The Fourth Book of Moses, called Numbers
Numbers 27
Chapter XXVII · Vol. I, p. 460
1 The daughters of Zelophehad sue for an inheritance. 6 The law of inheritances. 12 Moses, being told of his death, sueth for a successor. 18 Joshua is appointed to succeed him.
1 THEN came the daughters of a Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, and Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.
A.M. 2552. B.C. 1452.
a ch. 26.33; 36.1,11. Jos. 17.3.
2 And b they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes1 and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
b Jos. 17.4.
1 They presented themselves before the highest court of judicature, consisting of Moses, the high-priest, and the heads of the congregation. It would seem that this court was held close by the tabernacle, and also, perhaps, that Moses might the more readily consult the Lord in any difficult case. It is said that in after times the Sanhedrim used to follow the tabernacle, always holding their judicial meetings in the place where the tabernacle rested. It is good to acknowledge the Lord in all our ways.—I.
3 Ourc father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin,2 and had no sons.
c ch. 14.35; 26.64,65; 16.1,2.
2 Rosenmüller translates the passage 'In the company of Korah who died in his own sin;' our English version seems, however, the true meaning of the passage. The daughters do not deny that their father died in the wilderness as a just punishment for his early unbelief or murmuring, but evidently intimate and plead his penitence, as he had not joined the party of Korah at a time when the opposition to Moses and Aaron, and defection from the worship of Jehovah, were on the point of becoming universal, ch. 16.19.—C.
4 Why should the name of our father be doned away3 from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.
d Ex. 32.11. 2 Sa. 14.7. Ps. 109.13. Pr. 13.9.
8 Heb. diminished.
6 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
7 The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou f shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.
8 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.
9 And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.
10 And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren.
11 And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his g kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel h a statute of judgment; as the LORD commanded Moses.4
h ch. 35.29.
4 The Jewish law of inheritance provides, (1) That on the demise of the father, the land descends to the sons. (2) If there be no sons, it descends to the daughters. (3) If no daughters, the brothers of the deceased become heirs. (4) If no brethren or paternal uncles, the land passes to the grand-uncles, or brothers of his father. (5) If there be no grand-uncles, then the nearest of kin succeeds. The law states nothing beyond the fifth degree, as in a nation constituted as Israel was, an heir could scarcely fail to be found within that degree.—C.
12 And the LORD said unto Moses, i Get thee up into this mount Abarim,5 and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.
5 Abarim, that is 'mount of the passes;' the whole district is represented by travellers as a range of gloomy and precipitous mountains on the east of the Dead Sea, and of which Nebo and Pisgah are either, as is common in all countries, two names for the same place, or two of the most remarkable elevations of the same range.—C.
13 And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as k Aaron thy brother was gathered.
14 For ye l rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin.
l ch. 20.10-13. De. 1.37. Ps. 166.32.
15 And Moses spake unto the LORD, saying,
16 Letm the LORD, the God of the spirits6 of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,
m ch. 16.22. Zec. 12.1. He. 12.9. Mat. 9.38. De. 31.2. 1 Ki. 3.7. Jn. 10.3,4,9.
6 When we compare Ge. 1.2; 6.3 with ver. 16, 18 of this chapter, it is impossible to avoid the discovery, or resist the evidence, that Moses taught the spiritual nature of man, a doctrine upon which if Moses do not more largely dilate, his silence arises, not from any neglect, but because there was neither doubt nor denial to be combated.—C.
17 Whichn may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not o as sheep which have no shepherd.
18 And the LORD said unto Moses, p Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man q in whom is the spirit,7 and lay thine hand upon him;
p De. 3.28; 31.7,8,23; 34.9. Ex. 17.9. ch. 13.8,16; 14.6,30.
q Ge. 41.38. Ju. 3.10; 11.29. 1 Sa. 16.13,14.
7 This is not merely the spirit of wisdom, or the spirit of inspiration; but the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God had already descended upon him, and now all that was needed to make him leader of the people was an official consecration by the laying on of the hands of Moses.—P.
19 And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.
20 And r thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.8
r 1 Ch. 29.23,25. ch. 11.27,28. 1 Sa. 10.6,9. De. 34.9,10. Jos. 1.16. 2 Ki. 2.10,15.
8 'Thou shalt put of thine honour upon him.' Joshua was to be the official successor of Moses, but not of equal dignity. He was to be a leader, not a law-giver. He was to be a commander, not a mediator. The absolute authority of Moses was not to be wholly transferred to Joshua, only so much as was needed for his work.—P.
21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall s ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.
22 And Moses did as the LORD commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:
Notes
Reflections.—With these daughters of Zelophehad let me manifest a strong faith in the promises of God, a strong desire after the better country, and a tender regard to my parents' honour; so shall my labour not be in vain in the Lord. While I observe, that it is appointed for all men once to die: that God's faithful children are often most severely chastised for their sin: but that in death believers retire to their best friends, to their unchanging and eternal rest;—while I profit by the death of others, whom I have seen depart before me in peace and comfort:—let me, with Moses, kindly accept God's warnings of my own death.—Let me manifest a deep concern for the welfare of the church after I am gone; and rejoice that Jesus liveth, and is appointed of God as her Governor, to put all true believers in possession of the promised rest.—And let me, with Joshua, cheerfully comply with God's call to the hardest work, and always act according to his inspired directions.