N
U M B E R S
CHAP. XXXVI.
We
have in this chapter the determination of another question that arose upon the
case of the daughters of Zelophehad. God had appointed that they should
inherit, ch. xxvii. 7. Now here, I. An inconvenience is suggested, in
case they should marry into any other tribe, ver. 1-4. II. It is prevented by
a divine appointment that they should marry in their own tribe and family
(ver. 5-7), and this is settled for a rule in like cases (ver. 8, 9); and they
did marry accordingly to some of their own relations (ver. 10-12), and with
this the book concludes, ver. 13.
|
The
Law of Inheritance.
|
B.
C. 1452.
|
|
|
1 And the chief fathers
of the families of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of
Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spake before
Moses, and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of
Israel: 2 And they said, The LORD
commanded my lord to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children
of Israel: and my lord was commanded by the LORD
to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters.
3 And if they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the
children of Israel, then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance
of our fathers, and shall be put to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto
they are received: so shall it be taken from the lot of our inheritance.
4 And when the jubilee of the children of Israel shall be, then shall their
inheritance be put unto the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are
received: so shall their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the
tribe of our fathers.
We have here the humble address which the heads of the tribe of Manasseh made
to Moses and the princes, on occasion of the order lately made concerning the
daughters of Zelophehad. The family they belonged to was part of that half of
the tribe of Manasseh which we yet to have their lot within Jordan, not that
half that was already settled; and yet they speak of the land of their
possession, and the inheritance of their fathers, with as great assurance as
if they had it already in their hands, knowing whom they had trusted. In their
appeal observe, 1. They fairly recite the former order made in this case, and
do not move to have that set aside, but are very willing to acquiesce in it (v.
2): The Lord commanded to give the inheritance of Zelophehad to his
daughters; and they are very well pleased that it should be so, none of
them knowing but that hereafter it might be the case of their own families,
and then their daughters would have the benefit of this law. 2. They represent
the inconvenience which might, possibly, follow hereupon, if the daughters of
Zelophehad should see cause to marry into any other tribes, v. 3. And
it is probable that this was not a bare surmise, or supposition, but that they
knew, at this time, great court was made to them by some young gentlemen of
other tribes, because they were heiresses, that they might get footing in this
tribe, and so enlarge their own inheritance. This truly is often aimed at more
than it should be in making marriages, not the meetness of the person, but the
convenience of the estate, to lay house to house, and field to field.
Wisdom indeed is good with an inheritance; but what is an inheritance good
for in that relation without wisdom? But here, we may presume, the personal
merit of these daughters recommended them as well as their fortunes; however,
the heads of their tribe foresaw the mischief that would follow, and brought
the case to Moses, that he might consult the oracle of God concerning it. The
difficulty they start God could have obviated and provided against in the
former order given in this case; but to teach us that we must, in our affairs,
not only attend God's providence, but make use of our own prudence, God did
not direct in it till the themselves that were concerned wisely foresaw the
inconvenience, and piously applied to Moses for a rule in it. For though they
were chief fathers in their families, and might have assumed a power to
overrule these daughters of Zelophehad in disposing of themselves, especially
their father being dead and the common interest of their tribe being concerned
in it, yet they chose rather to refer the matter to Moses, and it issued well.
We should not covet to be judges in our own case, for it is difficult to be so
without being partial. It is easier in many cases to take good advice than to
give it, and it is a satisfaction to be under direction. Two things they aimed
at in their representation:-- (1.) To preserve the divine appointment of
inheritances. They urged the command (v. 2), that the land should be
given by lot to the respective tribes, and urged that it would break in upon
the divine appointment if such a considerable part of the lot of Manasseh
should, by their marriage, be transferred to any other tribe; for the issue
would be denominated from the father's tribe, not the mother's. This indeed
would not lessen the lot of the particular persons of that tribe (they would
have their own still), but it would lessen the lot of the tribe in general,
and render it less strong and considerable; they therefore thought themselves
concerned for the reputation of their tribe, and perhaps were the more jealous
for it because it was already very much weakened by the sitting down of the
one half of it on this side Jordan. (2.) To prevent contests and quarrels
among posterity. If those of other tribes should come among them perhaps it
might occasion some contests. They would be apt to give and receive
disturbance, and their title might, in process of time, come to be questioned;
and how great a matter would this fire kindle! It is the wisdom and duty of
those that have estates in the world to settle them, and dispose of them, so
as that no strife and contention may arise about them among posterity.
5 And Moses commanded the
children of Israel according to the word of the LORD,
saying, The tribe of the sons of Joseph hath said well. 6 This is
the thing which the LORD
doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry to
whom they think best; only to the family of the tribe of their father shall
they marry. 7 So shall not the inheritance of the children of
Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel
shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
8 And every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the
children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her
father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his
fathers. 9 Neither shall the inheritance remove from one
tribe to another tribe; but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel
shall keep himself to his own inheritance. 10 Even as the LORD
commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad: 11 For Mahlah,
Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were
married unto their father's brothers' sons: 12 And they
were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and
their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father.
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 by Jordan near Jericho.
Here is, I. The matter settled by express order from God between the daughters
of Zelophehad and the rest of the tribe of Manasseh. The petition is assented
to, and care taken to prevent the inconvenience feared: The tribe of the
sons of Joseph hath said well, v. 5. Thus those that consult the
oracles of God concerning the making of their heavenly inheritance sure shall
not only be directed what to do, but their enquiries shall be graciously
accepted, and they shall have not only their well done, but their well
said, good and faithful servant. Now the matter is thus accommodated:
these heiresses must be obliged to marry, not only within their own tribe of
Manasseh, but within the particular family of the Hepherites, to which they
did belong. 1. They are not determined to any particular persons; there was
choice enough in the family of their father: Let them marry to whom they
think best. As children must preserve the authority of their parents, and
not marry against their minds, so parents must consult the affections of their
children in disposing of them, and not compel them to marry such as they
cannot love. Forced marriages are not likely to prove blessings. 2. Yet they
are confined to their own relations, that their inheritance may not go to
another family. God would have them know that the land being to be divided by
lot, the disposal whereof was of the Lord, they could not mend, and therefore
should not alter, his appointment. The inheritances must not remove from
tribe to tribe (v. 7), lest there should be confusion among them,
their estates entangled, and their genealogies perplexed. God would not have
one tribe to be enriched by the straitening and impoverishing of another,
since they were all alike the seed of Abraham his friend.
II. The law, in this particular case, was made perpetual, and to be observed
whenever hereafter the like case should happen, v. 8. Those that were
not heiresses might marry into what tribe they pleased (though we may suppose
that, ordinarily, they kept within their own tribe), but those that were must
either quit their claim to the inheritance or marry one of their own family,
that each of the tribes might keep to its own inheritance, and one tribe might
not encroach upon another, but throughout their generations there might remain
immovable the ancient landmarks, set, not by their fathers, but by the God
of their fathers.
III. The submission of the daughters of Zelophehad to this appointment. How
could they but marry well, and to their satisfaction, when God himself
directed them? They married their father's brothers' sons, v. 10-12. By
this it appears, 1. That the marriage of cousin-germans is not in itself
unlawful, nor within the degrees prohibited, for then God would not have
countenanced these marriages. But, 2. That ordinarily it is not advisable;
for, if there had not been a particular reason for it (which cannot hold in
any case now, inheritances being not disposed of as then by the special
designation of Heaven), they would not have married such near relations. The
world is wide, and he that walks uprightly will endeavour to walk surely.
IV. The conclusion of this whole book, referring to the latter part of it: These
are the judgments which the Lord commanded in the plains of Moab (v.
13), these foregoing, ever since ch. xxvi., most of which related to
their settlement in Canaan, into which they were now entering. Whatever new
condition God is by his providence bringing us into, we must beg of him to
teach us the duty of it, and to enable us to do it, that we may do the work of
the day in its day, of the place in its place.
Contents
|
Next Section
