Reference: Heir
Easton
Under the patriarchs the property of a father was divided among the sons of his legitimate wives (Ge 21:10; 24:36; 25:5), the eldest son getting a larger portion than the rest. The Mosaic law made specific regulations regarding the transmission of real property, which are given in detail in De 21:17; Nu 27:8; 36:6; 27:9-11. Succession to property was a matter of right and not of favour. Christ is the "heir of all things" (Heb 1:2; Col 1:15). Believers are heirs of the "promise," "of righteousness," "of the kingdom," "of the world," "of God," "joint heirs" with Christ (Ga 3:29; Heb 6:17; 11:7; Jas 2:5; Ro 4:13; 8:17).
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Therefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
And Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master when she was old, unto whom he has given all that he has.
And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.
And thou shalt speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, If a man dies and has no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. And if he has no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren. read more. And if he has no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren. And if his father has no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his lineage, and he shall inherit it; and it shall be unto the sons of Israel a law of rights, as the LORD commanded Moses.
This is the thing which the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry as they desire; but they shall marry only within the family of the tribe of their father
but he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.
For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
and if sons, also heirs certainly of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together with him.
And if ye are Christ's, then ye are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.
who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature;
has in these last times spoken unto us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the ages;
In which God, desiring to show more abundantly unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath,
By faith Noah, having received revelation of things not seen as yet, with great care prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by which he condemned the world and was made heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Hearken, my beloved brethren, Has not God chosen the poor of this world that they might be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to those that love him?
Fausets
(Heir, (See BIRTHRIGHT; INHERITANCE,) refers exclusively to land.) The Mosaic law enforced a strict entail; the property was divided among the sons, the oldest receiving a double portion (the father not having the right, as the patriarchs had, of giving a special portion to a favorite son: Ge 48:22), the rest equal shares (De 21:17). If there were no sons it went to the daughters, on condition that they married in their own tribe; otherwise they forfeited the inheritance (Nu 27:8 ff; Nu 36:6 ff). The son of an heiress, as with the Athenians, bore the name not of his father but of his maternal grandfather. If there were no daughters the property went to the brother; if no brother, to the paternal uncle; lastly, to the next of kin. The aim was to keep the land in the family and tribe. Succession thus was a matter of right, not of favor; the Hebrew yarash, "to inherit," means possession and even forcible possession (De 2:12; Jg 11:24).
A distribution of goods ("personal", ousia) was sometimes made in the father's lifetime (Lu 15:11-13); the land ("real property", kleeronomia) could only be divided after the father's death (Lu 12:13). If a brother died childless the surviving brother should wed his widow and raise seed to his brother. The Mosaic law herein adopted existing usages, which also prevail still in S. Africa, Arabia, among the Druses and tribes of the Caucasus (Ge 38:8-9; De 25:5-10; Mt 22:23-25). Childlessness was regarded as such a calamity that the ordinary laws of forbidden degrees of affinity in marriage (Le 18:16) were set aside.
Moses allowed the obligation to be evaded, if the brother-in-law preferred the indignity of the widow loosing his shoe off his foot, in token of forfeiting all right over the wife and property of the deceased, as casting the shoe over a place implies taking possession of it (Ps 60:8; 108:9); also the indignity of her spitting in his face, so that his name becomes a byword as the barefooted one, implying abject meanness. The office then devolved on the nearest kinsman (Ru 2:20; 3:9-13; 4:1-12). Naomi, being past age of marriage, Boaz takes Ruth her daughter-in-law, and has also to redeem the sold inheritance of Elimelech, Naomi's husband. The child born is reckoned that of Naomi and Elimelech (Ru 4:17), Chilion being passed over. Naomi, not Ruth, sells the land (Ru 4:3). A Jew could never wholly alienate his land by sale (Le 25:23-24).
A kinsman, or the owner, could at any time redeem it at a regulated charge (Le 25:23-27). At the year of Jubilee it reverted without charge (Le 25:28). Jer 32:6-9; Elimelech's nearest kinsman would not exercise his right of redemption, lest he should mar his own inheritance; namely, if he should have but one son by her, that son would be Elimelech's legal son, not his; so the succession of his own name would be endangered. The inalienability of land made Naboth reject as impious Ahab's proposal (1Ki 21:3); typifying Christ's inalienable inheritance of a name more excellent than that of the angels (Heb 1:4). Houses in walled towns (not in unwalled villages, as being connected with the land) and movables could be alienated for ever; a wise law, essential to progress and marking the superiority of Jewish legislation to that of most nations.
Wills were unknown among the Jews until Herod made one. The subdivision of land by the absence of the law of primogeniture, and the equal division among sons except double to the oldest, suited a country like Palestine of hills and valleys, not admitting much horse labour and agricultural machinery on the large scale which large farms require. Small farms suited the hand labour required for the terraces reaching to the tops of the hills. The numerous towns in Galilee, moreover, had their wants best supplied by numerous petty farms. Subdivision tends also to the multiplication of population, and so to repairing the waste of life caused by wars. It attaches large numbers to their country, as proprietors, eager to defend the soil which is their own, and on which each ate of his own vine and fig tree (Isa 36:16).
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Then Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife and marry her and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed would not be his, and it came to pass when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he corrupted it on the ground, to not give seed to his brother.
Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife; it is thy brother's nakedness.
The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.
The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me. Therefore, in all the land of your possession, ye shall grant a redemption for the land.
Therefore, in all the land of your possession, ye shall grant a redemption for the land. If thy brother becomes poor and has sold away some of his possession, his redeemer shall come, his closest kinsman, and shall redeem that which his brother sold. read more. And when the man has no redeemer and is able to stretch forth his hand and find enough for his redemption, then he shall count the years from the sale thereof and pay that which remains unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession. But if he is not able to stretch forth his hand and find enough to return unto it, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of the one that has bought it until the year of jubilee; and in the jubilee the land shall go out free, and he shall return unto his possession.
And thou shalt speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, If a man dies and has no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.
This is the thing which the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry as they desire; but they shall marry only within the family of the tribe of their father
The Horims also dwelt in Seir before time, but the sons of Esau inherited from them, and they destroyed them from before them and dwelt in their stead as Israel did in the land of his possession, which the LORD gave unto them.)
but he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.
When brethren dwell together and one of them dies and has no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry outside unto a stranger; her husband's brother shall go in unto her and take her to him to wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her. And it shall be that the firstborn which she bears shall be raised up in the name of his brother who is dead that his name be not blotted out of Israel. read more. And if the man does not desire to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders and say, My husband's brother refuses to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother. Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak unto him, and if he stands and says, I desire not to take her; then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders and loose his shoe from off his foot and spit in his face and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house. And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that is barefoot.
If Chemosh thy god should expel anyone for you, would thou not possess it? So whoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.
And Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law, Let him be blessed of the LORD, who has not left off his mercy unto the living nor unto the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, and of whom one has the right to redeem us.
Then he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth, thy handmaid; spread therefore the edge of thy mantle over thy handmaid; for thou art a redeemer. And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter, for thou hast shown more mercy in the end than at the first, not going after the young men, whether poor or rich. read more. And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do unto thee all that thou hast said, for all the city of my people know that thou art a valiant woman. And now it is true that I am thy redeemer; however, there is another redeemer nearer than I (in kinship). Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning that if he will redeem thee, well, let him redeem thee, but if he does not wish to redeem, then I will redeem thee, as the LORD lives; lie down until the morning.
And Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and, behold, the redeemer of whom Boaz spoke came by unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! Come here and sit down. And he came and sat down. Then he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, Sit down here. And they sat down. read more. And he said unto the redeemer, Naomi, that is come again out of the field of Moab, sold a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's,
And he said unto the redeemer, Naomi, that is come again out of the field of Moab, sold a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's, and I decided to cause thee to know this and tell thee to take it before the inhabitants and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it, but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me that I may know, for there is no one to redeem it besides thee, and I after thee. And he said, I will redeem it. read more. Then Boaz replied, The day that thou dost receive the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must also receive Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. And the redeemer said, I cannot redeem it for myself lest I ruin my own inheritance; redeem thou; I cede my right to you, for I shall not be able to redeem it. Now for a long time in Israel there had been this custom concerning redemption or contracts, that for the confirmation of all matters: one plucked off his shoe and gave it to his neighbour, and this was a testimony in Israel. Therefore, the former owner of the right of redemption said unto Boaz, Buy it thyself. So he drew off his shoe. And Boaz said unto the elders and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi. Moreover, I also take Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, as my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance that the name of the dead not be cut off from among his brethren and from the gate of his place. Ye shall be witnesses of this today. And all the people that were in the gate and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, who built the house of Israel; and be thou a man of valour in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem; let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bore unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.
And the women, her neighbours, named him, saying, There is a son born to Naomi, and they called his name Obed. This is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
And Naboth replied unto Ahab, The LORD keep me from giving thee the inheritance of my fathers.
Moab is my washpot; over Edom I will cast out my shoe; Philistia, triumph thou because of me.
Moab shall be my washpot; over Edom I will cast my shoe; over Philistia I will triumph.
Do not hearken unto Hezekiah, for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make peace with me and come out to me and eat each one of his vine and each one of his fig tree and drink each one the waters of his own cistern
And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle comes unto thee, saying, Buy my field that is in Anathoth, for the right of redemption is thine to buy it. read more. So Hanameel my uncle's son came to me in the court of the guard according to the word of the LORD and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.
The same day the Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, saying, Master, Moses said, If a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up seed unto his brother. read more. Now there were with us seven brothers, and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no seed, left his wife unto his brother;
And one of the crowd said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
And he said, A certain man had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of the estate that falls to me. And he divided unto them his living. read more. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country and there wasted his estate with riotous living.
being made so much better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
Hastings
Morish
This is used in various applications as of one coming into a possession. It is applied to the Lord when He came to Israel seeking fruit. They said in effect, "This is the heir: come let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours." Mr 12:7. Christ is appointed by God to be heir of all things. Heb 1:2. Believers are by grace made sons through Christ, hence heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ. Ro 8:17; Ga 4:7; cf. Joh 17:22.
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But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the place shall be ours.
And the clarity which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one:
and if sons, also heirs certainly of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together with him.
therefore, thou art no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
has in these last times spoken unto us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the ages;
Smith
Heir.
The Hebrew institutions relative to inheritance were of a very simple character. Under the patriarchal system the property was divided among the sons of the legitimate wives,
a larger portion being assigned to one, generally the eldest, on whom devolved the duty of maintaining the females of the family. The sons of concubines were portioned off with presents.
At a later period the exclusion of the sons of concubines was rigidly enforced.
ff. Daughters had no share in the patrimony,
but received a marriage portion. The Mosaic law regulated the succession to real property thus: it has to be divided among the sons, the eldest receiving a double portion,
De 21:17
the others equal shares; if there were no sons, it went to the daughters,
on the condition that they did not marry out of their own tribe,
ff.; otherwise the patrimony was forfeited. If there were no daughters it went to the brother of the deceased; if no brother, to the paternal uncle; and, failing these to the next of kin.
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Therefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
So Abraham rose up early in the morning and took bread and a bottle of water and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child and sent her away; and she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
And Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master when she was old, unto whom he has given all that he has.
And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.
And thou shalt speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, If a man dies and has no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. And if he has no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren. read more. And if he has no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren. And if his father has no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his lineage, and he shall inherit it; and it shall be unto the sons of Israel a law of rights, as the LORD commanded Moses.
This is the thing which the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry as they desire; but they shall marry only within the family of the tribe of their father
but he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.
Now Jephthah existed then, a Gileadite, a mighty man of valour, the son of a harlot unto whom Gilead had begat a son.