1
וַֽיִּקְרְב֞וּ רָאשֵׁ֣י הָֽאָב֗וֹת לְמִשְׁפַּ֤חַת בְּנֵֽי גִלְעָד֙ בֶּן מָכִ֣יר בֶּן מְנַשֶּׁ֔ה מִֽמִּשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת בְּנֵ֣י יוֹסֵ֑ף וַֽיְדַבְּר֞וּ לִפְנֵ֤י מֹשֶׁה֙ וְלִפְנֵ֣י הַנְּשִׂאִ֔ים רָאשֵׁ֥י אָב֖וֹת לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל
And the heads of the fathers' houses of the clan of the sons of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh, from the clans of the sons of Joseph, drew near and spoke before Moses and before the leaders, the heads of the fathers' houses of the Israelites.
Opens the chapter's closing narrative unit with the same approach-and-speak sequence (קרב + דבר) that introduced the daughters' petition in 27:1-2 — the Gileadite clan heads now bring the sequel case, addressed to Moses AND the tribal leaders (not Moses alone), since this ruling concerns inter-tribal inheritance broadly, not just one family.
Word-by-word analysis· 22 words
וַֽיִּקְרְב֞וּand they drew nearQal wayyiqtol 3mp · קָרַב (H7126)Wayyiqtol of narrative sequence (main verb)→ Wayyiqtol: foregrounded narrative advance — the opening event of the sceneקָרַב (H7126) 'to draw near, approach'; the clan heads formally approach the leadership to bring a legal petition, echoing the daughters' own approach in 27:1.
רָאשֵׁ֣יthe heads ofN m pl constr · רֹאשׁ (H7218)Subject (construct, head of chain)רֹאשׁ (H7218) 'head'; in construct 'heads of' = leading men, here the clan patriarchs bringing the case.
הָֽאָב֗וֹתthe fathersart + N m pl abs · אָב (H1)Genitive of the construct chainאָב (H1) 'father'; רָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת 'heads of the fathers['-houses]', the technical term for clan patriarchs, cf. 1:4.
לְמִשְׁפַּ֤חַתof the clan ofprep לְ + N f sg constr · מִשְׁפָּחָה (H4940)Prepositional phrase modifying הָאָבוֹת (clan affiliation)מִשְׁפָּחָה (H4940) 'clan, family'; marks the specific clan to which these fathers' heads belong.
בְּנֵֽיsons ofN m pl constr · בֵּן (H1121)Genitive construct (clan identified by ancestor)בֵּן (H1121) 'son'; בְּנֵי גִלְעָד 'sons of Gilead', the clan-eponym construct chain.
גִלְעָד֙Gileadproper noun · גִּלְעָד (H1568)Genitive (proper name, clan eponym)גִּלְעָד (H1568), grandson of Manasseh through Machir (26:29), eponym of the Gileadite clan; Zelophehad's line belongs to this clan (27:1).
בֶּןson ofN m sg constr · בֵּן (H1121)Apposition (genealogical chain)בֵּן (H1121) 'son'; introduces the next link, מָכִיר, in Gilead's genealogy.
מָכִ֣ירMachirproper noun · מָכִיר (H4353)Genitive (proper name)מָכִיר (H4353), son of Manasseh, father of Gilead (26:29; Josh 17:1); the genealogical bridge from Manasseh to the Gileadite clan of Zelophehad.
בֶּןson ofN m sg constr · בֵּן (H1121)Apposition (genealogical chain)בֵּן (H1121); links Machir to his father Manasseh.
מְנַשֶּׁ֔הManassehproper noun · מְנַשֶּׁה (H4519)Genitive (proper name, tribal ancestor)מְנַשֶּׁה (H4519), Joseph's firstborn (Gen 41:51), eponym of the half-tribe whose inheritance-law crux this chapter resolves.
מִֽמִּשְׁפְּחֹ֖תfrom the clans ofprep מִן + N f pl constr · מִשְׁפָּחָה (H4940)Prepositional phrase (source/partitive, resuming the clan identification)מִשְׁפָּחָה (H4940) plural construct with מִן; situates Gilead's clan among the broader clans of Joseph's sons.
בְּנֵ֣יthe sons ofN m pl constr · בֵּן (H1121)Genitive constructבֵּן (H1121); בְּנֵי יוֹסֵף 'sons of Joseph' names the tribe (Manasseh, via Machir-Gilead) at the level of the patriarch Joseph.
יוֹסֵ֑ףJosephproper noun · יוֹסֵף (H3130)Genitive (proper name, patriarch)יוֹסֵף (H3130); the tribe of Joseph (here specifically Manasseh) whose inheritance is at stake — cf. v. 5's מַטֵּה בְנֵי יוֹסֵף.
וַֽיְדַבְּר֞וּand they spokePiel wayyiqtol 3mp · דָּבַר (H1696)Wayyiqtol of narrative sequence (second main verb)→ Wayyiqtol: foregrounded narrative advance — the formal address that follows the approachדָּבַר (H1696) Piel 'to speak'; formal, official speech before the assembled leadership — the same verb-pair (קרב + דבר) opens the daughters' petition in 27:1-2.
לִפְנֵ֤יbeforeprep לִפְנֵי (constr. of פָּנִים) · פָּנִים (H6440)Locative prepositional phraseפָּנִים (H6440) 'face'; לִפְנֵי idiomatically 'before, in the presence of' — the venue of the legal hearing.
מֹשֶׁה֙Mosesproper noun · מֹשֶׁה (H4872)Object of preposition (audience)מֹשֶׁה (H4872); the presiding authority who will render the ruling in v. 5.
וְלִפְנֵ֣יand beforeconj וְ + prep לִפְנֵי · פָּנִים (H6440)Coordinated locative prepositional phraseפָּנִים (H6440) with וְ + לְ; adds a second audience alongside Moses.
הַנְּשִׂאִ֔יםthe leadersart + N m pl abs · נָשִׂיא (H5387)Object of preposition (second audience)נָשִׂיא (H5387) 'leader, chief, prince'; the tribal heads who with Moses adjudicate communal legal questions (cf. 1:16).
רָאשֵׁ֥יheads ofN m pl constr · רֹאשׁ (H7218)Apposition to the subject (resuming/restating who is speaking)רֹאשׁ (H7218); the phrase רָאשֵׁי אָבוֹת recurs to re-identify the petitioners after naming the audience.
אָב֖וֹתfathers' [houses]N m pl abs · אָב (H1)Genitive completing the construct (absolute here, idiomatic)אָב (H1); רָאשֵׁי אָבוֹת 'heads of fathers['-houses]', standard census/legal terminology (1:4; 7:2).
לִבְנֵ֥יof the sons ofprep לְ + N m pl constr · בֵּן (H1121)Prepositional phrase (possession/affiliation)בֵּן (H1121) with לְ; specifies whose ancestral heads these are — Israel's.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽלIsraelproper noun · יִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478)Genitive (proper name)יִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478); the nation as a whole, the ultimate constituency of the ruling that follows.
2
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ אֶת אֲדֹנִי֙ צִוָּ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה לָתֵ֨ת אֶת הָאָ֧רֶץ בְּנַחֲלָ֛ה בְּגוֹרָ֖ל לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַֽאדֹנִי֙ צֻוָּ֣ה בַֽיהוָ֔ה לָתֵ֗ת אֶֽת נַחֲלַ֛ת צְלָפְחָ֥ד אָחִ֖ינוּ לִבְנֹתָֽיו
And they said, "My lord, YHWH commanded to give the land as an inheritance by lot to the Israelites, and my lord was commanded by YHWH to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters."
The clan heads quote back the two-part command already given through Moses (ch. 27): the land is allotted by lot as permanent inheritance, and Zelophehad's daughters specifically were granted his share. This citation sets up the difficulty raised in v. 3 — what happens when those heiresses marry outside the tribe.
Word-by-word analysis· 21 words
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּand they saidQal wayyiqtol 3mp · אָמַר (H559)Wayyiqtol of narrative sequence (introduces direct speech)→ Wayyiqtol: foregrounded narrative advanceאָמַר (H559) 'to say'; introduces the clan heads' direct speech, the legal petition proper.
אֶת[topic marker]obj marker (topicalizing use) · אֵת (H853)Topicalizing/casus-pendens use of the object-marker (syntactic crux)אֵת (H853) here does not mark a normal accusative object (the clause has no available object) but functions anomalously as a casus-pendens/topic marker — 'as for my lord' — a recognized crux, resumed by the passive צֻוָּה בַֽיהוָה later in the verse.
אֲדֹנִי֙my lordN m sg constr + 1cs suffix · אָדוֹן (H113)Vocative-like topic, resumed impersonally by the passive צֻוָּה belowאָדוֹן (H113) 'lord, master' + 1cs suffix; honorific address to Moses, 'my lord' — cf. the same address in 32:25, 27.
צִוָּ֣הcommandedPiel perf 3ms · צִוָּה (H6680)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Perfective: a completed, authoritative divine command already given (referring back to 27:6-7)צִוָּה (H6680) Piel 'to command'; the clan heads cite YHWH's prior ruling through Moses as the premise of their present difficulty.
יְהוָ֔הYHWHproper noun · יְהוָה (H3068)Subjectיְהוָה (H3068), the covenant name; the ultimate authority behind the inheritance law being applied.
לָתֵ֨תto giveprep לְ + Qal inf constr · נָתַן (H5414)Infinitive construct complementing צִוָּה (purpose/content of the command)→ Infinitive construct: the commanded action, unbounded for aspectנָתַן (H5414) 'to give'; with לְ, the content of YHWH's command — the granting of the land as inheritance.
אֶת[obj]obj marker · אֵת (H853)Direct-object marker (marking הָאָרֶץ)אֵת (H853), nota accusativi marking the definite object of לָתֵת.
הָאָ֧רֶץthe landart + N c sg abs · אֶרֶץ (H776)Direct object of לָתֵתאֶרֶץ (H776) 'land, earth'; the land of promise, distributed as נַחֲלָה.
בְּנַחֲלָ֛הas an inheritanceprep בְּ + N f sg abs · נַחֲלָה (H5159)Adverbial prepositional phrase (manner/result)נַחֲלָה (H5159) 'inheritance, hereditary property'; the land is given not as spoil but as permanent tribal/family holding — the chapter's controlling term.
בְּגוֹרָ֖לby lotprep בְּ + N m sg abs · גּוֹרָל (H1486)Adverbial prepositional phrase (means)גּוֹרָל (H1486) 'lot'; the sacral method of land allotment (26:55-56; 33:54), removing human favoritism from the division.
לִבְנֵ֣יto the sons ofprep לְ + N m pl constr · בֵּן (H1121)Indirect object (recipient of the land-grant)בֵּן (H1121) with לְ; the Israelites as corporate recipients of the land.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsraelproper noun · יִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478)Genitive (proper name)יִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478).
וַֽאדֹנִי֙and my lordconj וְ + N m sg constr + 1cs suffix · אָדוֹן (H113)Subject of the passive verb צֻוָּהאָדוֹן (H113) + 1cs suffix, resumed as grammatical subject of the passive — 'my lord was commanded', i.e. Moses was the one instructed.
צֻוָּ֣הwas commandedPual perf 3ms · צִוָּה (H6680)Predicate verb (passive main clause)→ Pual perfect (passive): a completed divine command received by Moses — passive voice foregrounds Moses as recipient, not agentצִוָּה (H6680) Pual (passive) 'to be commanded'; echoes the active צִוָּה earlier in the verse, now voiced passively of Moses receiving the ruling of ch. 27 about Zelophehad's daughters.
בַֽיהוָ֔הby YHWHprep בְּ + proper noun · יְהוָה (H3068)Adverbial prepositional phrase (agent of the passive verb)יְהוָה (H3068) with בְּ marking agency; an unusual but attested construction for the agent of a passive verb in Hebrew.
לָתֵ֗תto giveprep לְ + Qal inf constr · נָתַן (H5414)Infinitive construct complementing צֻוָּה→ Infinitive construct: the content of the command Moses receivedנָתַן (H5414); the specific ruling of ch. 27 — Zelophehad's inheritance to his daughters — restated as background to the new problem.
אֶֽת[obj]obj marker · אֵת (H853)Direct-object marker (marking נַחֲלַת צְלָפְחָד)אֵת (H853), marking the definite direct object of לָתֵת.
נַחֲלַ֛תthe inheritance ofN f sg constr · נַחֲלָה (H5159)Direct object (construct, head of chain)נַחֲלָה (H5159); Zelophehad's allotted portion, granted in 27:7 in the absence of sons.
צְלָפְחָ֥דZelophehadproper noun · צְלָפְחָד (H6765)Genitive (proper name)צְלָפְחָד (H6765); the Manassite/Gileadite man whose five daughters' case (ch. 27) this chapter revisits and closes.
אָחִ֖ינוּour brotherN m sg constr + 1cp suffix · אָח (H251)Apposition to צְלָפְחָדאָח (H251) 'brother' + 1cp suffix; the Gileadite clansmen identify Zelophehad as kin — hence their own stake in where his daughters' land ends up.
לִבְנֹתָֽיוto his daughtersprep לְ + N f pl constr + 3ms suffix · בַּת (H1323)Indirect object (recipient of the inheritance)בַּת (H1323) 'daughter' + 3ms suffix; Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah (27:1), the immediate concern of this chapter.
3
וְ֠הָיוּ לְאֶחָ֞ד מִבְּנֵ֨י שִׁבְטֵ֥י בְנֵֽי יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ לְנָשִׁים֒ וְנִגְרְעָ֤ה נַחֲלָתָן֙ מִנַּחֲלַ֣ת אֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּ וְנוֹסַ֕ף עַ֚ל נַחֲלַ֣ת הַמַּטֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּהְיֶ֖ינָה לָהֶ֑ם וּמִגֹּרַ֥ל נַחֲלָתֵ֖נוּ יִגָּרֵֽעַ
Now if they become wives to one of the sons of the other tribes of the Israelites, their inheritance will be subtracted from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry; thus it will be subtracted from the lot of our inheritance.
The heart of the petition: if Zelophehad's daughters (or any tribal heiresses) marry into another tribe, their land legally migrates with them, permanently diminishing Manasseh's allotment and swelling another tribe's — an outcome the clan heads regard as an injustice to be forestalled.
Word-by-word analysis· 21 words
וְ֠הָיוּand they will becomeQal weqatal 3cp · הָיָה (H1961)Weqatal continuing the hypothetical (protasis)→ Weqatal: a future/contingent state projected from the present legal situationהָיָה (H1961) 'to be, become'; weqatal expresses the feared future contingency — if the daughters marry outside the tribe.
לְאֶחָ֞דto oneprep לְ + adj m sg abs · אֶחָד (H259)Indirect object (marriage partner)אֶחָד (H259) 'one'; אֶחָד מִבְּנֵי... idiom 'one of the sons of' = any man from another tribe.
מִבְּנֵ֨יfrom the sons ofprep מִן + N m pl constr · בֵּן (H1121)Partitive prepositional phraseבֵּן (H1121) with מִן, partitive 'from among the sons of'.
שִׁבְטֵ֥יthe tribes ofN m pl constr · שֵׁבֶט (H7626)Genitive constructשֵׁבֶט (H7626) 'tribe, rod'; here the OTHER Israelite tribes, distinct from the daughters' own tribe of Manasseh.
בְנֵֽיthe sons ofN m pl constr · בֵּן (H1121)Genitive constructבֵּן (H1121); שִׁבְטֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל 'tribes of the sons of Israel', i.e. the other tribes generally.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֮Israelproper noun · יִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478)Genitiveיִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478).
לְנָשִׁים֒as wivesprep לְ + N f pl abs · אִשָּׁה (H802)Predicate complement of הָיוּ (result state)אִשָּׁה (H802) pl. 'women, wives'; לְנָשִׁים idiom 'become wives to' = marry.
וְנִגְרְעָ֤הand it will be subtractedNiphal weqatal 3fs · גָּרַע (H1639)Weqatal apodosis (consequence)→ Weqatal, Niphal (passive): the projected legal consequence — inheritance loss framed as an automatic, impersonal subtractionגָּרַע (H1639) Niphal 'to be diminished, withdrawn, subtracted'; the key verb of loss — the daughters' land would be legally deducted from Manasseh's total.
נַחֲלָתָן֙their inheritanceN f sg constr + 3fp suffix · נַחֲלָה (H5159)Subject of וְנִגְרְעָהנַחֲלָה (H5159) + 3fp suffix; the daughters' own allotted share.
מִנַּחֲלַ֣תfrom the inheritance ofprep מִן + N f sg constr · נַחֲלָה (H5159)Prepositional phrase (source of subtraction)נַחֲלָה (H5159) with מִן; the tribal pool the land would be lost from.
אֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּour fathersN m pl constr + 1cp suffix · אָב (H1)Genitive (possessor)אָב (H1) + 1cp suffix; the Gileadite clan's ancestral (Manassite) holding.
וְנוֹסַ֕ףand it will be addedNiphal weqatal 3ms · יָסַף (H3254)Weqatal, coordinate consequence→ Weqatal, Niphal (passive): the mirror-image consequence — automatic accretion to the receiving tribeיָסַף (H3254) Niphal 'to be added'; land lost by Manasseh becomes land gained by whichever tribe the daughters marry into.
עַ֚לtoprep · עַל (H5921)Prepositional phrase marking the recipientעַל (H5921) 'upon, to'; marks the destination tribe's inheritance that gains the land.
נַחֲלַ֣תthe inheritance ofN f sg constr · נַחֲלָה (H5159)Object of preposition (construct, head)נַחֲלָה (H5159).
הַמַּטֶּ֔הthe tribeart + N m sg abs · מַטֶּה (H4294)Genitive completing the constructמַטֶּה (H4294) 'tribe' (lit. 'rod/staff', by metonymy the body led by it); the receiving husband's tribe.
אֲשֶׁ֥רinto whichrelative particle · אֲשֶׁר (H834)Relative particle introducing the clause modifying הַמַּטֶּהאֲשֶׁר (H834), invariable relative particle 'who/which/that'; introduces the clause identifying which tribe gains the land — the one לָהֶם, 'to them' (the one they marry into).
תִּהְיֶ֖ינָהthey will belongQal impf 3fp · הָיָה (H1961)Predicate verb within the relative clause→ Yiqtol: modal/future — the projected belonging of the landהָיָה (H1961) 'to be, belong to'; תִּהְיֶינָה לָהֶם 'it will be theirs' — the land's new tribal ownership.
לָהֶ֑םto themprep לְ + 3mp suffixPrepositional phrase (dative of possession, resuming the relative clause)לְ (dative) + 3mp suffix 'to them'; the receiving tribe's men, whom the relative clause implicitly designates.
וּמִגֹּרַ֥לand from the lot ofconj וְ + prep מִן + N m sg constr · גּוֹרָל (H1486)Prepositional phrase resuming the main clause's resultגּוֹרָל (H1486) 'lot' with מִן; echoes v. 2's בְּגוֹרָל — the very allotment made by sacred lot would be diminished.
נַחֲלָתֵ֖נוּour inheritanceN f sg constr + 1cp suffix · נַחֲלָה (H5159)Genitive completing the constructנַחֲלָה (H5159) + 1cp; the Gileadite clan's own portion, viewed communally ('our').
יִגָּרֵֽעַit will be diminishedNiphal impf 3ms · גָּרַע (H1639)Predicate verb, restating/summarizing the consequence (main clause)→ Yiqtol, Niphal (passive): the concluding restatement of the loss, now as the clause's final verb — emphatic closure of the complaintגָּרַע (H1639) Niphal, repeating the verse's earlier verb; the complaint's summary conclusion — 'it will be subtracted', full stop.
4
וְאִם יִהְיֶ֣ה הַיֹּבֵל֮ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וְנֽוֹסְפָה֙ נַחֲלָתָ֔ן עַ֚ל נַחֲלַ֣ת הַמַּטֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּהְיֶ֖ינָה לָהֶ֑ם וּמִֽנַּחֲלַת֙ מַטֵּ֣ה אֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּ יִגָּרַ֖ע נַחֲלָתָֽן
And when the Jubilee comes for the Israelites, their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry, and it will be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.
The daughters' land is not merely at risk temporarily — even the year of jubilee, which restores all other alienated land to its ancestral clan (Lev 25:10, 13), will not restore this inheritance, because it was never sold or forfeited but transferred by marriage into another tribe's line permanently. This verse is a key incidental witness that the Jubilee institution of Leviticus 25 was already settled law when this ruling was given.
Word-by-word analysis· 18 words
וְאִםand when/ifconj וְ + conj · אִם (H518)Subordinating conjunction introducing a further conditionalאִם (H518) 'if'; here temporal-conditional 'when(ever) the Jubilee comes' — introduces the aggravating scenario.
יִהְיֶ֣הcomes / arrivesQal impf 3ms · הָיָה (H1961)Predicate verb (protasis)→ Yiqtol: future/iterative — the recurring arrival of the Jubilee yearהָיָה (H1961) 'to be, happen, come'; יִהְיֶה הַיֹּבֵל 'the Jubilee comes/occurs' — a periodic event (every 50th year, Lev 25:10).
הַיֹּבֵל֮the Jubileeart + N m sg abs · יוֹבֵל (H3104)Subjectיוֹבֵל (H3104) 'jubilee, ram's horn'; the fiftieth-year release of Lev 25, when land normally reverts to its original clan — this verse is the sole explicit witness outside Leviticus 25 to the jubilee's land-reversion function, and notably states an exception to it.
לִבְנֵ֣יfor the Israelitesprep לְ + N m pl constr · בֵּן (H1121)Prepositional phrase (beneficiary/scope)בֵּן (H1121) with לְ; marks whom the jubilee affects — all Israel.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֒Israelproper noun · יִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478)Genitiveיִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478).
וְנֽוֹסְפָה֙and it will be addedNiphal weqatal 3fs · יָסַף (H3254)Weqatal apodosis→ Weqatal, Niphal (passive): the projected consequence, repeating v. 3's language even at the Jubileeיָסַף (H3254) Niphal, repeating v. 3 — the receiving tribe's gain.
נַחֲלָתָ֔ןtheir inheritanceN f sg constr + 3fp suffix · נַחֲלָה (H5159)Subjectנַחֲלָה (H5159) + 3fp.
עַ֚לtoprep · עַל (H5921)Prepositional phrase (recipient)עַל (H5921).
נַחֲלַ֣תthe inheritance ofN f sg constr · נַחֲלָה (H5159)Object of prepositionנַחֲלָה (H5159).
הַמַּטֶּ֔הthe tribeart + N m sg abs · מַטֶּה (H4294)Genitiveמַטֶּה (H4294).
אֲשֶׁ֥רinto whichrelative particle · אֲשֶׁר (H834)Relative particleאֲשֶׁר (H834).
תִּהְיֶ֖ינָהthey will belongQal impf 3fp · הָיָה (H1961)Predicate verb within relative clause→ Yiqtol: modal/futureהָיָה (H1961), repeating v. 3's construction verbatim.
לָהֶ֑םto themprep לְ + 3mp suffixPrepositional phrase (dative)לְ + 3mp suffix.
וּמִֽנַּחֲלַת֙and from the inheritance ofconj וְ + prep מִן + N f sg constr · נַחֲלָה (H5159)Prepositional phrase (source of the loss)נַחֲלָה (H5159) with מִן.
מַטֵּ֣הthe tribe ofN m sg constr · מַטֶּה (H4294)Genitive constructמַטֶּה (H4294).
אֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּour fathersN m pl constr + 1cp suffix · אָב (H1)Genitiveאָב (H1) + 1cp.
יִגָּרַ֖עit will be taken awayNiphal impf 3ms · גָּרַע (H1639)Predicate verb (main clause conclusion)→ Yiqtol, Niphal (passive): the climactic point — even the Jubilee, which normally restores ancestral land (Lev 25), will not undo this lossגָּרַע (H1639) Niphal; the crux of the verse — the jubilee's ordinary reversion is explicitly overridden for land migrated by marriage, an important incidental datum confirming the Jubilee institution's existence and normal operation (Lev 25) even as this case is carved out as an exception.
נַחֲלָתָֽןtheir inheritanceN f sg constr + 3fp suffix · נַחֲלָה (H5159)Subjectנַחֲלָה (H5159) + 3fp; restates the object lost, closing the verse on the permanence of the tribal transfer.
5
וַיְצַ֤ו מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶת בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל עַל פִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר כֵּ֛ן מַטֵּ֥ה בְנֵֽי יוֹסֵ֖ף דֹּבְרִֽים
So Moses commanded the Israelites at the mouth of YHWH, saying, "The tribe of the sons of Joseph speaks rightly."
Moses' verdict is explicitly grounded 'at the mouth of YHWH' (עַל פִּי יְהוָה), matching the formula of 27:21 for divinely mediated decisions. His verdict, כֵּן ... דֹּבְרִים, deliberately echoes YHWH's own verdict on the daughters in 27:7 (כֵּן בְּנוֹת צְלָפְחָד דֹּבְרֹת) — the two rulings frame each other: the daughters' claim to inherit was right, and the Gileadites' concern to protect tribal land is equally right. The verse is the chapter's hinge, moving from petition (vv. 1-4) to ruling (vv. 6-9).
Word-by-word analysis· 14 words
וַיְצַ֤וand he commandedPiel wayyiqtol 3ms · צִוָּה (H6680)Wayyiqtol of narrative sequence (main verb)→ Wayyiqtol: foregrounded narrative advance — Moses' authoritative rulingצִוָּה (H6680) Piel; Moses now issues the binding command, having received it 'at the mouth of YHWH'.
מֹשֶׁה֙Mosesproper noun · מֹשֶׁה (H4872)Subjectמֹשֶׁה (H4872).
אֶת[obj]obj marker · אֵת (H853)Direct-object markerאֵת (H853), marking בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל as the object of וַיְצַו.
בְּנֵ֣יthe sons ofN m pl constr · בֵּן (H1121)Direct object (construct)בֵּן (H1121).
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsraelproper noun · יִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478)Genitiveיִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478).
עַלat, according toprep · עַל (H5921)Prepositional phrase (source of authority)עַל (H5921) 'upon, according to'; עַל פִּי 'at the mouth of, according to the word of' — the formula for direct divine authorization (cf. 27:21).
פִּ֥יthe mouth ofN m sg constr · פֶּה (H6310)Object of preposition (construct)פֶּה (H6310) 'mouth'; עַל פִּי יְהוָה, the formula marking Moses' ruling as directly divinely sanctioned, not his own discretion.
יְהוָ֖הYHWHproper noun · יְהוָה (H3068)Genitiveיְהוָה (H3068).
לֵאמֹ֑רsayingprep לְ + Qal inf constr · אָמַר (H559)Infinitive construct introducing direct speech→ Infinitive construct: quotative frame, unbounded aspectאָמַר (H559); standard formula introducing the quoted ruling.
כֵּ֛ןrightlydemonstrative particle · כֵּן (H3651)Predicate adverb (verdict on the petitioners' speech)כֵּן (H3651) 'so, thus, rightly'; Moses' verdict directly echoes YHWH's own verdict on the daughters' petition in 27:7, כֵּן בְּנוֹת צְלָפְחָד דֹּבְרֹת — a deliberate symmetry: both the daughters' claim and the Gileadites' counter-concern are pronounced 'right'.
מַטֵּ֥הthe tribe ofN m sg constr · מַטֶּה (H4294)Subject (construct, head of chain) of the embedded quoteמַטֶּה (H4294); מַטֵּה בְנֵי יוֹסֵף, the tribe under discussion — Manasseh, called here by its ancestor Joseph.
בְנֵֽיthe sons ofN m pl constr · בֵּן (H1121)Genitiveבֵּן (H1121).
יוֹסֵ֖ףJosephproper noun · יוֹסֵף (H3130)Genitiveיוֹסֵף (H3130); the tribe named by its ancestral patriarch rather than by 'Manasseh' specifically, tying the ruling back to v. 1's genealogical introduction.
דֹּבְרִֽיםare speakingQal ptc m pl abs · דָּבַר (H1696)Predicate participle (verdict clause)→ Qal participle: durative/characterizing — the tribe's petition is characterized as rightly, validly spokenדָּבַר (H1696) Qal participle; דֹּבְרִים echoes the daughters' own דֹּבְרֹת in 27:7 — Moses (at YHWH's mouth) pronounces the same verdict on the men of Manasseh that YHWH pronounced on the daughters: both speak כֵּן, 'rightly'.
6
זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֞ר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּ֣ה יְהוָ֗ה לִבְנ֤וֹת צְלָפְחָד֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לַטּ֥וֹב בְּעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם תִּהְיֶ֣ינָה לְנָשִׁ֑ים אַ֗ךְ לְמִשְׁפַּ֛חַת מַטֵּ֥ה אֲבִיהֶ֖ם תִּהְיֶ֥ינָה לְנָשִֽׁים
This is the thing that YHWH has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, "Let them marry whoever is good in their eyes; only into a clan of their father's tribe shall they marry."
The ruling's structure is a freedom bounded by a restriction: the daughters may marry לַטּוֹב בְּעֵינֵיהֶם, 'whoever is good in their eyes' — real personal choice — but אַךְ, 'only', within a clan of their own father's tribe. The verb תִּהְיֶינָה לְנָשִׁים brackets both halves (v. 6a, 6b), formally binding permission to restriction in a single balanced ruling.
Word-by-word analysis· 18 words
זֶ֣הthisdem pron m sg · זֶה (H2088)Subject (demonstrative pronoun, cataphoric)זֶה (H2088), masc. sg. demonstrative; introduces the ruling formula (cf. Lev 7:1's זֹאת) — 'this is the word/matter'.
הַדָּבָ֞רthe matter/wordart + N m sg abs · דָּבָר (H1697)Predicate nominativeדָּבָר (H1697) 'word, matter, thing'; the specific ruling YHWH commands, introduced formulaically.
אֲשֶׁרthat/whichrelative particle · אֲשֶׁר (H834)Relative particle introducing the content clauseאֲשֶׁר (H834).
צִוָּ֣הcommandedPiel perf 3ms · צִוָּה (H6680)Predicate verb within the relative clause→ Perfective: a completed, authoritative commandצִוָּה (H6680) Piel.
יְהוָ֗הYHWHproper noun · יְהוָה (H3068)Subjectיְהוָה (H3068).
לִבְנ֤וֹתconcerning the daughters ofprep לְ + N f pl constr · בַּת (H1323)Prepositional phrase (regarding/concerning)בַּת (H1323) pl. construct with לְ; here 'concerning, with regard to' rather than 'to' — introducing the ruling's subject-matter.
צְלָפְחָד֙Zelophehadproper noun · צְלָפְחָד (H6765)Genitiveצְלָפְחָד (H6765).
לֵאמֹ֔רsayingprep לְ + Qal inf constr · אָמַר (H559)Infinitive construct, quotative frame→ Infinitive construct: introduces the direct-quoted rulingאָמַר (H559).
לַטּ֥וֹבto the good [one]prep לְ + art + adj m sg abs · טוֹב (H2896)Prepositional phrase (goal/standard, adverbial)טוֹב (H2896) 'good'; לַטּוֹב בְּעֵינֵיהֶם 'to the one good in their eyes' — a set idiom for personal preference/choice, granting the daughters real freedom within the constraint that follows.
בְּעֵינֵיהֶ֖םin their eyesprep בְּ + N dual constr + 3mp suffix · עַיִן (H5869)Prepositional phrase completing the idiom (standard of judgment)עַיִן (H5869) dual 'eyes' + 3mp suffix; בְּעֵינֵיהֶם 'in their eyes/opinion' idiom for personal judgment/preference — the daughters may choose their own husbands.
תִּהְיֶ֣ינָהlet them become/marryQal impf 3fp (volitional) · הָיָה (H1961)Predicate verb (volitional/permissive main clause)→ Yiqtol (volitional/permissive): grants permission — 'let them be(come) wives'הָיָה (H1961) 'to be, become'; תִּהְיֶינָה לְנָשִׁים 'let them become wives' — the permission granted.
לְנָשִׁ֑יםwivesprep לְ + N f pl abs · אִשָּׁה (H802)Predicate complementאִשָּׁה (H802) pl.
אַ֗ךְonlyadverb · אַךְ (H389)Restrictive adverb introducing the qualifying conditionאַךְ (H389) 'only, surely'; introduces the sole restriction on the daughters' free choice — the tribal-clan limitation.
לְמִשְׁפַּ֛חַתto a clan ofprep לְ + N f sg constr · מִשְׁפָּחָה (H4940)Prepositional phrase (restrictive scope of marriage)מִשְׁפָּחָה (H4940) with לְ; the marriage must be within a clan belonging to their own tribe.
מַטֵּ֥הthe tribe ofN m sg constr · מַטֶּה (H4294)Genitive constructמַטֶּה (H4294).
אֲבִיהֶ֖םtheir fatherN m sg constr + 3mp suffix · אָב (H1)Genitiveאָב (H1) + 3mp suffix; their father's — i.e. Zelophehad's — tribe, Manasseh.
תִּהְיֶ֥ינָהlet them become/marryQal impf 3fp (volitional) · הָיָה (H1961)Predicate verb (restates the ruling, closing frame)→ Yiqtol (volitional/permissive), repeated for emphasis at the verse's closeהָיָה (H1961), repeating the verb to bracket the restriction — free choice (v. 6a) bounded by tribal endogamy (v. 6b).
לְנָשִֽׁיםwivesprep לְ + N f pl abs · אִשָּׁה (H802)Predicate complementאִשָּׁה (H802) pl.
7
וְלֹֽא תִסֹּ֤ב נַחֲלָה֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִמַּטֶּ֖ה אֶל מַטֶּ֑ה כִּ֣י אִ֗ישׁ בְּנַחֲלַת֙ מַטֵּ֣ה אֲבֹתָ֔יו יִדְבְּק֖וּ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל
So no inheritance shall pass around among the Israelites from tribe to tribe, for each of the Israelites shall cling to the inheritance of his fathers' tribe.
States as universal law what vv. 1-6 addressed in the daughters' particular case: tribal land must never circulate (סָבַב) between tribes, because every Israelite is to cling (דָּבַק) to his own ancestral tribal inheritance. The principle is stated here and again, almost verbatim, in v. 9 — the double statement bracketing the general daughters-who-inherit law of v. 8.
Word-by-word analysis· 16 words
וְלֹֽאand notconj וְ + negative particle · לֹא (H3808)Negative particle negating the main verbלֹא (H3808), the standard negative; here stating the general principle behind the specific ruling.
תִסֹּ֤בshall go around / migrateQal impf 3fs · סָבַב (H5437)Predicate verb (main clause, negated)→ Yiqtol (modal/prohibitive with לֹא): the categorical statement of policy — inheritance must never circulate between tribesסָבַב (H5437) Qal 'to turn, go around, circle'; here of land 'going around' from tribe to tribe — the verb pictures inheritance changing tribal ownership as a circling motion, to be prevented.
נַחֲלָה֙inheritanceN f sg abs · נַחֲלָה (H5159)Subjectנַחֲלָה (H5159).
לִבְנֵ֣יamong the Israelitesprep לְ + N m pl constr · בֵּן (H1121)Prepositional phrase (scope/possessor)בֵּן (H1121) with לְ.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsraelproper noun · יִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478)Genitiveיִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478).
מִמַּטֶּ֖הfrom tribeprep מִן + N m sg abs · מַטֶּה (H4294)Adverbial prepositional phrase (source)מַטֶּה (H4294) with מִן; מִמַּטֶּה אֶל מַטֶּה 'from tribe to tribe' — an idiomatic totality expression stating the general prohibition on inter-tribal transfer.
אֶלtoprep · אֶל (H413)Adverbial prepositional phrase (goal)אֶל (H413) 'to, toward'.
מַטֶּ֑הtribeN m sg abs · מַטֶּה (H4294)Object of prepositionמַטֶּה (H4294).
כִּ֣יfor/becauseconj · כִּי (H3588)Causal conjunction introducing the ground clauseכִּי (H3588) 'because, for'; grounds the prohibition of v. 7a in the positive principle of clinging.
אִ֗ישׁeach manN m sg abs · אִישׁ (H376)Subject (distributive)אִישׁ (H376) 'man'; used distributively, '(each) man' = every Israelite individually.
בְּנַחֲלַת֙to the inheritance ofprep בְּ + N f sg constr · נַחֲלָה (H5159)Prepositional phrase, object of יִדְבְּקוּנַחֲלָה (H5159) with בְּ, the object of clinging (דָּבַק construction takes בְּ).
מַטֵּ֣הthe tribe ofN m sg constr · מַטֶּה (H4294)Genitive constructמַטֶּה (H4294).
אֲבֹתָ֔יוhis fathersN m pl constr + 3ms suffix · אָב (H1)Genitiveאָב (H1) + 3ms suffix.
יִדְבְּק֖וּshall clingQal impf 3mp · דָּבַק (H1692)Predicate verb (main clause of the causal ground)→ Yiqtol (modal/obligatory): the positive counterpart to v. 7a's prohibition — the enduring bond of person to ancestral landדָּבַק (H1692) Qal 'to cling, cleave, stay close'; the chapter's key positive verb — used elsewhere of marital/covenantal bonding (Gen 2:24) and here of a person's unbreakable tie to his tribe's inheritance.
בְּנֵ֥יthe sons ofN m pl constr · בֵּן (H1121)Subject (resuming/restating, in apposition to אִישׁ)בֵּן (H1121).
יִשְׂרָאֵֽלIsraelproper noun · יִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478)Genitiveיִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478).
8
וְכָל בַּ֞ת יֹרֶ֣שֶׁת נַחֲלָ֗ה מִמַּטּוֹת֮ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ לְאֶחָ֗ד מִמִּשְׁפַּ֛חַת מַטֵּ֥ה אָבִ֖יהָ תִּהְיֶ֣ה לְאִשָּׁ֑ה לְמַ֗עַן יִֽירְשׁוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אִ֖ישׁ נַחֲלַ֥ת אֲבֹתָֽיו
And every daughter who possesses an inheritance among the tribes of the Israelites shall become the wife of one from a clan of her father's tribe, so that the Israelites may possess, each, the inheritance of his fathers.
The ruling broadens from Zelophehad's five named daughters to a standing statute for any heiress in Israel — the middle panel between the two nearly identical formulations of the no-inter-tribal-transfer principle (vv. 7, 9). The purpose clause לְמַעַן makes the rationale explicit: each tribe must retain its ancestral land intact across generations.
Word-by-word analysis· 20 words
וְכָלand everyconj וְ + N m sg constr · כֹּל (H3605)Subject (construct 'every/all')כֹּל (H3605) 'all, every'; generalizes the ruling beyond Zelophehad's daughters to any inheriting daughter.
בַּ֞תdaughterN f sg abs · בַּת (H1323)Genitive completing the construct ('every daughter')בַּת (H1323) 'daughter'.
יֹרֶ֣שֶׁתwho possesses / inheritsQal ptc f sg abs · יָרַשׁ (H3423)Attributive participle modifying בַּת→ Qal participle: durative, characterizing — defines the class of daughters this law governsיָרַשׁ (H3423) Qal 'to possess, inherit, take possession of'; the participle specifies: only a daughter who actually holds a tribal inheritance (as heiress in the absence of brothers, cf. 27:8) is bound by this rule.
נַחֲלָ֗הan inheritanceN f sg abs · נַחֲלָה (H5159)Direct object of יֹרֶשֶׁתנַחֲלָה (H5159).
מִמַּטּוֹת֮from the tribes ofprep מִן + N m pl constr · מַטֶּה (H4294)Prepositional phrase (source, partitive)מַטֶּה (H4294) pl. with מִן; 'from any of the tribes' — generalizing the scope.
בְּנֵ֣יthe sons ofN m pl constr · בֵּן (H1121)Genitiveבֵּן (H1121).
יִשְׂרָאֵל֒Israelproper noun · יִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478)Genitiveיִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478).
לְאֶחָ֗דto oneprep לְ + adj m sg abs · אֶחָד (H259)Indirect object (marriage partner)אֶחָד (H259) 'one'.
מִמִּשְׁפַּ֛חַתfrom a clan ofprep מִן + N f sg constr · מִשְׁפָּחָה (H4940)Prepositional phrase (partitive, restrictive)מִשְׁפָּחָה (H4940) with מִן; restricts the pool of eligible husbands to her own tribe's clans.
מַטֵּ֥הthe tribe ofN m sg constr · מַטֶּה (H4294)Genitive constructמַטֶּה (H4294).
אָבִ֖יהָher fatherN m sg constr + 3fs suffix · אָב (H1)Genitiveאָב (H1) + 3fs suffix.
תִּהְיֶ֣הshe shall becomeQal impf 3fs · הָיָה (H1961)Predicate verb (main clause, legal obligation)→ Yiqtol (obligatory/modal): states the binding rule as a general statute, not merely a permission (contrast the daughters' own case in v. 6)הָיָה (H1961) 'to become'; here obligatory ('shall become'), generalizing v. 6's specific permission into a standing law.
לְאִשָּׁ֑הa wifeprep לְ + N f sg abs · אִשָּׁה (H802)Predicate complementאִשָּׁה (H802).
לְמַ֗עַןso thatprep לְ + N · מַעַן (H4616)Purpose conjunction introducing the rationale clauseמַעַן (H4616) with לְ, 'in order that, so that'; states the law's purpose explicitly — tribal land stability.
יִֽירְשׁוּ֙may possessQal impf 3mp · יָרַשׁ (H3423)Predicate verb (purpose clause)→ Yiqtol (purposive/final): the intended result of the marriage-restriction lawיָרַשׁ (H3423) Qal; echoes v. 8a's יֹרֶשֶׁת — the same root frames both the daughter's present possession and the tribe's ongoing possession.
בְּנֵ֣יthe sons ofN m pl constr · בֵּן (H1121)Subjectבֵּן (H1121).
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsraelproper noun · יִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478)Genitiveיִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478).
אִ֖ישׁeachN m sg abs · אִישׁ (H376)Apposition to subject (distributive)אִישׁ (H376), distributive apposition — 'the Israelites, each [one]'.
נַחֲלַ֥תthe inheritance ofN f sg constr · נַחֲלָה (H5159)Direct object (construct)נַחֲלָה (H5159).
אֲבֹתָֽיוhis fathersN m pl constr + 3ms suffix · אָב (H1)Genitiveאָב (H1) + 3ms suffix.
9
וְלֹֽא תִסֹּ֧ב נַחֲלָ֛ה מִמַּטֶּ֖ה לְמַטֶּ֣ה אַחֵ֑ר כִּי אִישׁ֙ בְּנַ֣חֲלָת֔וֹ יִדְבְּק֕וּ מַטּ֖וֹת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל
So no inheritance shall pass around from one tribe to another tribe, for the tribes of the Israelites shall each cling to his own inheritance.
Nearly verbatim repetition of v. 7 closes the legislative core: the no-transfer principle is stated, the daughters' law is given (v. 8), then the principle is restated — an envelope structure (vv. 7...8...9) that gives the ruling rhetorical finality before the narrative resumes in v. 10.
Word-by-word analysis· 13 words
וְלֹֽאand notconj וְ + negative particle · לֹא (H3808)Negative particleלֹא (H3808); restates v. 7's prohibition verbatim, closing the legislative core (vv. 7-9) with a matching bracket.
תִסֹּ֧בshall go around / migrateQal impf 3fs · סָבַב (H5437)Predicate verb (negated main clause)→ Yiqtol (modal/prohibitive): repeats v. 7's categorical statement, reinforcing it as unconditional lawסָבַב (H5437), repeating v. 7.
נַחֲלָ֛הinheritanceN f sg abs · נַחֲלָה (H5159)Subjectנַחֲלָה (H5159).
מִמַּטֶּ֖הfrom tribeprep מִן + N m sg abs · מַטֶּה (H4294)Adverbial prepositional phrase (source)מַטֶּה (H4294) with מִן.
לְמַטֶּ֣הto a tribeprep לְ + N m sg abs · מַטֶּה (H4294)Adverbial prepositional phrase (goal)מַטֶּה (H4294) with לְ; here לְ instead of v. 7's אֶל for the same idiom, 'from tribe to tribe'.
אַחֵ֑רother/anotheradj m sg abs · אַחֵר (H312)Attributive adjective modifying מַטֶּהאַחֵר (H312) 'other'; specifies a different tribe, sharpening v. 7's more general phrasing.
כִּיfor/becauseconj · כִּי (H3588)Causal conjunctionכִּי (H3588).
אִישׁ֙eachN m sg abs · אִישׁ (H376)Distributive apposition to the subject מַטּוֹתאִישׁ (H376), distributive — 'each' of the tribes' men.
בְּנַ֣חֲלָת֔וֹto his inheritanceprep בְּ + N f sg constr + 3ms suffix · נַחֲלָה (H5159)Prepositional phrase, object of יִדְבְּקוּנַחֲלָה (H5159) + 3ms suffix, with בְּ (object of clinging).
יִדְבְּק֕וּshall clingQal impf 3mp · דָּבַק (H1692)Predicate verb (main clause of the causal ground)→ Yiqtol (modal/obligatory): repeats v. 7's positive principle, closing the legislative unit with the same verb it began withדָּבַק (H1692), repeating v. 7 — the chapter's second and final use of this key verb, bracketing the core law (vv. 7-9) between two statements of clinging.
מַטּ֖וֹתthe tribes ofN m pl constr · מַטֶּה (H4294)Subjectמַטֶּה (H4294) pl. construct; here the tribes themselves (not just individuals) are said to cling, generalizing v. 7's אִישׁ to the corporate level.
בְּנֵ֥יthe sons ofN m pl constr · בֵּן (H1121)Genitiveבֵּן (H1121).
יִשְׂרָאֵֽלIsraelproper noun · יִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478)Genitiveיִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478).
10
כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶת מֹשֶׁ֑ה כֵּ֥ן עָשׂ֖וּ בְּנ֥וֹת צְלָפְחָֽד
Just as YHWH commanded Moses, so the daughters of Zelophehad did.
The standard כַּאֲשֶׁר ... כֵּן ('just as ... so') compliance formula, structurally identical to its use throughout the tabernacle-construction reports (Exod 39-40) — legal instruction and narrative fulfillment are formally matched, underscoring that the ruling was not merely issued but enacted.
Word-by-word analysis· 9 words
כַּאֲשֶׁ֛רjust asprep כְּ + relative particle · אֲשֶׁר (H834)Comparative conjunction introducing the compliance clauseאֲשֶׁר (H834) with כְּ, 'just as, according as'; introduces the compliance-report formula common in Priestly narrative (cf. Exod 39-40).
צִוָּ֥הcommandedPiel perf 3ms · צִוָּה (H6680)Predicate verb (subordinate comparative clause)→ Perfective: the completed divine command as the standard of comparisonצִוָּה (H6680) Piel.
יְהוָ֖הYHWHproper noun · יְהוָה (H3068)Subjectיְהוָה (H3068).
אֶת[obj]obj marker · אֵת (H853)Direct-object markerאֵת (H853), marking מֹשֶׁה as the object of צִוָּה.
מֹשֶׁ֑הMosesproper noun · מֹשֶׁה (H4872)Direct objectמֹשֶׁה (H4872).
כֵּ֥ןsodemonstrative particle · כֵּן (H3651)Adverb of manner (correlative to כַּאֲשֶׁר)כֵּן (H3651) 'so, thus'; correlative with כַּאֲשֶׁר — 'just as ... so ...', the formal compliance formula.
עָשׂ֖וּthey didQal perf 3cp · עָשָׂה (H6213)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Perfective: a completed act of obedience — the daughters' compliance closes the caseעָשָׂה (H6213) Qal 'to do, make'; the compliance report verb — the daughters carry out the ruling exactly.
בְּנ֥וֹתthe daughters ofN f pl constr · בַּת (H1323)Subject (construct)בַּת (H1323) pl. construct.
צְלָפְחָֽדZelophehadproper noun · צְלָפְחָד (H6765)Genitiveצְלָפְחָד (H6765); the narrative returns to the named daughters after the general legislation of vv. 7-9, confirming the law was obeyed in the very case that prompted it.
11
וַתִּהְיֶ֜ינָה מַחְלָ֣ה תִרְצָ֗ה וְחָגְלָ֧ה וּמִלְכָּ֛ה וְנֹעָ֖ה בְּנ֣וֹת צְלָפְחָ֑ד לִבְנֵ֥י דֹדֵיהֶ֖ן לְנָשִֽׁים
Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, became wives to their uncles' sons.
All five daughters are named in the same order as 27:1 (with the standard minor variation from 26:33), and the marriage partners are specified as their patrilineal first cousins (sons of their father's brothers) — the closest possible fulfillment of the tribal-endogamy rule, guaranteeing the inheritance stays not just within Manasseh but within Zelophehad's own extended clan.
Word-by-word analysis· 11 words
וַתִּהְיֶ֜ינָהand they becameQal wayyiqtol 3fp · הָיָה (H1961)Wayyiqtol of narrative sequence (main verb)→ Wayyiqtol: foregrounded narrative advance — the concrete fulfillment of v. 6's rulingהָיָה (H1961) 'to become'; the narrative record of the marriages — the same verb (תִּהְיֶינָה) as in the legislation, now realized.
מַחְלָ֣הMahlahproper noun · מַחְלָה (H4244)Subjectמַחְלָה (H4244), eldest of Zelophehad's five daughters, first named in 26:33 and 27:1.
תִרְצָ֗הTirzahproper noun · תִּרְצָה (H8656)Subject (coordinate)תִּרְצָה (H8656); later lends her name to a Canaanite/Israelite city (Josh 12:24; 1 Kgs 14:17).
וְחָגְלָ֧הand Hoglahconj וְ + proper noun · חָגְלָה (H2295)Subject (coordinate)חָגְלָה (H2295).
וּמִלְכָּ֛הand Milcahconj וְ + proper noun · מִלְכָּה (H4435)Subject (coordinate)מִלְכָּה (H4435).
וְנֹעָ֖הand Noahconj וְ + proper noun · נֹעָה (H5270)Subject (coordinate, final)נֹעָה (H5270); the order of the five names varies slightly across 26:33, 27:1, and here, a minor and well-known feature of the MT's own internal lists.
בְּנ֣וֹתthe daughters ofN f pl constr · בַּת (H1323)Apposition to the subjectבַּת (H1323) pl. construct.
צְלָפְחָ֑דZelophehadproper noun · צְלָפְחָד (H6765)Genitiveצְלָפְחָד (H6765).
לִבְנֵ֥יto the sons ofprep לְ + N m pl constr · בֵּן (H1121)Prepositional phrase (marriage partners)בֵּן (H1121) with לְ.
דֹדֵיהֶ֖ןtheir unclesN m pl constr + 3fp suffix · דּוֹד (H1730)Genitiveדּוֹד (H1730) 'uncle, beloved'; the daughters marry their father's brothers' sons — first cousins within Manasseh, precisely satisfying the 'clan of their father's tribe' restriction of v. 6.
לְנָשִֽׁיםas wivesprep לְ + N f pl abs · אִשָּׁה (H802)Predicate complementאִשָּׁה (H802) pl.
12
מִֽמִּשְׁפְּחֹ֛ת בְּנֵֽי מְנַשֶּׁ֥ה בֶן יוֹסֵ֖ף הָי֣וּ לְנָשִׁ֑ים וַתְּהִי֙ נַחֲלָתָ֔ן עַל מַטֵּ֖ה מִשְׁפַּ֥חַת אֲבִיהֶֽן
They became wives into the clans of the sons of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained with the tribe of their father's clan.
The chapter's central legal anxiety (vv. 3-4, land migrating from tribe to tribe) is resolved in narrative fact: the marriages keep the land עַל מַטֵּה מִשְׁפַּחַת אֲבִיהֶן, within the tribe and even the specific clan of their father — the concrete, successful outcome the law in vv. 6-9 was designed to secure.
Word-by-word analysis· 13 words
מִֽמִּשְׁפְּחֹ֛תinto the clans ofprep מִן + N f pl constr · מִשְׁפָּחָה (H4940)Prepositional phrase (destination of marriage, partitive)מִשְׁפָּחָה (H4940) with מִן; here מִן functions almost like 'among/into' — the clans the daughters married within.
בְּנֵֽיthe sons ofN m pl constr · בֵּן (H1121)Genitiveבֵּן (H1121).
מְנַשֶּׁ֥הManassehproper noun · מְנַשֶּׁה (H4519)Genitiveמְנַשֶּׁה (H4519).
בֶןson ofN m sg constr · בֵּן (H1121)Apposition (genealogical)בֵּן (H1121); Manasseh son of Joseph, closing the genealogical frame opened in v. 1.
יוֹסֵ֖ףJosephproper noun · יוֹסֵף (H3130)Genitiveיוֹסֵף (H3130).
הָי֣וּthey becameQal perf 3cp · הָיָה (H1961)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Perfective: a completed, settled outcome — the marriages accomplishedהָיָה (H1961) Qal perfect; restates the fact of marriage with the plain perfect (contrast v. 11's wayyiqtol), summarizing the result.
לְנָשִׁ֑יםwivesprep לְ + N f pl abs · אִשָּׁה (H802)Predicate complementאִשָּׁה (H802) pl.
וַתְּהִי֙and it remained/stayedQal wayyiqtol 3fs · הָיָה (H1961)Wayyiqtol of narrative sequence (main verb, resumptive)→ Wayyiqtol: foregrounded narrative advance — the crucial outcome the whole chapter has aimed atהָיָה (H1961) 'to be, remain'; the narrative's climactic point — the inheritance stayed (rather than migrated) with the ancestral tribe, resolving the entire chapter's legal problem.
נַחֲלָתָ֔ןtheir inheritanceN f sg constr + 3fp suffix · נַחֲלָה (H5159)Subjectנַחֲלָה (H5159) + 3fp; the very land whose fate occasioned the whole chapter.
עַלwithprep · עַל (H5921)Prepositional phrase (remaining location/possession)עַל (H5921) 'upon, with'; here 'remained with/attached to' the tribe — the successful outcome of the clinging (דָּבַק) principle of vv. 7, 9.
מַטֵּ֖הthe tribe ofN m sg constr · מַטֶּה (H4294)Object of preposition (construct)מַטֶּה (H4294).
מִשְׁפַּ֥חַתthe clan ofN f sg constr · מִשְׁפָּחָה (H4940)Genitive constructמִשְׁפָּחָה (H4940).
אֲבִיהֶֽןtheir fatherN m sg constr + 3fp suffix · אָב (H1)Genitiveאָב (H1) + 3fp suffix; the whole verse closes the case: land held by daughters of a fatherless line remains, generation after generation, within their own father's tribal clan.
13
אֵ֣לֶּה הַמִּצְוֺ֞ת וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה בְּיַד מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶל בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּעַֽרְבֹ֣ת מוֹאָ֔ב עַ֖ל יַרְדֵּ֥ן יְרֵחֽוֹ
These are the commandments and the judgments that YHWH commanded by the hand of Moses to the Israelites in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan at Jericho.
The Moab-plains counterpart to Leviticus' Sinai colophon (Lev 27:34, זֹאת הַמִּצְוֺת אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת מֹשֶׁה אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהַר סִינָי): the same מִצְוֺת/מִשְׁפָּטִים formula, the same mediating-hand construction, but now located at the opposite geographical pole of the wilderness journey — not the mountain of departure but the plains of arrival, opposite Jericho, on the Jordan's brink. With this verse the book of Numbers ends: forty years and a full legal corpus after Sinai, Israel stands ready to cross into the land.
Word-by-word analysis· 16 words
אֵ֣לֶּהthesedem pron common pl · אֵלֶּה (H428)Subject (demonstrative pronoun, cataphoric)אֵלֶּה (H428), common plural demonstrative; opens the book's closing colophon, echoing similar summary formulas (Lev 27:34; 30:17).
הַמִּצְוֺ֞תthe commandmentsart + N f pl abs · מִצְוָה (H4687)Predicate nominativeמִצְוָה (H4687) 'commandment'; from the root צוה, the same root as the chapter's own repeated צִוָּה — YHWH's commands throughout Numbers are here summarized as a completed corpus.
וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֗יםand the judgmentsconj וְ + art + N m pl abs · מִשְׁפָּט (H4941)Predicate nominative (coordinate)מִשְׁפָּט (H4941) 'judgment, ordinance'; paired with מִצְוֺת as a standard formula for the whole body of law — precisely the kind of case-law ruling this very chapter has just supplied (vv. 6-9).
אֲשֶׁ֨רthat/whichrelative particle · אֲשֶׁר (H834)Relative particleאֲשֶׁר (H834).
צִוָּ֧הcommandedPiel perf 3ms · צִוָּה (H6680)Predicate verb (relative clause)→ Perfective: summarizing the whole book's completed body of legislationצִוָּה (H6680) Piel; the same verb that has driven this chapter (vv. 2, 5, 6, 10, 13) now closes the entire book with it.
יְהוָ֛הYHWHproper noun · יְהוָה (H3068)Subjectיְהוָה (H3068).
בְּיַדby the hand ofprep בְּ + N c sg constr · יָד (H3027)Prepositional phrase (agency/mediation)יָד (H3027) 'hand'; בְּיַד, idiom for mediated agency — Moses as the channel, not the source, of the law.
מֹשֶׁ֖הMosesproper noun · מֹשֶׁה (H4872)Genitiveמֹשֶׁה (H4872); the mediator named one final time as the book closes.
אֶלtoprep · אֶל (H413)Prepositional phrase (recipient)אֶל (H413).
בְּנֵ֣יthe sons ofN m pl constr · בֵּן (H1121)Object of prepositionבֵּן (H1121).
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsraelproper noun · יִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478)Genitiveיִשְׂרָאֵל (H3478).
בְּעַֽרְבֹ֣תin the plains ofprep בְּ + N f pl constr · עֲרָבָה (H6160)Adverbial prepositional phrase (location)עֲרָבָה (H6160) 'desert plain, steppe'; עַרְבוֹת מוֹאָב, the arid plain east of the Jordan opposite Jericho, Israel's final encampment before the conquest (22:1; 33:48-50) — the geographic counterpart to Leviticus' Sinai colophon (Lev 27:34).
מוֹאָ֔בMoabproper noun · מוֹאָב (H4124)Genitiveמוֹאָב (H4124).
עַ֖לby, atprep · עַל (H5921)Adverbial prepositional phrase (location, further specifying)עַל (H5921) 'upon, by'; further pinpoints the plains' location relative to the Jordan.
יַרְדֵּ֥ןthe Jordanproper noun · יַרְדֵּן (H3383)Object of prepositionיַרְדֵּן (H3383) 'Jordan'; the river Israel is poised to cross — the book ends on the threshold of the land.
יְרֵחֽוֹJerichoproper noun · יְרֵחוֹ (H3405)Genitive (locating the Jordan crossing point)יְרֵחוֹ (H3405) 'Jericho'; the first Canaanite city to fall (Josh 6) — the book of Numbers closes with Israel encamped directly across from its first conquest target, poised at the very edge of the land it has spent forty years journeying toward.