Numbers 26:55
New International Version
Be sure that the land is distributed by lot. What each group inherits will be according to the names for its ancestral tribe.

New Living Translation
But you must assign the land by lot, and give land to each ancestral tribe according to the number of names on the list.

English Standard Version
But the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.

Berean Standard Bible
Indeed, the land must be divided by lot; they shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.

King James Bible
Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.

New King James Version
But the land shall be divided by lot; they shall inherit according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.

New American Standard Bible
But the land shall be divided by lot. They shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.

NASB 1995
“But the land shall be divided by lot. They shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.

NASB 1977
“But the land shall be divided by lot. They shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.

Legacy Standard Bible
But the land shall be divided by lot. They shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.

Amplified Bible
But the land shall be divided by lot. They shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers (tribal ancestors).

Christian Standard Bible
The land is to be divided by lot; they will receive an inheritance according to the names of their ancestral tribes.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The land must be divided by lot; they will receive an inheritance according to the names of their ancestral tribes.

American Standard Version
Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.

English Revised Version
Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But the land must be divided by drawing lots. The tribes will receive their land based on the names of their ancestors.

International Standard Version
but the land is to be divided by lot, inheriting according to the names of their ancestor's tribe.

Majority Standard Bible
Indeed, the land must be divided by lot; they shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.

NET Bible
The land must be divided by lot; and they will inherit in accordance with the names of their ancestral tribes.

New Heart English Bible
Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.

Webster's Bible Translation
Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.

World English Bible
Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Surely the land is apportioned by lot; they inherit by the names of the tribes of their fathers;

Young's Literal Translation
'Only by lot is the land apportioned, by the names of the tribes of their fathers they inherit;

Smith's Literal Translation
But by lot shall the land be divided; according to the names of the tribes of their fathers, they shall inherit.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Yet so that by lot the land be divided to the tribe and families.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Yet only in so far as the land is divided by lot to a tribe and to families.

New American Bible
But the land shall be divided by lot, all inheriting according to the lists of their ancestral tribes.

New Revised Standard Version
But the land shall be apportioned by lot; according to the names of their ancestral tribes they shall inherit.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lots; according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
However the land will be divided in lots; they will inherit by the names of the families of their fathers.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot; according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The land shall be divided to the names by lot, they shall inherit according to the tribes of their families.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Inheritance by Lot
54Increase the inheritance for a large tribe and decrease it for a small one; each tribe is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those registered. 55Indeed, the land must be divided by lot; they shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers. 56Each inheritance is to be divided by lot among the larger and smaller tribes.”…

Cross References
Joshua 14:2
Their inheritance was assigned by lot for the nine and a half tribes, as the LORD had commanded through Moses.

Joshua 18:10
And Joshua cast lots for them in the presence of the LORD at Shiloh, where he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their divisions.

Ezekiel 47:22
You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners who dwell among you and who have children. You are to treat them as native-born Israelites; along with you, they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

Ezekiel 48:29
This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel, and these will be their portions,” declares the Lord GOD.

Numbers 33:54
And you are to divide the land by lot according to your clans. Give a larger inheritance to a larger clan and a smaller inheritance to a smaller one. Whatever falls to each one by lot will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to the tribes of your fathers.

Deuteronomy 1:38
Joshua son of Nun, who stands before you, will enter it. Encourage him, for he will enable Israel to inherit the land.

Deuteronomy 19:14
You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker, which was set up by your ancestors to mark the inheritance you shall receive in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

Joshua 13:6-7
All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim—all the Sidonians—I Myself will drive out before the Israelites. Be sure to divide it by lot as an inheritance to Israel, as I have commanded you. / Now therefore divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”

Joshua 19:51
These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families distributed by lot to the tribes of Israel at Shiloh before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. So they finished dividing up the land.

Acts 13:19
And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance.

Acts 7:5
He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised to give possession of the land to Abraham and his descendants, even though he did not yet have a child.

Hebrews 11:8-9
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going. / By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.

Genesis 12:7
Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

Genesis 15:18
On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—

Genesis 17:8
And to you and your descendants I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God.”


Treasury of Scripture

Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.

Numbers 26:21
And the sons of Pharez were; of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.

Romans 11:7
What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded

1 Corinthians 12:4
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

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Ancestral Apportioned Decision Distributed Distribution Divided Heritage Inherit Inheritance Inherits Lot Names Notwithstanding Receive Sure Tribe Tribes
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Ancestral Apportioned Decision Distributed Distribution Divided Heritage Inherit Inheritance Inherits Lot Names Notwithstanding Receive Sure Tribe Tribes
Numbers 26
1. The sum of all Israel is taken in the plains of Moab
52. The law of dividing among them the inheritance of the land
57. The families and number of the Levites
63. None but Caleb and Joshua was left of those who were numbered at Sinai














But the land
The phrase "the land" refers to the Promised Land, Canaan, which God had pledged to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In Hebrew, "land" is "eretz," a term that signifies not just physical territory but also a place of divine promise and blessing. The land was central to Israel's identity and covenant relationship with God, symbolizing both physical sustenance and spiritual inheritance.

must be divided
The division of the land was a command, not a suggestion, indicating the importance of order and fairness in the distribution of God's blessings. The Hebrew root "chalaq" means to apportion or distribute, emphasizing the structured and intentional nature of this division. This reflects God's desire for justice and equity among His people, ensuring that each tribe received its rightful share.

by lot
Casting lots was a common biblical practice used to discern God's will, akin to drawing straws or rolling dice. The Hebrew word "goral" refers to this method, which was believed to remove human bias and allow divine sovereignty to guide decisions. This practice underscores the belief that God is actively involved in the affairs of His people, directing outcomes according to His perfect wisdom.

they shall receive
The phrase indicates a passive reception, highlighting that the inheritance is a gift from God rather than something earned. The Hebrew verb "laqach" means to take or receive, suggesting that the Israelites were to accept their inheritance with gratitude and humility, recognizing it as a fulfillment of God's promises.

their inheritance
Inheritance, or "nachalah" in Hebrew, is a key biblical concept that extends beyond material possession to include spiritual heritage and identity. For the Israelites, receiving their inheritance was a tangible sign of God's faithfulness and a reminder of their covenant relationship with Him. It also pointed forward to the ultimate inheritance believers have in Christ.

according to the names
This phrase emphasizes the personal and familial nature of the inheritance. Each tribe's portion was linked to the names of their ancestors, reinforcing the continuity of God's promises through generations. The Hebrew word "shem" for "name" signifies reputation and character, suggesting that the inheritance was also a reflection of the tribes' unique identities and roles within God's plan.

of their ancestral tribes
The reference to "ancestral tribes" highlights the communal aspect of the inheritance. The Hebrew term "mishpachah" for "tribes" denotes a family or clan, underscoring the importance of community and shared identity in Israel's society. This structure ensured that each tribe maintained its distinct heritage while contributing to the unity and strength of the nation as a whole.

Verse 55. - Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot. This can only be reconciled with the preceding order by assuming that the lot was to determine the situation of the territory, the actual boundaries being left to the discretion of the rulers. Recourse was had as far as possible to the lot in order to refer the matter directly to God, of whose will and gift they held the land (cf. Proverbs 16:33; Acts 1:26). The lot would also remove any suspicion that the more numerous tribes, such as Judah or Dan, were unfairly favoured (verse 56).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Indeed,
אַךְ־ (’aḵ-)
Adverb
Strong's 389: A particle of affirmation, surely

the land
הָאָ֑רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

must be divided
יֵחָלֵ֖ק (yê·ḥā·lêq)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2505: To be smooth, to apportion, separate

by lot;
בְּגוֹרָ֕ל (bə·ḡō·w·rāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1486: Lot -- a lot (for casting)

they shall receive their inheritance
יִנְחָֽלוּ׃ (yin·ḥā·lū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5157: To inherit, to occupy, to bequeath, distribute, instate

according to the names
לִשְׁמ֥וֹת (liš·mō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 8034: A name

of the tribes
מַטּוֹת־ (maṭ·ṭō·wṯ-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 4294: A staff, rod, shaft, branch, a tribe

of their fathers.
אֲבֹתָ֖ם (’ă·ḇō·ṯām)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1: Father


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OT Law: Numbers 26:55 Notwithstanding the land shall be divided (Nu Num.)
Numbers 26:54
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