hym selfe to the inheritaunce of the tribe of his fathers.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
So shall no inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe; for the children of Israel shall cleave every one to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
King James Version (1611)
So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remooue from tribe to tribe: for euery one of the children of Israel shall keepe himselfe to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel go about from tribe to tribe, for the children of Israel shall steadfastly continue each in the inheritance of his family’s tribe.
English Revised Version
So shall no inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for the children of Israel shall cleave every one to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
Berean Standard Bible
No inheritance in Israel may be transferred from tribe to tribe, because each of the Israelites is to retain the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
lest the possessioun of the sones of Joseph be meddlid fro lynage in to lynage. For alle men schulen wedde wyues of her lynage and kynrede;
Young's Literal Translation
and the inheritance of the sons of Israel doth not turn round from tribe unto tribe; for each to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers, do the sons of Israel cleave.
Update Bible Version
So no inheritance of the sons of Israel shall remove from tribe to tribe; for the sons of Israel shall cleave every one to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
Webster's Bible Translation
So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
World English Bible
So shall no inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe; for the children of Israel shall cleave everyone to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
New King James Version
So the inheritance of the children of Israel shall not change hands from tribe to tribe, for every one of the children of Israel shall keep the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
New Living Translation
None of the territorial land may pass from tribe to tribe, for all the land given to each tribe must remain within the tribe to which it was first allotted.
New Life Bible
This way no land of the people of Israel will go from one family group to another. The people of Israel will each hold to the land of the family group of his fathers.
New Revised Standard
so that no inheritance of the Israelites shall be transferred from one tribe to another; for all Israelites shall retain the inheritance of their ancestral tribes.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So shall no inheritance belonging to the sons of Israel go round from tribe to tribe, - for the sons of Israel shall, each one, cleave, unto the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers,
Douay-Rheims Bible
Lest the possession of the children of Israel be mingled from tribe to tribe. For all men shall marry wives of their own tribe and kindred:
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Thus no inheritance of the sons of Israel shall be transferred from tribe to tribe, for the sons of Israel shall each hold to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.

Contextual Overview

5 And Moses commanded the people of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying, "The tribe of the sons of Joseph is right. 6 This is what the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zeloph'ehad, 'Let them marry whom they think best; only, they shall marry within the family of the tribe of their father. 7 The inheritance of the people of Israel shall not be transferred from one tribe to another; for every one of the people of Israel shall cleave to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 8 And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the people of Israel shall be wife to one of the family of the tribe of her father, so that every one of the people of Israel may possess the inheritance of his fathers. 9 So no inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another; for each of the tribes of the people of Israel shall cleave to its own inheritance.'" 10 The daughters of Zeloph'ehad did as the LORD commanded Moses; 11 for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zeloph'ehad, were married to sons of their father's brothers. 12 They were married into the families of the sons of Manas'seh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father. 13 These are the commandments and the ordinances which the LORD commanded by Moses to the people of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

for every one: That is, he shall not endeavour to obtain any part of the inheritance of another tribe by marrying an heiress.

keep himself: Heb. cleave, Numbers 36:9, 1 Kings 21:3

Reciprocal: Judges 21:17 - an inheritance

Cross-References

Genesis 13:6
so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together,
Genesis 13:11
So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan valley, and Lot journeyed east; thus they separated from each other.
Genesis 17:8
And I will give to you, and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."
Genesis 28:4
May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your descendants with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings which God gave to Abraham!"
Hebrews 11:9
By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe,.... Which shows that this concerns all the tribes of Israel, though yet not fully expressed, as it is afterwards:

for everyone of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers; or cleave a to a wife in that tribe for marriage; this word is used in the original institution of it, Genesis 2:24 though they were not strictly obliged to marry in their own tribe; and frequently they did intermarry with other tribes, which, had it been unlawful, would not have been done, as it was by kings, and priests, and others; nor was there any danger of an inheritance going into another tribe by a man's marrying into it; wherefore this signifies only, that they were to be careful to keep their inheritances in their tribe; and therefore if any of them had no sons, only daughters, he was to marry them in his own tribe and family, that the inheritance might not remove, as follows

a ידבקו "adhaerebunt", Montanus, Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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 to the tribe to which it originally belonged, would in effect confirm the alienation.

Numbers 36:11

Unto their father’s brothers’ sons - Or more generally, “unto the sons of their kinsmen.”


 
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