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
Of the sons H1121 of Manasseh: H4519 of Machir, H4353 the family H4940 of the Machirites: H4354 and Machir H4353 begat H3205 Gilead: H1568 of Gilead H1568 come the family H4940 of the Gileadites. H1569 These are the sons H1121 of Gilead: H1568 of Jeezer, H372 the family H4940 of the Jeezerites: H373 of Helek, H2507 the family H4940 of the Helekites: H2516 And of Asriel, H844 the family H4940 of the Asrielites: H845 and of Shechem, H7928 the family H4940 of the Shechemites: H7930 And of Shemida, H8061 the family H4940 of the Shemidaites: H8062 and of Hepher, H2660 the family H4940 of the Hepherites. H2662 And Zelophehad H6765 the son H1121 of Hepher H2660 had no sons, H1121 but daughters: H1323 and the names H8034 of the daughters H1323 of Zelophehad H6765 were Mahlah, H4244 and Noah, H5270 Hoglah, H2295 Milcah, H4435 and Tirzah. H8656
There was also a lot for the rest H3498 of the children H1121 of Manasseh H4519 by their families; H4940 for the children H1121 of Abiezer, H44 and for the children H1121 of Helek, H2507 and for the children H1121 of Asriel, H844 and for the children H1121 of Shechem, H7928 and for the children H1121 of Hepher, H2660 and for the children H1121 of Shemida: H8061 these were the male H2145 children H1121 of Manasseh H4519 the son H1121 of Joseph H3130 by their families. H4940 But 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 had no sons, H1121 but daughters: H1323 and these are the names H8034 of his daughters, H1323 Mahlah, H4244 and Noah, H5270 Hoglah, H2295 Milcah, H4435 and Tirzah. H8656
The sons H1121 of Manasseh; H4519 Ashriel, H844 whom she bare: H3205 (but his concubine H6370 the Aramitess H761 bare H3205 Machir H4353 the father H1 of Gilead: H1568 And Machir H4353 took H3947 to wife H802 the sister of Huppim H2650 and Shuppim, H8206 whose sister's H269 name H8034 was Maachah;) H4601 and the name H8034 of the second H8145 was Zelophehad: H6765 and Zelophehad H6765 had daughters. H1323 And Maachah H4601 the wife H802 of Machir H4353 bare H3205 a son, H1121 and she called H7121 his name H8034 Peresh; H6570 and the name H8034 of his brother H251 was Sheresh; H8329 and his sons H1121 were Ulam H198 and Rakem. H7552
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.