The Last Numbers

Up to this point, when a man died, his property would go only to sons or other males. When Zelophehad died, his five daughters petitioned Moses that his name/clan should not die out due to no inheritance because he left no sons. So Moses took the issue to the Lord, and guess what – He agreed and set new law to observe daughters as legitimate heirs.

But then, just a few pages later, it is pointed out that if they married into another Israelite tribe, their father’s clan would lose out, and heavens, that wouldn’t be fair. So the only solution was to relegate the daughters to marrying their cousins within their class to keep the property.  Any daughter who inherits land must marry within her father’s tribe. And so… Z’s five daughters all married their cousins on their father’s side. Ew.

So, should we take this as a sign to sanction inbreeding? Naw.

Confession #39: It is interesting to me that as various states consider the definition of marriage, again many of us hoist the Bible in the air as proof of our own construct. And yet, we have already seen in these first four books the divergent constructs such unions have undergone. [I’m sure we’ll return to this subject again.]

And on we move toward Jericho.