What is the meaning of Numbers 27:9?

If he has no daughter

- This phrase follows the Lord’s ruling on Zelopehad’s request (Numbers 27:1-8). The immediate context establishes a clear line of succession for inheritance when a man dies without sons.

- The provision safeguards the continuation of a family’s name and property within the tribe (compare Numbers 27:4; Ruth 4:5).

- It acknowledges that daughters are next in line after sons, underscoring God’s just concern for women when male heirs are absent (Numbers 27:7).

- Cross references: Numbers 36:1-2 shows this principle balanced with tribal boundaries; Deuteronomy 25:5-6 illustrates a related concern to preserve a family line.

---

Give his inheritance

- “Inheritance” refers to the land portion each family would receive in Canaan (Numbers 26:52-56).

- The command protects God-assigned allotments from being lost or absorbed by other families, fulfilling His covenant promise to Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 17:8; Joshua 13:6-7).

- This reinforces that stewardship of land is sacred, entrusted by God rather than owned outright (Leviticus 25:23).

- By legislating transfer rather than forfeiture, the Lord preserves economic stability and identity within Israel’s community (Proverbs 13:22).

---

To his brothers

- If neither sons nor daughters exist, the estate passes laterally to the deceased man’s brothers (Numbers 27:10 continues the chain).

- This keeps the property within the father’s immediate clan, maintaining tribal integrity (Numbers 36:7-9).

- The practice anticipates Christ’s concern that His people care for close relatives (1 Timothy 5:8) and reflects the broader command to honor family obligations (Exodus 20:12).

- It points ahead to our eternal inheritance secured through our “Brother” Jesus, who redeems and keeps our place in God’s family (Hebrews 2:11-12; 1 Peter 1:4).

---

summary

Numbers 27:9 shows God’s orderly plan to ensure every family in Israel retains its God-given inheritance. If a man dies without a daughter, the estate rightly shifts to his brothers, preserving the family name, tribal boundaries, and covenant promises. In Christ, these earthly safeguards foreshadow the unfailing heavenly inheritance kept for all who belong to Him.