1 And the chief H7218 fathers H1 of the families H4940 of the children H1121 of Gilead, H1568 the son H1121 of Machir, H4353 the son H1121 of Manasseh, H4519 of the families H4940 of the sons H1121 of Joseph, H3130 came near, H7126 and spake H1696 before H6440 Moses, H4872 and before H6440 the princes, H5387 the chief H7218 fathers H1 of the children H1121 of Israel: H3478
2 And they said, H559 The LORD H3068 commanded H6680 my lord H113 to give H5414 the land H776 for an inheritance H5159 by lot H1486 to the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 and my lord H113 was commanded H6680 by the LORD H3068 to give H5414 the inheritance H5159 of Zelophehad H6765 our brother H251 unto his daughters. H1323
3 And if they be married H802 to any H259 of the sons H1121 of the other tribes H7626 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 then shall their inheritance H5159 be taken H1639 from the inheritance H5159 of our fathers, H1 and shall be put H3254 to the inheritance H5159 of the tribe H4294 whereunto they are received: so shall it be taken H1639 from the lot H1486 of our inheritance. H5159
4 And when the jubile H3104 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 shall be, then shall their inheritance H5159 be put H3254 unto the inheritance H5159 of the tribe H4294 whereunto they are received: so shall their inheritance H5159 be taken away H1639 from the inheritance H5159 of the tribe H4294 of our fathers. H1
5 And Moses H4872 commanded H6680 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 according to the word H6310 of the LORD, H3068 saying, H559 The tribe H4294 of the sons H1121 of Joseph H3130 hath said H1696 well.
6 This is the thing H1697 which the LORD H3068 doth command H6680 concerning the daughters H1323 of Zelophehad, H6765 saying, H559 Let them marry H802 to whom they think H5869 best; H2896 only to the family H4940 of the tribe H4294 of their father H1 shall they marry. H802
7 So shall not the inheritance H5159 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 remove H5437 from tribe H4294 to tribe: H4294 for every one H376 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 shall keep H1692 himself to the inheritance H5159 of the tribe H4294 of his fathers. H1
8 And every daughter, H1323 that possesseth H3423 an inheritance H5159 in any tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 shall be wife H802 unto one H259 of the family H4940 of the tribe H4294 of her father, H1 that the children H1121 of Israel H3478 may enjoy H3423 every man H376 the inheritance H5159 of his fathers. H1
9 Neither shall the inheritance H5159 remove H5437 from one tribe H4294 to another H312 tribe; H4294 but every one H376 of the tribes H4294 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 shall keep H1692 himself to his own inheritance. H5159
10 Even as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses, H4872 so did H6213 the daughters H1323 of Zelophehad: H6765
11 For Mahlah, H4244 Tirzah, H8656 and Hoglah, H2295 and Milcah, H4435 and Noah, H5270 the daughters H1323 of Zelophehad, H6765 were married H802 unto their father's H1730 brothers' sons: H1121
12 And they were married H802 into the families H4940 of the sons H1121 of Manasseh H4519 the son H1121 of Joseph, H3130 and their inheritance H5159 remained in the tribe H4294 of the family H4940 of their father. H1
13 These are the commandments H4687 and the judgments, H4941 which the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 by the hand H3027 of Moses H4872 unto the children H1121 of Israel H3478 in the plains H6160 of Moab H4124 by Jordan H3383 near Jericho. H3405
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 36
Commentary on Numbers 36 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 36
Nu 36:1-13. The Inconvenience of the Inheritance.
1. the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead—Being the tribal governors in Manasseh, they consulted Moses on a case that affected the public honor and interests of their tribe. It related once more to the daughters of Zelophehad. Formerly they had applied, at their own instance, to be recognized, for want of male heirs in their family, as entitled to inherit their father's property [Nu 27:1-11]; now the application was made on behalf of the tribe to which they belonged—that steps might be taken to prevent the alienation of their patrimony by their alliance with husbands of another tribe. The unrestricted marriages of daughters in such circumstances threatened seriously to affect the tenure of land in Israel, as their inheritance would go to their children, who, by the father's side, would belong to another tribe, and thus lead, through a complication of interests and the confusion of families, to an evil for which even the Jubilee could not afford a remedy. [See on Le 25:13].
5-12. Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the Lord—The plea appeared just and reasonable; and, accordingly an enactment was made by which the daughters of Zelophehad, while left to the free choice of their husbands, were restricted to marry not only within their own tribe, but within the family of their father's tribe—that is, one of their cousins. This restriction, however, was imposed only on those who were heiresses. The law was not applicable to daughters in different circumstances (1Ch 23:22)—for they might marry into another tribe; but if they did so, they were liable to forfeit their patrimonial inheritance, which, on the death of their father or brothers, went to the nearest of the family kinsmen. Here was an instance of progressive legislation (see also Ex 18:27) in Israel, the enactments made being suggested by circumstances. But it is deserving of special notice that those additions to, or modifications of, the law were confined to civil affairs; while the slightest change was inadmissible in the laws relating to worship or the maintenance of religion.
13. These are the commandments and the judgments, which the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses unto the children of Israel in the plains of Moab—The Israelitish encampment was on an extensive plateau north of the Arnon, which, though wrested from the Moabites by Sihon and Og, still retained the name of its original possessors. The particular site, as indicated by the words "Jordan near Jericho," is now called El-Koura—a large plain lying not far from Nebo, between the Arnon and a small tributary stream, the Wael [Burckhardt]. It was a desert plain on the eastern bank, and marked only by groves of the wild, thorny acacia tree.