An Overview of Numbers Chapters 27-36 Answers

1. What would occur to a man’s possession of an inheritance if he had no sons?

• “Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the

son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters;

Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the

priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

saying, Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves

together against the Lord in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons. Why should the

name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a

possession among the brethren of our father. And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. And the Lord

spake unto Moses, saying, The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a

possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their

father to pass unto them. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no

son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. And if he have no daughter, then ye shall

give his inheritance unto his brethren. And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his

father's brethren. And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that

is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of

judgment, as the Lord commanded Moses” (Numbers 27:1-11).

2. Moses was told earlier in our studies of the book of Numbers that he would not enter into the land which God
promised Israel. Here are two questions concerning this matter:

a. Where did we read about Moses being prevented from entering into the land promised to Israel (hint: within

the past 10 chapters)?

o Numbers 20:7-13

b. In our current context, do we find Moses is going to be allowed to enter into the land promised to Israel?

o NO, God will not allow Moses to enter into the promise land and we won’t see his death in the

book of Numbers (Numbers 27:12-14; cf. Deuteronomy 34:5-8).

3. Did Moses realize that there was a need for leadership among the children of Israel?

• Yes, he wanted to appoint a man to lead in his stead (Numbers 27:15-17).

• Jesus similarly talked of a sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:35-38).

4. Who would be chosen to lead Israel into the future?

• Joshua the son of Nun (Numbers 27:18).

• This is a fitting appointment because Joshua was one of only two men besides Moses and Aaron to

stand aright concerning the promise land (Numbers 14:5-9; 30).

5. Were there daily, weekly, and monthly offerings made unto God?

• Yes, (Numbers 28:3; 10; 11).

6. How soon after the Passover was the feast of unleavened bread to begin?

• The very next day (Numbers 28:16-17).

7. When was the day of the blowing of trumpets?

• The seventh month, on the first day of the month (Numbers 29:1).

8. If a man made a vow were they just promises that he was to “try to do his best” to keep?

• No, they had better kept them COMPLETELY, period (Numbers 30:2; cf. Ecclesiastes 5:4-5).

9. What was the difference between the vow of a man and that of a woman who was still in her father’s house or
married to a man?

• Aside from a widow or divorced woman (who had not vowed in her husband’s house), a woman’s father

or husband could keep her from fulfilling that vow and God would forgive her of it (Numbers 30:3-16).

10. What was Moses’ last “major” task?

• “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt

thou be gathered unto thy people” (Numbers 31:1-2).

11. Why was Moses angry with the officers and captains who had efficiently killed all the males and destroyed the
cities of the Midianites?

• “And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and

unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near

Jericho. And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them

without the camp. And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and

captains over hundreds, which came from the battle. And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the

women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass

against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord”

(Numbers 31:12-16).

12. What was the solution given for the error of the soldiers?

• “Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying

with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves”

(Numbers 31:17-18).

13. Did the children of Israel divide up the spoils of their victory?

• Yes, they divided up the spoils of victory remembering the Lord, the whole congregation, and the

Levities in the amounts (Numbers 31:25-54).

14. What did the children of Gad and Reuben want to do?

• They wanted to take land without helping their brethren fight the battles to get the land God promised

them, thereby being a discouragement to the other tribes (Numbers 32:1-7).

15. What stipulation was given for the children of Gad and Reuben to have the land of Gilead?

• They had to fight alongside their brethren to take the land of Canaan (Numbers 32:29-33).

16. Who would decide the borders of the land promised to Israel?

• God did (Numbers 34:1-15).

17. What two men would divide the land among the children of Israel?

• Joshua and Eleazar the priest (Numbers 34:17).

18. How many cities would be given unto the Levites?

• 48 (Numbers 35:7).

19. What was a city of refuge used for?

• “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of

Canaan; Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which

killeth any person at unawares [accidently]. And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger;

that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment. And of these cities which ye

shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge. Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities

shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge. These six cities shall be a refuge, both for

the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any

person unawares may flee thither” (Numbers 35:10-15).

20. If the revenger of blood finds the suspect of murderer outside of the city of refuge to which he had fled, will the
revenger of blood be guilty for taking vengeance?

• No, (Numbers 35:26-27).

21. Was more than one witness required to convict a murderer?

• Yes, (Numbers 35:30).

22. Should have any murderer be allowed to be set free with a ransom [satisfaction] under the Law of Moses?

• No, (Numbers 35:31-32).

23. What problem was presented at the beginning of the last chapter of our study and how was it resolved?

• Since the daughter’s of Zelophehad would receive their father’s inheritance (Numbers 36:1-4),

they might marry a man from another tribe resulting in that tribe gaining the inheritance of another tribe?

• The solution was that they must marry within the tribe of their father so that an inheritance would

NEVER move from tribe to tribe (Numbers 36:5-13).

Having A Basic Understanding of Some Old Testament Truths
Part 23 – Laws Concerning Inheritance Through The End Of Numbers (Numbers 27-36)

Click Here To Download This Material in a PDF File