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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And she will say to Abraham, Cast out this maid-servant and her son; for the son of this maid-servant shall not inherit with my son, with Isaak.
And Sarah my lord's wife will bring forth a son to my lord after she was old, and to him he will give all which is to him.
And Abraham will give all which is to him to Isaak.
And to the sons of Israel thou shalt speak, saying, A man when he shall die, and no son to him, and cause ye his inheritance to pass to his daughter. And if no daughter to him, give his inheritance to his brethren. read more. And if no brethren to him, give ye his inheritance to the brethren of his father. And if no brethren to his father, give his inheritance to his remainder being near to him from his family; and he shall possess it, and it shall be to the sons of Israel for a law of judgment, as Jehovah commanded Moses.
This the word which Jehovah commanded to the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, To the good in their eyes they shall be for wives; only to the families of the tribe of their fathers shall they be for wives.
But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated, the first-born, to give to him the portion of two in all that shall be found to him; for he is the beginning of his strength; to him is the judgment of the first-born.
For not by the law, the promise to Abraham, or to his seed, for him to be heir of the world, but by the justice of faith.
And if children, also heirs; truly heirs of God, and coheirs of Christ; if indeed we suffer together, that we may be also glorified together.
And if ye of Christ, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation:
At these last days spake to us in the Son, whom he set heir of all things, by whom also he made the times;
In which God, willing more abundantly to show to the heirs of the promise the firmness of his counsel, he intervened by an oath:
By faith Noah, having an intimation of the divine will of things not yet seen, being circumspect, prepared an ark for the salvation of his house; by which he condemned the world, and by faith became an heir of justice.
Hear, my dearly beloved brethren, Has not God chosen the beggars of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to them loving 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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And Judah will say to Onan, go in to thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan will know that not to him will be the seed; and it was when he went in to his brother's wife, he destroyed upon the earth, not to give seed to his brother.
And I gave to thee one shoulder over thy brethren, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.
The nakedness of thy brother's wife thou shalt not uncover: it is thy brother's nakedness.
And the land shall not be sold to be cut off, for the land is to me; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.
And the land shall not be sold to be cut off, for the land is to me; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me. And in all the land of your possession ye shall give a redemption to the land.
And in all the land of your possession ye shall give a redemption to the land. When thy brother shall be poor, and he sold his possession, and he being near to him came to redeem it, and he redeemed the selling of his brother. read more. And when to a man there shall be none to him to redeem, and his hand attained and found a sufficiency to redeem it; And he reckoned the years of his selling, and he returned that remaining over to the man to whom he sold it, and turned back to his possession. And if his hand found not a sufficiency to return to him, and his selling was in the hand of him buying it, till the year of the jubilee: and it went forth in the jubilee, and he turned back to his possession.
And to the sons of Israel thou shalt speak, saying, A man when he shall die, and no son to him, and cause ye his inheritance to pass to his daughter.
This the word which Jehovah commanded to the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, To the good in their eyes they shall be for wives; only to the families of the tribe of their fathers shall they be for wives.
And the Horims dwelt in Seir before them, and the sons of Esau will inherit them, and they will destroy them from before them, and they will dwell instead of them; as Israel did to the land of his possession which Jehovah gave to them.)
But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated, the first-born, to give to him the portion of two in all that shall be found to him; for he is the beginning of his strength; to him is the judgment of the first-born.
If brethren shall dwell together and one of them died, and a son not to him, the wife of the dead shall not be without to a man a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in to her, and he took her to him for a wife, and he acted the husband's brother to her. And it is the first-born which she shall bear shall rise up upon the name of his brother the dead, and his name shall not be wiped from Israel read more. And if the man shall not desire to take his brother's wife, and his brother's wife went up to the gate to the old men, and said, My husband's brother refused to raise up to his brother a name in Israel, and he would not act my husband's brother. And the old men of his city called to him and spake to him: and he stood and said, I desired not to take her. And his brother's wife drew near to him before the eyes of the old men, and drew off his shoe from his foot, and spit in his face, and answered and said, Thus shall it be done to the man who will not build up the house of his brother. And his name was called in Israel, The house of him having his shoe drawn off.
Shalt thou not inherit what Chemosh thy god will give thee to inherit? and all which Jehovah our God drove out from our face, we will inherit it.
And Naomi will say to her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he to Jehovah, who let not go his mercy with the living and with the dead. Naomi said to her, The man is near to us, he is blood relative.
And he will say, Who art thou? And she will say, I am Ruth thy servant: and spread thy wing over thy servant, for thou a blood relation. And he will say, Blessed thou to Jehovah, my daughter: thou didst make good thy mercy at the last more than the beginning, so that thou wentest not after the young men, if poor and if rich. read more. And now, my daughter, thou shalt not fear; all which thou shalt say, I will do to thee: for all the gate of my people will know that thou art a woman of power. And now that truly if I a blood relation: and also there is a blood relation nearer than I. Lodge this night, and it being in the morning, if he will redeem thee, good; he shall redeem: and if he desire not to redeem thee, and I redeemed thee, Jehovah lives: lie down till morning.
And Boaz went up to the gate and sat there: and behold, the blood relation whom Boaz spake of, passing by; and he will say, Turn aside, sit down here; thou such a one. And he will turn aside, and sit down. And he will take ten men from the old men of the citv, and he will say, Sit ye down here. And they will sit down. read more. And he will say to the blood relative, The portion of the field which was to our brother Elimelech, Naomi turning back from the field of Moab, sells:
And he will say to the blood relative, The portion of the field which was to our brother Elimelech, Naomi turning back from the field of Moab, sells: And I said, I will reveal to thine ear, saying, Buy before the inhabitants, and before the old men of my people. If thou wilt redeem, redeem: and if thou wilt not redeem, announce to me, and I shall know: for none besides thee to redeem; and I after thee; and he will say, I will redeem. read more. And Boaz will say, In the day of thy buying the field from the hand of Naomi, and from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, thou boughtest it to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. And the near relative will say, I shall not be able to redeem for me, lest I shall destroy my inheritance: redeem to thyself; thou the near relative: for I shall not be able to redeem. And this before in Israel upon redemption and upon exchange, to set up all the word; a man drew off his shoe and gave to his neighbor: and this the precept in Israel. And the blood relative will say to Boaz, Buy for thee. And he will draw off his shoe. And Boaz will say to the old men and all the people, Ye are witnesses this day that I bought all which was to Elimelech, and all which was to Chilion and Mahlon, from the hand of Naomi. And also Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I bought to me for a wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance; and the name of the dead shall not be cut off from his brethren and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day. And all the people which are in the gate will say, and the old men, Witnesses. Jehovah will give the woman coming into thy house as Rachel and as Leah, which they two built up the house of Israel: and make thou power in Ephratah, and call a name in the house of bread. And thy house shall be as the house of Pharez which Tamar bare to Judah, from the seed which Jehovah shall give to thee from this maiden.
And the neighbors will call to him a name, saying, A son was born to Naomi; and they will call his name Obed: he the father of Jesse, the father of David.
And Naboth will say to Ahab, Far be it to me from Jehovah, my giving the inheritance of my fathers to thee.
Moab the pot of my washing; over Edom I will cast out my shoe: for me, Philistia shouted for joy.
Moab the pot of my washing; upon Edom I will cast my shoe; over Philistia will I shout for joy.
Ye shall not hear to Hezekiah; for thus said the king of Assur, Make to me a blessing, and come forth to me: and eat a man of his vine and a man of his fig tree, and drink ye a man water of his cistern;
And Jeremiah will say, The word of Jehovah was to me, saying, Behold, Hanameel son of Shallum thine uncle, coming to thee, saying, Buy to thee my field which is in Anathoth: for to thee the judgment of redemption to-day. read more. And Hanameel mine uncle's son will come to me according to the word of Jehovah, to the enclosure of the prison, and he will say to me, Buy now, my field, which is in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin: for to thee judgment of possession, and to thee the redemption; buy to thee, and I shall know that this is the word of Jehovah. And I shall buy the field of Hanameel son of mine uncle, which is in Anathoth; and I shall weigh to him seven shekels and ten of silver.
In that day the Sadducees came to him, they saying there is to be no rising up: and they asked him, Saying, Teacher, Moses said, If any one die, not having children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed to his brother. read more. And with us were seven brethren: and the first, having married, died; and having no seed, he left his wife to his brother.
And a certain one out of the crowd said to him, Teacher, speak to my brother to divide the inheritance with me.
And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to the father, Father, give me the portion of property falling. And he divided to them the property. read more. And not many days after, having gathered all things, the younger son went abroad into a far-off country, and there disposed his property, living in a profligate manner.
Being so much better than the angels, inasmuch as he has inherited a more distinguished 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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And these husbandmen said with themselves, That this is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be our's.
And I, the honour which thou hast given me, have-given them; that they might be one, as we are one.
And if children, also heirs; truly heirs of God, and coheirs of Christ; if indeed we suffer together, that we may be also glorified together.
So that thou art no more a servant, but a son: and if a son, also an heir of God through Christ.
At these last days spake to us in the Son, whom he set heir of all things, by whom also he made the times;
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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And she will say to Abraham, Cast out this maid-servant and her son; for the son of this maid-servant shall not inherit with my son, with Isaak.
And Abraham will rise early in the morning, and take food, and a leathern bottle of water, and give to Hagar (putting upon her shoulder), and the child, and will send her away: and she will go forth and wander in the desert to the well of the oath.
And Sarah my lord's wife will bring forth a son to my lord after she was old, and to him he will give all which is to him.
And Abraham will give all which is to him to Isaak. And to the sons of the concubines which were to Abraham, Abraham gave gifts, and he will send them away from Isaak his son (in his yet living) from the east to the east land.
And to the sons of Israel thou shalt speak, saying, A man when he shall die, and no son to him, and cause ye his inheritance to pass to his daughter. And if no daughter to him, give his inheritance to his brethren. read more. And if no brethren to him, give ye his inheritance to the brethren of his father. And if no brethren to his father, give his inheritance to his remainder being near to him from his family; and he shall possess it, and it shall be to the sons of Israel for a law of judgment, as Jehovah commanded Moses.
This the word which Jehovah commanded to the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, To the good in their eyes they shall be for wives; only to the families of the tribe of their fathers shall they be for wives.
But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated, the first-born, to give to him the portion of two in all that shall be found to him; for he is the beginning of his strength; to him is the judgment of the first-born.
and Jephthah the Gileadite was a man of strength, and he the son of a woman, a harlot And Gilead will beget Jephthah.