Family property was normally handed down in biblical times through sons, with a special place for the firstborn. The land of Israel was regarded as the nation's inheritance.
Inheritance of family property
It was normally handed down through sons
Genesis 15:3–4 See also Genesis 25:5; Jeremiah 49:1; Ezekiel 46:16–17; Matthew 21:38 parallels Mark 12:7, Luke 20:14; Galatians 4:30; Genesis 21:10
Abram continued, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir.” Then the word of the LORD came to Abram, saying, “This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir.”
The absence of a son as a male heir was seen as a serious disadvantage
Genesis 25:21; Deuteronomy 25:5–6; Judges 21:17; 1 Samuel 1:10–11; 2 Samuel 14:4–7
Other relatives could inherit
Numbers 27:8–11 See also Numbers 27:1–7, Numbers 36:2–4; Ruth 4:1–4; Job 42:15
Furthermore, you shall say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, you are to transfer his inheritance to his daughter. If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. And if his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the next of kin from his clan, that he may take possession of it. This is to be a statutory ordinance for the Israelites, as the LORD has commanded Moses.’”
Servants could inherit
Inheritance before death
Luke 15:11–12 The son's asking for his inheritance is perhaps to be seen as an insult.
The rights of the firstborn
Deuteronomy 21:15–17 See also Genesis 27:19, Genesis 27:32; 2 Chronicles 21:3
If a man has two wives, one beloved and the other unloved, and both bear him sons, but the unloved wife has the firstborn son, when that man assigns his inheritance to his sons he must not appoint the son of the beloved wife as the firstborn over the son of the unloved wife. Instead, he must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of his unloved wife, by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For that son is the firstfruits of his father’s strength; the right of the firstborn belongs to him.
Stewardship of one's own inheritance
It must be preserved
1 Kings 21:2–3 See also Proverbs 13:22
So Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to use as a vegetable garden, since it is next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in its place — or if you prefer, I will give you its value in silver.” But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”
It must not be squandered
Hebrews 12:16 See also Genesis 25:29–34; Luke 15:13
See to it that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his birthright.
It must not be fought over
Respect for the inheritance of others
Micah 2:2–3 See also Ezekiel 46:18
They covet fields and seize them; they take away houses. They deprive a man of his home, a fellow man of his inheritance. Therefore this is what the LORD says: “I am planning against this nation a disaster from which you cannot free your necks. Then you will not walk so proudly, for it will be a time of calamity.
The land as Israel's inheritance
It was promised to Abraham
Genesis 12:6–7 See also Genesis 13:14–15, Genesis 15:7, Genesis 15:18–21, Genesis 17:8; Acts 7:3–5; Hebrews 11:8
Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the Oak of Moreh at Shechem. And at that time the Canaanites were in the land. 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.
It was confirmed to Moses and the patriarchs
Entry was denied because of sin
Numbers 14:22–23; Deuteronomy 4:21
It was entered by faith
It was conquered by Joshua
It was allotted to the tribes
It was a land for the godly
Psalm 37:9, Psalm 37:11, Psalm 37:22, Psalm 37:29, Psalm 37:34
It was a good inheritance
Exodus 3:8 See also Leviticus 20:24; Numbers 13:21–27; Deuteronomy 8:7–8, Deuteronomy 11:10–12; Psalm 65:9–10; Jeremiah 2:7
I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey— the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
The LORD's inheritance in the land
Exodus 15:17; Joshua 22:19; Zechariah 2:12
The inheritance was lost through sin
Jeremiah 17:4 See also Psalm 79:1; Lamentations 5:2
And you yourself will relinquish the inheritance that I gave you. I will enslave you to your enemies in a land that you do not know, for you have kindled My anger; it will burn forever.”
God's judgment on the nations
The land was regained through grace
God renewed his promises
Psalm 69:34–36 The Jews did return to the land; some look, however, for a further fulfilment of these promises in the future; others see them as fulfilled in Jesus Christ. See also Isaiah 57:13, Isaiah 58:13–14, Isaiah 61:7, Isaiah 65:9; Zechariah 8:12
Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them. For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah, that they may dwell there and possess it. The descendants of His servants will inherit it, and those who love His name will settle in it.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.