Inheritance
18:1–31 Judges 17 introduced Micah, an Israelite from Ephraim who worshiped Yahweh using an idol and his own household shrine. After meeting a Levite from Judah, Micah invites the Levite to be his personal priest. In this chapter, the migrating Danites encounter the Levite.
The wording here does not mean that Dan had not received an inheritance, only that Dan had not secured their inheritance.
Inheritance
An inheritance is property or rights passed from one party to another via means other than purchase or exchange. This property is then expected to become the possession of the receiving party in perpetuity. Property may be claimed via conquest, given by a leading figure, or passed down from one family generation to another.
Inheritance
An inheritance is property or rights passed from one party to another via means other than purchase or exchange. This property is then expected to become the possession of the receiving party in perpetuity. Property may be claimed via conquest, given by a leading figure, or passed down from one family generation to another.
Concept Summary
In the Bible, an inheritance consists of substantial property or rights that are passed on from one person to another person or group (the “heir”). Once given, the inheritance remains in the heir’s family. A biblical heir is almost always identified prior to the time of the actual property transfer, and once the heir is identified, the property is usually identified as well.
The Hebrew verb נָחַל (nāḥal, “to inherit”) is used of inheriting land, not of inheriting movable possessions such as treasures or flocks of animals. The thing inherited (nāḥal) is called a נַחֲלָה (naḥălâ). This dual concept is well illustrated in Num 36:2–9, in which naḥălâ refers to both the land granted by Joshua to Zelophehad’s daughters and the land as it will be passed down from generation to generation. The word nāḥal is not used with respect to purchased property. The meanings and uses of יָרַשׁ (yāraš, “to inherit”) are similar to those of nāḥal. The OT writers prefer to use the infrequent form יְרֻשָּׁה (yĕruššâ, “possession”) for land granted to nations surrounding Israel. The word נִיר (nîr), which technically means “light,” is used in the OT as a metaphor for an eternal possession. The wordבְּכוֹר (bĕkôr, “firstborn”) refers to the “firstborn” in the sense of the sibling invested with special rights of inheritance, while פֶּטֶר (peṭer, “firstborn”) refers specifically to the first issue of a womb, who may not have special inheritance rights.
In the NT, πρωτότοκος (prōtotokos, “firstborn”) refers to the sibling with special rights or prominence, usually the literal first to be born. A κληρονόμος (klēronomos) is an heir, usually (but not always) the firstborn (prōtotokos). The word συγκληρονόμος (synklēronomos) means “joint heirs,” indicating one member of a group of people who share inheritance rights. The verb κληρονομέω (klēronomeō, “to inherit”) is related to klēronomos. It often translates נָחַל (nāḥal) in the Septuagint. Similarly, κληρονομία (klēronomia, “inheritance”) often translates נַחֲלָה (naḥălâ) in the Septuagint.
The word κληρόω (klēroō) means “to appoint by lot” (i.e., to make a decision by throwing a κλῆρος [klēros, “lot”], which usually consisted of a pebble or a stick). The idea is that God makes known his will on a matter by causing the klēros to land in a particular way. The word klēros can also refer to the portion decided by the process of appointing by lot (klēroō). The word κτάομαι (ktaomai, “to acquire”) is a more general term for the acquisition of something of significance, usually as compensation.
Theological Overview
While the Bible sometimes references human bequests of property (especially in the OT), the most important theological ideas involving inheritance involve the relationship of God to his people. God gives the land of Canaan to Israel as a נַחֲלָה (naḥălâ, “inheritance”; Deut 4:21; 12:9; Josh 11:23; 23:4; 1 Chr 16:8). At the same time, the OT identifies Israel as the inheritance (naḥălâ) of God (Deut 4:20; 1 Sam 10:1; 2 Sam 14:6; 21:3; 1 Kgs 8:51, 53). This idea is further explained in Deut 31:9, in which Israel is assigned to God. In both cases, naḥălâ indicates something permanent and given (using the verbs נָחַל [nāḥal] and יָרַשׁ [yāraš], which both indicate the permanent transfer of real or intangible property).
Besides land, naḥălâ often refers to the rights and blessings associated with being part of a family or group. In the Historical Books, the northern tribes, feeling that they have been treated badly by Davidic kings, reject their inheritance (naḥălâ) “in the son of Jesse” (i.e., David’s line; 2 Sam 20:1; 1 Kgs 12:16). This suggests that David’s installation as king came with the understanding (clarified in 2 Sam 7) that David’s line had become the permanent property of the tribes of Israel. In this context, the rarer word נִיר (nîr) is used to describe the everlasting inheritance of David, consisting of 2 of the original 12 tribes of Israel (1 Kgs 11:36; 15:4). Thus the concept of inheritance becomes mutually binding: David is the inheritance of Judah and Benjamin, while at the same time these two tribes are the inheritance of David.
The OT tends not to directly associate inheritance with the idea of the firstborn son. Exodus 4:22–23 may be a rare exception, as it expresses Israel as God’s בְּכוֹר (bĕkôr; “firstborn”; usually the eldest son), but even here, “inheritance” is not mentioned.
The NT only occasionally refers to the concept of inheritance, but the theological ideas are significant. Christ is represented as the πρωτότοκος (prōtotokos, “first born”) of creation in Col 1:15–18. Those who put their faith in Christ can become a κληρονόμος (klēronomos, “heir”) receiving the benefits of sonship just like Abraham (Gal 3:19–4:7). Acts 7:5 explains that Abraham himself did not receive any land of Canaan as a κληρονομία (klēronomia, “inheritance”) but that Canaan would in the future become a possession of Abraham and his descendants. According to Galatians (Gal 3:29; 4:1, 7), the inheritance that God promised to Abraham’s original heirs (klēronomos; i.e., the Jewish people) now passes to those who are redeemed in Christ. Since with Christ’s death and resurrection Christ’s followers become God’s heirs, these followers become entitled to the klēronomia due to such heirs.
Lexical Information
Old Testament
נַחֲלָה (naḥălâ). n. fem. inheritance. This word refers to property that is inherited by descendants and cannot be permanently sold.
In the OT, naḥălâ primarily refers to enduring property (normally land) that is inherited by descendants. The family in which the inheritance is passed may initially gain it through a grant or through dispossession of its previous owner (Num 18:20–26; Josh 13:6–14; 1 Kgs 21:3).
The word naḥălâ is also often used metaphorically to refer to intangible things, such as participation in a group (2 Sam 20:1; 1 Kgs 12:16) or the fate of an individual (Job 20:29; 31:2). Sometimes the people of Israel are referred to as God’s inheritance (naḥălâ; Deut 31:9; 2 Sam 14:16; 20:19; 21:3).
Verbal usages depict events which involve נַחֲלָה (naḥălâ). The word נָחַל (nāḥal) in the Qal with a human subject means to receive or possess property (Num 18:20; Exod 23:30; Jer 16:19; Zeph 2:9). God as subject owns or accepts a people or territory (Exod 34:9; Psa 82:8). The Piel is used to designate or apportion land to someone (Num 34:29; Josh 19:51). The Hiphil indicates the actual distribution of bequeathed property (1 Sam 2:8; Isa 49:8; Ezek 46:18; 1 Chr 28:8).
נָחַל (nāḥal). vb. to receive or transfer property (without purchasing it). Different forms of this verb express having, giving, and receiving an inheritance.
This verb is related to the noun נַחֲלָה (naḥălâ, “inheritance”); different verbal stems express several verbal concepts that relate to naḥălâ, including receiving or possessing an inheritance (e.g., Num 18:20; Exod 23:30; Jer 16:19; Zeph 2:9), designating or apportioning land to someone (e.g., Num 34:29; Josh 19:51), and passing on an inheritance to one’s descendants (e.g., 1 Sam 2:8; Isa 49:8; Ezek 46:18; 1 Chr 28:8).
נִיר (nîr). n. masc. (everlasting) lamp, heir. Symbolic of something lasting.
This word probably derives from the more common נֵר (nēr, “lamp”). However, in the OT, nîr is never used to refer to a literal lamp. It occurs four times in the OT as a symbol of the kingdom of Judah, the beneficiary of God’s covenant with David in 2 Sam 7. While the sins of Solomon caused David’s line to lose rule of Israel, 1 Kgs 11:36; 15:4 stipulate that Judah will continue to be ruled by David’s descendants, as a nîr for David’s sake.
בְּכוֹר (bĕkōr). n. masc. firstborn. Privileged descendant, usually first in birth order.
This word often indicates the first person or animal to be born from a given womb, as in Gen 4:4 (cattle) and Gen 25:13 (humans), especially the oldest son (Judg 8:20; 1 Chr 1:13; 1 Sam 8:2). It is also used metaphorically to refer to Israel as the firstborn (bĕkōr) of God in Exod 4:22.
יָרַשׁ (yāraš). vb. to inherit, take possession. Gain control of territory through means other than purchase or exchange: either bequest or conquest.
The core meaning of this verb is “take into possession,” with a term for “land” acting as object. The subject of this sense is always a human being (with the possible exception of the deity Milcom in Jer 49:1). God is not directly involved in the action; the term instead functions in a secular, juridical manner, even in important theological passages. For example, the formulae “you will enter and take possession (yāraš) of the land” (Deut 4:1; 8:1, 11) and “the land to which you will pass, in order to take it into possession (yāraš)” (Deut 4:14, 26; 6:1; 11:8, 11) feature Israel as subject in a context in which God clearly directs the action. Frequent objects include land in general (Deut 1:8, 21, 39; Josh 1:11, 15), land belonging to another people or ruler (Deut 2:24, 31, 4:47; Josh 24:8), the earth as a whole (Deut 28:21, 63; 30:18), and נַחֲלָה (naḥălâ, “inheritance”; Num 27:11; 36:8). The Hiphil forms usually mean “to make poor” or “to destroy.” God sometimes acts as the subject (Num 14:12; 1 Sam 2:7; Job 20:15). In Joshua and Judges, however, the meaning seems to be destroying someone so that another can possess his property (e.g., Josh 13:12; Judg 1:19).
יְרֻשָּׁה (yĕruššâ). n. masc. possession. Property that is owned and controlled in perpetuity by a particular family or people.
This word usually refers to the land of a large group, whether a foreign nation (e.g., Deut 2:5), Israel as a whole (2 Chr 20:11), or tribes of Israel (Deut 3:20; Josh 1:15; 12:6). In Jeremiah 32:8, yĕruššâ refers to real family property that is inherited. Yĕruššâ refers to something more intangible in Judg 21:17, where it indicates the ongoing existence of the tribe of Benjamin at a time when this tribe is at risk of extinction due to battle losses. Finally, in Psalm 61:6, yĕruššâ represents the blessings of the protection of God, likened to a physical location of safety.
New Testament
πρωτότοκος (prōtotokos). adj. firstborn. The child in a family who holds special privilege, including inheritance rights. This is typically, although not universally, the oldest son.
This word is the usual Septuagint translation of בְכֹר (bĕkōr). It also appears eight times in the NT. Jesus is Mary’s firstborn (prōtotokos) son in Luke 2:7, and Heb 11:28 mentions firstborn children (prōtotokos) in a reference to the Passover story. While prōtotokos usually refers to the first (and possibly only) child to be born, its use in Rev 1:5; Col 1:15, 18 indicates that this word refers to the best or favored child, not necessarily the oldest.
κληρονόμος (klēronomos). n. masc. heir. The individual who will receive rights to immovable property.
Jesus uses this term to refer to the son of the master (who represents Jesus himself) in the parable of the Tenants in Matt 21:38; Mark 12:7; and Luke 20:14. Christ is more directly presented as God’s heir (klēronomos) in Heb 1:2. All other NT occurrences of klēronomos use the word to refer to Christians who may experience God’s blessings. In Galatians (Gal 3:29; 4:1, 7), the inheritance promised by God to Abraham’s original heirs (klēronomos), the Jews, passes to those who are redeemed in Christ. This idea finds further expression in Rom 4:13–14; 8:17.
κληρονομέω (klēronomeō). vb. to inherit. To receive rights or real property in perpetuity by means other than purchase or exchange.
This word is the most common Septuagint translation of יָרַשׁ (yāraš, “to take possession”). While in the Septuagint klēronomeō may translate to instances of yāraš in which the beneficiary receives real property and possibly uses force, in the NT klēronomeō is used only of inheriting rights or intangible blessing by bequest, never of inheriting real property. (The one possible exception to this principle occurs in Matt 5:5, where the meek “inherit” [klēronomeō] the earth.) The NT instance of a divine being as subject of klēronomeō occurs in Heb 1:4, where Christ inherits (klēronomeō) a name from God. Galatians 4:30 quotes Genesis 21:10, in which the Septuagint says that Hagar’s son Ishmael will not gain the inheritance (klēronomeō, translating yāraš) due Abraham’s favored son, Isaac. Hebrews 12:17 uses klēronomeō in a similar way (although not directly quoting the OT) to reference Esau’s inability to inherit the birthright from his father Isaac. All other uses of klēronomeō reference blessings that Christians receive from God. The blessing is usually eternal life (Matt 19:29; Mark 10:17; Luke 10:25; 18:18) or the kingdom of God (Matt 25:34; 1 Cor 6:9, 10; 15:50; Gal 5:21).
κληρονομία (klēronomia). n. fem. inheritance. Property possessed by a lawful heir.
This word is the usual Septuagint translation of נַחֲלָה (naḥălâ, “inheritance”). In the NT, Heb 11:8 follows the Septuagint usage in its discussion of the klēronomia of Abraham. The term refers to temporal property as well in the Gospels (e.g., Mark 12:7; Luke 12:13) and in Acts 7:5. The other NT uses of klēronomia refer to the present right of Christians to receive future spiritual blessings (e.g., Acts 20:32; Gal 3:18; Eph 1:14; Heb 9:15; 1 Pet 1:4).
συγκληρονόμος (synklēronomos). adj. coheir. A person who shares in an inheritance with someone else.
This word is used in the NT to describe multiple people who inherit together the blessings of a relationship with God. Temporal inheritances in the Bible are usually disproportionally divided in favor of a particular heir, usually the oldest son, but, judging from sources contemporaneous with the NT, the concept and practice of coheirs was generally familiar in the NT world. In Romans 8:17, Paul calls Christians coheirs (synklēronomos) with Christ. Ephesians 3:6 states that Gentiles are joint heirs (synklēronomos) with the Jews of God’s promise. Hebrews 11:9 joins together Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as coheirs (synklēronomos). First Peter 3:7 describes husbands and wives as joint heirs (synklēronomos).
κλῆρος (klēros). n. masc. lot; portion, share. A pebble or stick which is thrown or drawn to arrive at a decision, that which is assigned by lot, or a part of a group.
This word can refer to a lot that is cast or to what is allotted or assigned by lot. In the Septuagint, it is sometimes used to translate נַחֲלָה (naḥălâ, “inheritance”), though less often than κληρονομία (klēronomia). In the NT, klēros refers to a lot that is cast to make a decision in the Passion Narratives (Matt 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24) and in Acts 1:26. In other cases it refers to a share or allotment. Acts 1:17 refers to the share (klēros) that Judas had had in the ministry of the apostles. When Simon the Magician asks the apostles for the ability to lay hands on people so they may receive the Holy Spirit, Peter rebukes him by saying that he has “no part or share (klēros) in this matter,” i.e., Christian missionary activity, because his heart is not right before God (Acts 8:21). Acts 26:18 and Colossians 1:12 mention the “place” or “inheritance” (klēros) due to those who have been sanctified by God. First Peter 5:3 uses klēros to indicate the group of people led by a Christian elder.
κληρόω (klēroō). vb. appoint by lot. To assign to a category or group based on the result of something which cannot be temporally controlled, such as the casting of dice.
This word appears in the NT only in Eph 1:11; Paul says, “We [i.e., Christians] were appointed by lot (klēroō).” God alone determines the means by which Paul and the Ephesians become part of the church body.
κτάομαι (ktaomai). vb. obtain, acquire, win. The acquisition of something of significance, generally as compensation.
This word can refer to acquiring things in a variety of ways. In Matthew 10:9; Luke 18:12; and Acts 1:18; 8:20, it refers to a person acquiring material gain or earnings. In Acts 22:28, it refers to buying (ktaomai) Roman citizenship. Luke 21:19 refers to acquiring (ktaomai) life through endurance.
JOHN W. HERBST
See Also