1 Then came the daughters of 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, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.
2 And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
3 Our 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, and had no sons.
4 Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.
5 And Moses brought their cause before the LORD.
6 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
7 The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou 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 kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the LORD commanded Moses.
12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.
13 And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.
14 For ye 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.
15 And Moses spake unto the LORD, saying,
16 Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,
17 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; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.
18 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him;
19 And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.
20 And thou shalt put some of thine honor upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.
21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall 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:
23 And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.
1 Then came H7126 the daughters H1323 of Zelophehad, H6765 the son H1121 of Hepher, H2660 the son H1121 of Gilead, H1568 the son H1121 of Machir, H4353 the son H1121 of Manasseh, H4519 of the families H4940 of Manasseh H4519 the son H1121 of Joseph: H3130 and these are the names H8034 of his daughters; H1323 Mahlah, H4244 Noah, H5270 and Hoglah, H2295 and Milcah, H4435 and Tirzah. H8656
2 And they stood H5975 before H6440 Moses, H4872 and before H6440 Eleazar H499 the priest, H3548 and before H6440 the princes H5387 and all the congregation, H5712 by the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 saying, H559
3 Our father H1 died H4191 in the wilderness, H4057 and he was not in H8432 the company H5712 of them that gathered themselves together H3259 against the LORD H3068 in the company H5712 of Korah; H7141 but died H4191 in his own sin, H2399 and had no sons. H1121
4 Why should the name H8034 of our father H1 be done away H1639 from among H8432 his family, H4940 because he hath no son? H1121 Give H5414 unto us therefore a possession H272 among H8432 the brethren H251 of our father. H1
5 And Moses H4872 brought H7126 their cause H4941 before H6440 the LORD. H3068
6 And the LORD H3068 spake H559 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559
7 The daughters H1323 of Zelophehad H6765 speak H1696 right: H3651 thou shalt surely H5414 give H5414 them a possession H272 of an inheritance H5159 among H8432 their father's H1 brethren; H251 and thou shalt cause the inheritance H5159 of their father H1 to pass H5674 unto them.
8 And thou shalt speak H1696 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 saying, H559 If a man H376 die, H4191 and have no son, H1121 then ye shall cause his inheritance H5159 to pass H5674 unto his daughter. H1323
9 And if he have no daughter, H1323 then ye shall give H5414 his inheritance H5159 unto his brethren. H251
10 And if he have no brethren, H251 then ye shall give H5414 his inheritance H5159 unto his father's H1 brethren. H251
11 And if his father H1 have no brethren, H251 then ye shall give H5414 his inheritance H5159 unto his kinsman H7607 that is next H7138 to him of his family, H4940 and he shall possess H3423 it: and it shall be unto the children H1121 of Israel H3478 a statute H2708 of judgment, H4941 as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses. H4872
12 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Get thee up H5927 into this mount H2022 Abarim, H5682 and see H7200 the land H776 which I have given H5414 unto the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
13 And when thou hast seen H7200 it, thou also shalt be gathered H622 unto thy people, H5971 as Aaron H175 thy brother H251 was gathered. H622
14 For ye rebelled H4784 against my commandment H6310 in the desert H4057 of Zin, H6790 in the strife H4808 of the congregation, H5712 to sanctify H6942 me at the water H4325 before their eyes: H5869 that is the water H4325 of Meribah H4809 in Kadesh H6946 in the wilderness H4057 of Zin. H6790
15 And Moses H4872 spake H1696 unto the LORD, H3068 saying, H559
16 Let the LORD, H3068 the God H430 of the spirits H7307 of all flesh, H1320 set H6485 a man H376 over the congregation, H5712
17 Which may go out H3318 before H6440 them, and which may go in H935 before H6440 them, and which may lead them out, H3318 and which may bring them in; H935 that the congregation H5712 of the LORD H3068 be not as sheep H6629 which have no shepherd. H7462
18 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Take H3947 thee Joshua H3091 the son H1121 of Nun, H5126 a man H376 in whom is the spirit, H7307 and lay H5564 thine hand H3027 upon him;
19 And set H5975 him before H6440 Eleazar H499 the priest, H3548 and before H6440 all the congregation; H5712 and give him a charge H6680 in their sight. H5869
20 And thou shalt put H5414 some of thine honour H1935 upon him, that all the congregation H5712 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 may be obedient. H8085
21 And he shall stand H5975 before H6440 Eleazar H499 the priest, H3548 who shall ask H7592 counsel for him after the judgment H4941 of Urim H224 before H6440 the LORD: H3068 at his word H6310 shall they go out, H3318 and at his word H6310 they shall come in, H935 both he, and all the children H1121 of Israel H3478 with him, even all the congregation. H5712
22 And Moses H4872 did H6213 as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 him: and he took H3947 Joshua, H3091 and set H5975 him before H6440 Eleazar H499 the priest, H3548 and before H6440 all the congregation: H5712
23 And he laid H5564 his hands H3027 upon him, and gave him a charge, H6680 as the LORD H3068 commanded H1696 by the hand H3027 of Moses. H4872
1 Then drew near the daughters of 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, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.
2 And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the tent of meeting, saying,
3 Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not among the company of them that gathered themselves together against Jehovah in the company of Korah: but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons.
4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give unto us a possession among the brethren of our father.
5 And Moses brought their cause before Jehovah.
6 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
7 The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou 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 kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute `and' ordinance, as Jehovah commanded Moses.
12 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mountain of Abarim, and behold the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.
13 And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered;
14 because ye rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the waters before their eyes. (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)
15 And Moses spake unto Jehovah, saying,
16 Let Jehovah, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation,
17 who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in; that the congregation of Jehovah be not as sheep which have no shepherd.
18 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thy hand upon him;
19 and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.
20 And thou shalt put of thine honor upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may obey.
21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before Jehovah: 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 Jehovah commanded him; and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:
23 and he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as Jehovah spake by Moses.
1 And 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 --
2 and 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:
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;
4 why 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;'
5 and Moses bringeth near their cause before Jehovah.
6 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
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.
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;
9 and if he have no daughter, then ye have given his inheritance to his brethren;
10 and if he have no brethren, then ye have given his inheritance to his father's brethren;
11 and 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.
12 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Go up unto this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel;
13 and thou hast seen it, and thou hast been gathered unto thy people, also thou, as Aaron thy brother hath been gathered,
14 because 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.
15 And Moses speaketh unto Jehovah, saying,
16 `Jehovah -- God of the spirits of all flesh -- appoint a man over the company,
17 who 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.'
18 And 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,
19 and hast caused him to stand before Eleazar the priest, and before all the company, and hast charged him before their eyes,
20 and hast put of thine honour upon him, so that all the company of the sons of Israel do hearken.
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.'
22 And Moses doth as Jehovah hath commanded him, and taketh Joshua, and causeth him to stand before Eleazar the priest, and before all the company,
23 and layeth his hands upon him, and chargeth him, as Jehovah hath spoken by the hand of Moses.
1 Then drew near the daughters of 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 were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.
2 And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and the whole assembly, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, saying,
3 Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the band of them that banded themselves together against Jehovah in the band of Korah; but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons.
4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from his family, because he has no son? Give unto us a possession among the brethren of our father.
5 And Moses brought their cause before Jehovah.
6 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
7 The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou 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 unto the children of Israel shalt thou speak, 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, ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.
10 And if he have no brethren, ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren.
11 And if his father have no brethren, ye shall give his inheritance to his kinsman that is nearest to him in his family, and he shall possess it; and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of right, as Jehovah commanded Moses.
12 And Jehovah said to Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land that I have given unto the children of Israel.
13 And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy peoples, as Aaron thy brother was gathered,
14 because ye rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, as to hallowing me in the matter of the water before their eyes. (That is the water of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)
15 And Moses spoke to Jehovah, saying,
16 Let Jehovah, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the assembly,
17 who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in, that the assembly of Jehovah be not as sheep that have no shepherd.
18 And Jehovah said to Moses, Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and thou shalt lay thy hand upon him;
19 and thou shalt set him before Eleazar the priest, and before the whole assembly; and give him commandment before their eyes.
20 And thou shalt put of thine honour upon him, that the whole assembly of the children of Israel may obey him.
21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him, by the judgment of the Urim before Jehovah: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, he, and all the children of Israel with him, even the whole assembly.
22 And Moses did as Jehovah had commanded him; and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before the whole assembly.
23 And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him commandment, as Jehovah had said through Moses.
1 Then drew near the daughters of 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, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.
2 They stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the tent of meeting, saying,
3 Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against Yahweh in the company of Korah: but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons.
4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the brothers of our father.
5 Moses brought their cause before Yahweh.
6 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
7 The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: you shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brothers; and you shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.
8 You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter.
9 If he have no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers.
10 If he have no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father's brothers.
11 If his father have no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his kinsman who is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be to the children of Israel a statute [and] ordinance, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
12 Yahweh said to Moses, Go up into this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel.
13 When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered;
14 because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the waters before their eyes. (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)
15 Moses spoke to Yahweh, saying,
16 Let Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation,
17 who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in; that the congregation of Yahweh not be as sheep which have no shepherd.
18 Yahweh said to Moses, Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;
19 and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.
20 You shall put of your honor on him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may obey.
21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before Yahweh: 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 Moses did as Yahweh commanded him; and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:
23 and he laid his hands on him, and gave him a charge, as Yahweh spoke by Moses.
1 Then the daughters of 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, came forward: their names are Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.
2 They came before Moses and Eleazar the priest and the chiefs and all the people at the door of the Tent of meeting, and said,
3 Death overtook our father in the waste land; he was not among those who were banded together with Korah against the Lord; but death came to him in his sin; and he had no sons.
4 Why is the name of our father to be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give us a heritage among our father's brothers.
5 So Moses put their cause before the Lord.
6 And the Lord said to Moses,
7 What the daughters of Zelophehad say is right: certainly you are to give them a heritage among their father's brothers: and let the property which would have been their father's go to them.
8 And say to the children of Israel, If a man has no son at the time of his death, let his heritage go to his daughter.
9 And if he has no daughter, then give his heritage to his brothers.
10 And if he has no brothers, then give his heritage to his father's brothers.
11 And if his father has no brothers, then give it to his nearest relation in the family, as his heritage: this is to be a decision made by law for the children of Israel, as the Lord gave orders to Moses.
12 And the Lord said to Moses, Go up into this mountain of Abarim so that you may see the land which I have given to the children of Israel.
13 And when you have seen it, you will be put to rest with your people, as your brother Aaron was:
14 Because in the waste land of Zin, when the people were angry, you and he went against my word and did not keep my name holy before their eyes, at the waters. (These are the waters of Meribah in Kadesh in the waste land of Zin.)
15 Then Moses said to the Lord,
16 Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, put a man at the head of this people,
17 To go out and come in before them and be their guide; so that the people of the Lord may not be like sheep without a keeper.
18 And the Lord said to Moses, Take Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and put your hand on him;
19 And take him before Eleazar the priest and all the meeting of the people, and give him his orders before their eyes.
20 And put your honour on him, so that all the children of Israel may be under his authority.
21 He will take his place before Eleazar the priest, so that he may get directions from the Lord for him, with the Urim: at his word they will go out, and at his word they will come in, he and all the children of Israel.
22 So Moses did as the Lord said: he took Joshua and put him before Eleazar the priest and the meeting of the people:
23 And he put his hands on him and gave him his orders, as the Lord had said by Moses.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Numbers 27
Commentary on Numbers 27 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Claims of Zelophehad's Daughters to an Inheritance in the Promised Land. - Numbers 27:1-4. The divine instructions which were given at the mustering of the tribes, to the effect that the land was to be divided among the tribes in proportion to the larger or smaller number of their families (Numbers 26:52-56), induced the daughters of Zelophehad the Manassite of the family of Gilead, the son of Machir, to appear before the princes of the congregation, who were assembled with Moses and Eleazar at the tabernacle, with a request that they would assign them an inheritance in the family of the father, as he had died in the desert without leaving any sons, and had not taken part in the rebellion of the company of Korah, which might have occasioned his exclusion from any participation in the promised land, but had simply died “through his (own) sin,” i.e., on account of such a sin as every one commits, and such as all who died in the wilderness had committed as well as he. “ Why should the name of our father be cut off (cease) from the midst of his family? ” This would have been the case, for example, if no inheritance had been assigned him in the land because he left no son. In that case his family would have become extinct, if his daughters had married into other families or tribes. On the other hand, if his daughters received a possession of their own among the brethren of their father, the name of their father would be preserved by it, since they could then marry husbands who would enter upon their landed property, and their father's name and possession would be perpetuated through their children. This wish on the part of the daughters was founded upon an assumption which rested no doubt upon an ancient custom, namely, that in the case of marriages where the wives had brought landed property as their dowry, the sons who inherited the maternal property were received through this inheritance into the family of their mother, i.e., of their grandfather on the mother's side. We have an example of this in the case of Jarha , who belonged to the pre-Mosaic times (1 Chronicles 2:34-35). In all probability this took place in every instance in which daughters received a portion of the paternal possessions as their dowry, even though there might be sons alive. This would explain the introduction of Jair among the Manassites in Numbers 32:41; Deuteronomy 3:14. His father Segub was the son of Hezron of the tribe of Judah, but his mother was the daughter of Machir the Manassite (1 Chronicles 2:21-22). We find another similar instance in Ezra 2:61 and Nehemiah 7:63, where the sons of a priest who had married one of the daughters of Barzillai the rich Gileadite, are called sons of Barzillai .
This question of right ( Mishpat ) Moses brought before God, and received instructions in reply to give the daughters of Zelophehad an inheritance among the brethren of their father, as they had spoken right. Further instructions were added afterwards in Numbers 36:1-13 in relation to the marriage of heiresses.
On this occasion God issued a general law of inheritance, which was to apply to all cases as “a statute of judgment” (or right), i.e., a statute determining right. If any one died without leaving a son, his landed property was to pass to his daughter (or daughters); in default of daughters, to his brothers; in the absence of brothers, to his paternal uncles; and if there were none of them, to his next of kin. - On the intention of this law, see my Archaeol.
The Death of Moses Foretold. - After these instructions concerning the division of the land, the Lord announced to Moses his approaching end. From the mountains of Abarim he was to see the land which the Israelites would receive, and then like Aaron to be gathered to his people, because like him he also had sinned at the water of strife at Kadesh. This announcement was made, “that he might go forward to his death with the fullest consciousness, and might set his house in order, that is to say, might finish as much as he could while still alive, and provide as much as possible what would make up after his death for the absence of his own person, upon which the whole house of Israel was now so dependent” ( Baumgarten ). The fulfilment of this announcement is described in Deuteronomy 32:48-52. The particular spot upon the mountains of Abarim from which Moses saw the land of Canaan, is also minutely described there. It was Mount Nebo, upon which he also died. The mountains of Abarim (cf. Numbers 33:47) are the mountain range forming the Moabitish table-land, which slope off into the steppes of Moab. It is upon this range, the northern portion of which opposite to Jericho bore the name of Pisgah , that we are to look for Mount Nebo , which is sometimes described as one of the mountains of Abarim (Deuteronomy 32:49), and at other times as the top of Pisgah (Deuteronomy 3:27; Deuteronomy 34:1; see at Numbers 21:20). Nebo is not to be identified with Jebel Attarus , but to be sought for much farther to the north, since, according to Eusebius ( s. v. Ἀβαρείμ ), it was opposite to Jericho, between Livias , which was in the valley of the Jordan nearly opposite to Jericho, and Heshbon ; consequently very near to the point which is marked as the “ Heights of Nebo ” on Van de Velde's map. The prospect from the heights of Nebo must have been a very extensive one. According to Burckhardt ( Syr . ii. pp. 106-7), “even the city of Heshbon ( Hhuzban ) itself stood upon so commanding an eminence, that the view extended at least thirty English miles in all directions, and towards the south probably as far as sixty miles.” On the expression, “gathered unto thy people,” see at Genesis 25:8, and on Aaron's death see Numbers 20:28. מריתם כּאשׁר : “ as ye transgressed My commandment .” By the double use of כּאשׁר ( quomodo , “as”), the death of Aaron, and also that of Moses, are placed in a definite relation to the sin of these two heads of Israel. As they both sinned at Kadesh against the commandment of the Lord, so they were both of them to die without entering the land of Canaan. On the sin, see at Numbers 20:12-13, and on the desert of Zin, at Numbers 13:21.
Consecration of Joshua as the Successor of Moses. - Numbers 27:15-17. The announcement thus made to Moses led him to entreat the Lord to appoint a leader of His people, that the congregation might not be like a flock without a shepherd. As “God of the spirits of all flesh,” i.e., as the giver of life and breath to all creatures (see at Numbers 16:22), he asks Jehovah to appoint a man over the congregation, who should go out and in before them, and should lead them out and in, i.e., preside over and direct them in all their affairs. ובוא צאת (“go out,” and “go in”) is a description of the conduct of men in every-day life (Deuteronomy 28:6; Deuteronomy 31:2; Joshua 14:11). והביא הוציא (“lead out,” and “bring in”) signifies the superintendence of the affairs of the nation, and is founded upon the figure of a shepherd.
The Lord then appointed Joshua to this office as a man “who had spirit.” רוּה ( spirit ) does not mean “insight and wisdom” ( Knobel ), but the higher power inspired by God into the soul, which quickens the moral and religious life, and determines its development; in this case, therefore, it was the spiritual endowment requisite for the office he was called to fill. Moses was to consecrate him for entering upon this office by the laying on of hands, or, as is more fully explained in Numbers 27:19 and Numbers 27:20, he was to set him before Eleazar the high priest and the congregation, to command ( צוּה ) him, i.e., instruct him with regard to his office before their eyes, and to lay of his eminence ( הוד ) upon him, i.e., to transfer a portion of his own dignity and majesty to him by the imposition of hands, that the whole congregation might hearken to him, or trust to his guidance. The object to ישׁמעוּ (hearken) must be supplied from the context, viz., אליו (to him), as Deuteronomy 34:9 clearly shows. The מן (of) in Numbers 27:20 is partitive, as in Genesis 4:4, etc. The eminence and authority of Moses were not to be entirely transferred to Joshua, for they were bound up with his own person alone (cf. Numbers 12:6-8), but only so much of it as he needed for the discharge of the duties of his office. Joshua was to be neither the lawgiver nor the absolute governor of Israel, but to be placed under the judgment of the Urim , with which Eleazar was entrusted, so far as the supreme decision of the affairs of Israel was concerned. This is the meaning of Numbers 27:21 : “ Eleazar shall ask to him (for him) the judgment of the Urim before Jehovah .” Urim is an abbreviation for Urim and Thummim (Exodus 28:30), and denotes the means with which the high priest was entrusted of ascertaining the divine will and counsel in all the important business of the congregation. “ After his mouth ” (i.e., according to the decision of the high priest, by virtue of the right of Urim and Thummim entrusted to him), Joshua and the whole congregation were to go out and in, i.e., to regulate their conduct and decide upon their undertakings. “All the congregation,” in distinction from 'all the children of Israel,” denotes the whole body of heads of the people, or the college of elders, which represented the congregation and administered its affairs.
Execution of the divine command.