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Numbers Chapter
Twenty-seven
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 27
This
chapter relates, that, upon a petition of the daughters of Zelophehad, the
affair of inheritances was settled; and it is directed that, in case of want of
male issue, inheritances should pass to females, and in failure of them to the
next of kin, whether father's brethren or any near kinsman, Numbers 27:1, also
an order to Moses to go up to the Mount Abarim, and take a view of the good
land, and die; with the reason of it, Numbers 27:12, upon
which Moses desires a successor of him might be appointed, Numbers 27:15, in
answer to which Joshua is nominated, and being presented before the high priest
and the people, was invested with his office, by imposition of hands, and had
his charge given him, Numbers 27:18.
Numbers 27:1 Then came the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of
Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh
the son of Joseph; and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah,
Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
YLT
1And daughters of Zelophehad
son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, of the families
of Manasseh son of Joseph, draw near -- and these [are] the names of his
daughters, Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah –
Verse 1
Then came the daughters of Zelophehad,.... Who are
mentioned among the families of Manasseh, under that of the Hepherites, Numbers 26:33,
their father being dead, and they having no brethren, when they heard the land
was to be divided among those that were numbered, and who were only males of
twenty years old and upwards, were concerned, lest they should have no share in
the division of the land; and therefore came, according to the Targum of
Jonathan, to the house of judgment, or court of judicature, where Moses, the
princes, &c. were now sitting: the genealogy of Zelophehad is given:
he was the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir,
the son of Manasseh, the son of Joseph; by which it appears he
was of the tribe of Manasseh, and of the fourth generation from him:
and these are the names of his daughters, Mahlah, Noah, ann
Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah; in the same order their names are given in Numbers 26:33, but
in Numbers 36:11, it
is a little altered, Noah and Tirzah change places, which Jarchi says shows
they were upon an equality one with another.
Numbers 27:2 2 And they stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest,
and before the leaders and all the congregation, by the doorway of the
tabernacle of meeting, saying:
YLT
2and stand before Moses, and
before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes, and all the company, at the
opening of the tent of meeting, saying:
And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and
before the princes, and all the congregation,.... Who were now sitting
in court, to hear and try causes brought before them; here were Moses the chief
magistrate, Eleazar the high priest, the princes of the several tribes, and the
representatives of the whole congregation, or it may be the seventy elders; a
very grand and august assembly, before whom these ladies appeared, and from
whom they might expect to have justice done them:
by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; near to which
this court was held, both for the convenience of the people, to apply to in
case of need, when they came thither to worship, and of Moses, to seek the Lord
in case of any difficulty that might arise, as now did:
saying; as follows.
Numbers 27:3 3 “Our father died in the wilderness; but he was not in
the company of those who gathered together against the Lord, in company with Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no
sons.
YLT
3`Our father died in the
wilderness, and he -- he was not in the midst of the company who were met
together against Jehovah in the company of Korah, but for his own sin he died,
and had no sons;
Our father died in the wilderness,.... As all the
generation of the children of Israel did, that came out of Egypt, who were
twenty years old and upwards, excepting Joshua and Caleb:
and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves
together against the Lord in the company of Korah; which is
observed, not so much to obtain the favour and good will of Moses as to clear
the memory of their father from any reproach upon it, he dying in the
wilderness; and chiefly to show that the claim of his posterity to a share in
the land was not forfeited, he not being in that rebellion, nor in any other;
so that he and his were never under any attainder:
but died in his own sin; which though common to
all men, every man has his own peculiar way of sinning, and is himself only
answerable for it, Isaiah 53:6 he
sinned alone, had no partner or confederate, whom he had drawn into any
notorious and public sin, as mutiny, &c. to the prejudice of the state, and
the rulers in it; so the Targum of Jonathan adds,"and he did not cause
others to sin,'so Jarchi; some take him to be the sabbath breaker, Numbers 15:32, others
that he was one of those that went up the hill, Numbers 14:44, most
likely his sin was that of unbelief, disbelieving the spies that brought the
good report of the land, and giving credit to those that brought an ill report
of it; and so with the rest of the people murmured, for which his carcass, with
others, fell in the wilderness, and entered not into the good land, through
unbelief: a sin not punished in their children:
and had no sons. which was the reason of this application.
Numbers 27:4 4 Why should the name of our father be removed from among
his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s
brothers.”
YLT
4why is the name of our
father withdrawn from the midst of his family because he hath no son? give to
us a possession in the midst of the brethren of our father;'
Why should the name of our father be done away from among his
family, because he hath no son.... Or be withdrawn, and his family lose
their part and share on that account; this they thought was unreasonable:
according to the Targum of Jonathan, to prevent the name of their father being
lost, and his part in the land, their motion was, that their mother might marry
their father's brother, according to the law in Deuteronomy 25:5,
with which Jarchi agrees; but it does not appear that that law was as yet in
being; though how otherwise the name of their father would be preserved, than
by raising up seed in that way, is not easy to say; except, as some think, it
was done by a son of one of those heiresses, or by the first son of everyone of
them, being called after the name of their grandfather Zelophehad, or their
mother's grandfather Hepher; though the JewsF20Pesikta, T. Bab.
Jebamot, fol. 49. 1. Moses Cotzensis Praecept. Affirm. 51. Apud Selden. de
Succession. ad leg. Ebra. c. 14. p. 97, 98. commonly by the "name"
understand no other than the "inheritance", which seems to be
confirmed by what follows:
give us therefore a possession among the brethren of our fathers; a part with
their uncles, or their children; by which they express their faith that the
children of Israel would inherit the land, though as yet it was not conquered,
nor even entered into; and might signify, as some think, their concern to have
a part and portion in the heavenly inheritance the land of Canaan was typical
of; and if so, as Ainsworth observes, they may be considered as five wise
virgins indeed.
Numbers 27:5 5 So Moses brought their case before the Lord.
YLT
5and Moses bringeth near
their cause before Jehovah.
And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. For it seems
it was too difficult for this court to decide; and it devolving upon Moses, as
the president of it, and who only could have recourse to God at all times, he
carried it to him and consulted with him about it: this, as the Targums of
Jonathan and Jerusalem say, was one of the four causes that came before Moses
the prophet, that he solved according to the mind of the Lord, which he
consulted; one was concerning the blasphemer, Leviticus 24:11,
the other concerning those defiled by the dead, Numbers 9:8, the
third concerning the sabbath breaker, Numbers 15:34 and
the fourth was this; See Gill on Leviticus 24:12.
Numbers 27:6 6 And the Lord spoke to Moses,
saying:
YLT
6And Jehovah speaketh unto
Moses, saying,
And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... From off the mercy
seat, where he consulted him, and from whence he promised to commune with him
about any difficult matter that came before him, Exodus 25:22,
saying; as follows.
Numbers 27:7 7 “The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is
right; you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s
brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.
YLT
7`Rightly are the daughters
of Zelophehad speaking; thou dost certainly give to them a possession of an
inheritance in the midst of their father's brethren, and hast caused to pass
over the inheritance of their father to them.
The daughters of Zelophehad speak right,.... What is
just and reasonable:
thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among
their father's brethren; their uncles, or rather the children of them; for it is
reasonable to suppose their father's brethren, or their uncles, were dead also:
or "in giving thou shall give"F21נתן
תתן "dando dabis", Pagninus, Montanus. ;
which, according to Jarchi, denotes two parts or portions they should receive;
the part of their father, who was of them that came out of Egypt, and his part
with his brethren in the goods of Hepher: in the MisnahF23Bava
Bathra, c. 8. sect. 3. , from whence he seems to have taken it, it is;"the
daughters of Zelophehad took three parts for inheritance; the part of their
father, who was with them that came out of Egypt, and his part with his
brethren in the goods of Hepher, and because he was the firstborn he was to
take two parts:'and though this strict command was given to Moses, yet it does
not respect him personally, who lived not to enter into the land to see it
divided; but him who should be his successor, and chief magistrate at the time
of the division of it, which was Joshua, and of whom these ladies claimed their
part, and had it, Joshua 17:3,
and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto
them; that is, that part which would have fallen to him by lot, had he
been living, these were to take, they standing in his place; and so the portion
of the land he would have had was to be divided between these live daughters of
his.
Numbers 27:8 8 And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying:
‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to
his daughter.
YLT
8`And unto the sons of
Israel thou dost speak, saying, When a man dieth, and hath no son, then ye have
caused his inheritance to pass over to his daughter;
And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel,.... The above
affair occasioned a law to be made, in which all the people would have a
concern, among whom such cases should happen, as after related:
saying, if a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his
inheritance to pass unto his daughter; as in the above case of
the daughters of Zelophehad; what was determined as to their particular case
was made into a general law.
Numbers 27:9 9 If he has no daughter, then you shall give his
inheritance to his brothers.
YLT
9and if he have no daughter,
then ye have given his inheritance to his brethren;
And if he have no daughter,.... Dies without any issue:
then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren; and the
children descending from them; that is, if his father was dead; otherwise, if
he was living, he was to be preferred to them, according to the Jewish writers;
though, according to our law, no estate in fee simple ascends lineally, or goes
from a son, who has made a purchase of it, to a father: in the Misnah it is
saidF24Ut supra, (Bava Bathra, c. 8.) sect. 2. , the order of
inheritances is thus,"if a man dies and has no son, then they cause his
inheritance to pass to his daughter; a son is before a daughter, and all that
descend from the son are before the daughter; the daughter is before the
brethren (of her father), and those that descend from the daughter are before
the brethren; the brethren (of a man) are before his father's brethren (or his
uncles); and they that descend from his brethren are before his father's
brethren: this is the general rule, everyone that is before in the inheritance,
those that descend from him are before others, and a father is before all that
descend from him.'
Numbers 27:10 10 If he has no brothers, then you shall give his
inheritance to his father’s brothers.
YLT
10and if he have no brethren,
then ye have given his inheritance to his father's brethren;
And if he have no brethren,.... Nor any descendants
from them:
then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren; that is, to
his uncles, and to their children.
Numbers 27:11 11 And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give
his inheritance to the relative closest to him in his family, and he shall
possess it.’” And it shall be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment,
just as the Lord commanded Moses.
YLT
11and if his father have no
brethren, then ye have given his inheritance to his relation who is near unto
him of his family, and he hath possessed it;' and it hath been to the sons of
Israel for a statute of judgment, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.
And if his father have no brethren,.... Nor any descending
from them:
then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next
to him of his family: that is nearest of kin to him, though ever so remote; that is,
of his father's family, not his mother's, which was no family:
and he shall possess it: here the Jews have a
saying, that an Israelite is never without heirsF25Maimon. Hilchot
Nechalot, c. 1. sect. 3. :
and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment; a judicial
law, that should ever remain firm, and sure, and unalterable:
as the Lord commanded Moses; and therefore no man
could dispose of his estate or inheritance by will, otherwise than is set forth
by this command.
Numbers 27:12 12 Now the Lord said to
Moses: “Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to
the children of Israel.
YLT
12And Jehovah saith unto
Moses, `Go up unto this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to
the sons of Israel;
And the Lord said unto Moses,.... After the covenant
made with Israel in the plains of Moab, and the song delivered to them, Deuteronomy 29:1.
get thee up to this Mount Abarim; which was a range of
mountains, so called from the passages by them over Jordan into the land of
Canaan; one part of which was Nebo, and the top of that Pisgah, from whence
Moses had the view of the good land here directed to; see Numbers 33:47.
and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel; for though he
was now one hundred and twenty years old, his eyes were not dim, he could see
at a great distance; and the height of this hill gave him an advantage of
taking a prospect of the land, a great way into it; and very probably his sight
might be greatly strengthened and increased at this time by the Lord, for the
purpose; this may be an emblem of that sight by faith, which believers have at
times of the heavenly Canaan, and sometimes are favoured with an enlarged one
of it before their death.
Numbers 27:13 13 And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered
to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered.
YLT
13and thou hast seen it, and
thou hast been gathered unto thy people, also thou, as Aaron thy brother hath
been gathered,
And when thou hast seen it,.... Which was all he was
admitted to; for to go into it and see it was not allowed him, though he
importuned it, Deuteronomy 3:25,
thou shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy
brother was gathered; die as he did, in the same sudden, easy, quiet, and
cheerful manner; see Numbers 20:26.
Numbers 27:14 14 For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the
congregation, you rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before
their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the
Wilderness of Zin.)
YLT
14because ye provoked My
mouth in the wilderness of Zin, in the strife of the company -- to sanctify Me
at the waters before their eyes;' they [are] waters of Meribah, in Kadesh, in
the wilderness of Zin.
For ye rebelled against my commandment the desert of Zin,.... Both
Moses and Aaron, which was the reason why they were not suffered to go into the
land of Canaan, but died a little before the children of Israel came into it:
what their sin was, called here a rebelling against the commandment of the
Lord; See Gill on Numbers 20:12, and
is next suggested:
in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me before their
eyes; when the congregation of Israel strove against the Lord for want
of water, they did not sanctify the Lord by believing in him; but expressed
some degree of diffidence before the congregation about fetching water out of
the rock, or questioning whether the Lord would give it to such a rebellious
people, though they had his order for it:
that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; so called to
distinguish it from another Meribah, or water of strife, at Rephidim, Exodus 17:7.
Numbers 27:15 15 Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying:
YLT
15And Moses speaketh unto
Jehovah, saying,
And Moses spake unto the Lord,.... Having requested to
go into the land and see it, which was denied him; and perceiving he must
quickly die, and being a man of a public spirit, and concerned for the welfare
of the people of Israel, prays that a successor might be nominated and
appointed:
saying; as follows.
Numbers 27:16 16 “Let the Lord, the God
of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,
YLT
16`Jehovah -- God of the
spirits of all flesh -- appoint a man over the company,
Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh,.... The Maker
of the souls of men, called the spirits of all flesh, or of corporeal beings,
to distinguish them from the angels, who, though spirits, are incorporeal; and
who knows the different qualities of the souls of men, their powers, and
capacities, and fitness for service, what gifts and talents they have for
business; and who can bestow such upon them, which will quality them for it:
set a man over the congregation: meaning in his room and
stead.
Numbers 27:17 17 who may go out before them and go in before them, who
may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.”
YLT
17who goeth out before them,
and who cometh in before them, and who taketh them out, and who bringeth them
in, and the company of Jehovah is not as sheep which have no shepherd.'
Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and
which may lead them out, and which may bring them in,.... Which may
lead them out, and go before them in war, and command them in battle and bring
them in peace, having conquered their enemies; or these phrases only mean the
administration of civil government among them, and diligence and assiduity in
it, see 2 Chronicles 1:10,
unless it has any peculiar respect to the leading the people of Israel out of
the wilderness, and introducing them into the land of Canaan:
that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no
shepherd; and so wander about, having none to guide them into proper
pastures, or to protect them from beasts of prey; which is to be in a most
forlorn and distressed condition; see Matthew 9:36.
Numbers 27:18 18 And the Lord said to
Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the
Spirit, and lay your hand on him;
YLT
18And Jehovah saith unto
Moses, `Take to thee Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom [is] the Spirit, and thou
hast laid thine hand upon him,
And the Lord said unto Moses,.... In answer to his
request:
take thou Joshua the son of Nun, who had been a servant
of his near forty years, and of whose humility, diligence, faithfulness and integrity
he had sufficient proof, as well as of his skill and courage in military
affairs, particularly at the battle with Amalek, Exodus 17:9,
a man in whom is the Spirit: not only in whom is a
spirit or soul, which is in every man; but the Spirit of God, and that not only
as a spirit of grace and sanctification, which is in every good man; but as a
spirit of prophecy, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; or rather it
respects the more than ordinary gifts of the Spirit qualifying him for
government, as courage and conduct, wisdom, prudence, and greatness of mind:
and lay thine hand upon him; thereby transferring the
government to him, pointing him out to the people as his successor; to show to
the children of Israel that he was in his place, as Aben Ezra notes; upon which
followed a larger measure of the gifts of the Spirit of God; see Deuteronomy 34:9.
Numbers 27:19 19 set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the
congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight.
YLT
19and hast caused him to
stand before Eleazar the priest, and before all the company, and hast charged
him before their eyes,
And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the
congregation,.... Declaring before them all that he was his successor, and
that they might be witnesses of what was said and done unto him, and receive
and acknowledge him as such, and as having power and authority over them, which
it became them to submit unto:
and give him a charge in their sight: to take care
of the people committed to him; to rule them in the fear of God, and according
to his laws; and to be of good courage, and go before the people and introduce
them into the land of Canaan; assuring him of the divine Presence and help, so
that he need not fear any enemy whatever; of this charge, and as confirmed by
the Lord himself, see Deuteronomy 31:7.
Numbers 27:20 20 And you shall give some of your authority to
him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.
YLT
20and hast put of thine
honour upon him, so that all the company of the sons of Israel do hearken.
And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him,.... Meaning
not the Spirit that was on Moses, and the gifts of the Spirit; for to do this
was the work of the Lord, and not Moses, see Numbers 11:17, but
of the honour of civil government; suggesting that he should give him a share
in it, and use him not as a minister and servant, as he had been, but as his
colleague and partner; and let him have some of the ensigns of power and
authority, and some exercise of it; not only to inure him to government, but to
make him respectable among the people:
that all the congregation of Israel may be obedient; to him as
their ruler and governor, hearken to his words, and obey his commands.
Numbers 27:21 21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall
inquire before the Lord for him by the judgment of the
Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and
all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.”
YLT
21`And before Eleazar the
priest he standeth, and he hath asked for him by the judgment of the Lights
before Jehovah; at His word they go out, and at His word they come in; he, and
all the sons of Israel with him, even all the company.'
And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest,.... This was
for the honour of God, whose priest Eleazar was, and whose oracle was consulted
by him; for it is saidF26Maimon. Hilchot Melachim, c. 2. sect. 5. ,
the high priest did not come into the presence of the king but when he pleased;
and he did not stand before him, but the king stood before the high priest, as
it is said, "and before Eleazar the priest shall he stand"; though it
is commanded the high priest to honour the king, and to rise up and stand when
he comes unto him; and the king does not stand before him, but when he consults
for him by the judgment of Urim; and his posture seems to be different from
other persons that consulted; for the same writerF1Maimon. Hilchot
Cele Hamikdash, c. 10. sect. 11. observes, in answer to a question,"how do
they consult? the priest stands, and his face is before the ark, and he that
consults is behind him, and his face to the back of the priest;'whereas here
Joshua stood before the priest, and so any king or supreme governor:
who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before
the Lord: of the Urim and Thummim which were in the breastplate of
judgment, and of consultation by them; see Gill on Exodus 28:30 and
from this place the JewsF2Misn. Yoma, c. 7. sect. 5. Maimon. Cele
Hamikdash, c. 10. sect. 12. infer that consultation was not made by them for a
private person, but for a king, or for one the congregation stood in need of:
at his word shall they go out, and at his word shall they come in; go out to
war, and return from it, or do any service enjoined them; that is, either at
the word of the Lord, or rather at the word of Eleazar the priest, declaring
the will of God, which comes to much the same sense; or at the word of Joshua,
directed by the high priest, according to the oracle of God; and he being under
such direction, the people could never do amiss in obeying him, or be in any
fear or danger of being led wrong by him; but he is mentioned in the next
clause, as included in those that went out, and came in:
both he, and all
the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation; which
MaimonidesF3lbid. interprets thus, "he", this is the king;
"and all the children of Israel", this is the anointed for war, or he
whom the congregation hath need of; "and all the congregation", these
are the great sanhedrim, or seventy elders.
Numbers 27:22 22 So Moses did as the Lord commanded
him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the
congregation.
YLT
22And Moses doth as Jehovah
hath commanded him, and taketh Joshua, and causeth him to stand before Eleazar
the priest, and before all the company,
And Moses did as the Lord commanded him,.... Being
faithful and obedient to him in all things, though ever so contrary to his own
private interest and to that of his family:
and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest, and
before all the congregation; as his successor, whom God had named and
appointed as such.
Numbers 27:23 23 And he laid his hands on him and inaugurated him, just
as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.
YLT
23and layeth his hands upon
him, and chargeth him, as Jehovah hath spoken by the hand of Moses.
And he laid his hands upon him,.... Jarchi observes,
that he did this cheerfully, and did more than he was commanded; for the Lord
said to him, "lay thine hand", but he laid both his hands:
and gave him a charge, as the Lord commanded Moses; Numbers 27:19, this
is a clear proof that Moses was no imposter, since he sought not to aggrandize
his family, or serve the interest of that; nor did he in the least repine or
murmur that the priesthood was given to his brother Aaron and sons, and now the
civil government to his servant of the tribe of Ephraim; and as for his own
posterity, they were only common Levites that waited upon the priests.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》