Of Daughters And Land Deeds
- Remember the daughters of Zelophehad from chapter 27? Well, now they're back.
- If you'll recall, these ladies were allowed to inherit in the Promised Land even though their father died. Sounds fair, right?
- Well, now, apparently, some of the men in the tribe of Manasseh are a little worried that this precious Manasseh land could pass to another tribe if the ladies marry outside the family. The land would become their husband's property when they marry. Bummer… we guess.
- So, Moses conferences with God and the Lord decides that these guys have a point.
- As a result, the daughters of Zelophehad can marry anyone they want. But there's a catch—the lucky guy has to be a member of the tribe of Manasseh. How… romantic?
- This goes for any lady who inherits land in her father's name. She has to marry within the tribe or… well, there is no or. She just has to do it.
- For their part, Zelophehad's five daughters are totally cool with this. In fact, each one of them marries one of their cousins. Talk about keeping it all in the family.
Are We There Yet?
- The chapter and the whole book ends with a reminder that God told Moses all these things as "in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho."
- And just like that, it's over.
- What? No Promised Land?
- Nope. Sorry, that won't happen for two more books. In Joshua, the Israelites finally step foot in this place we've been talking about for forty years. Total cliffhanger.