Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 4 · Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII.
1 The daughters of Zelophehad sue for an inheritance. 5 Moses bringeth their cause before the Lord, who granteth their request. 8 The Law of inheritances, when a man dieth without a son. 12 Moses is bidden goe up and see the land, and is told of his death for his trespasse. 15 He requesteth of the Lord that a man may be set governour in his place. 18 The Lord appointeth Iosua to succeed him. 22 And Moses by imposition of hands, ordaineth him to his office.
THen came the daughters of Zelophehad the sonne of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasses, of the families of Manasses the son of Ioseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Machlah, Noah, & Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the Priest, and before the Princes and all the congregation, at the doore of the Tent of the Congregation, saying; Our father died in the wildernesse, and he was not among the Congregation of them that gathered themselves together against Iehovah, in the congregation of Korah: but in his sinne he died, and hee had no sonnes. Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no sonne? Give unto us a possession among the brethren of our father. And Moses brought their cause before Iehovah.
And Iehovah said unto Moses, saying; The daughters of Zelophehad speake right; giving thou shalt give them a possession of an inheritance among the brethren of their father: and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to passe unto them. And thou shalt speake unto the sonnes of Israel, saying, If a man die, and he have no sonne, then ye shall cause his inheritance to passe unto his daughter. And if hee have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren. And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto the brethren of his father. And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his familie, and he shall inherit it, & it shal be unto the sonnes of Israel for a statute of judgement, as Iehovah commanded Moses.
And Iehovah said unto Moses, Go thou up into this mountaine of Abarim, and see the land wch I have given to the sons of Israel. And thou shalt see it, and thou also shalt be gathered unto thy peoples, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. For ye rebelled against my mouth in the wildernesse of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctifie me at the water before their eyes; that is the water of Meribah of Kadesh, in the wildernesse of Zin.
And Moses spake unto Iehovah, saying; Let Iehovah the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation: 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 Iehovah be not as sheep which have no shepherd. And Iehovah said unto Moses; Take unto thee Iosua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him. And cause him to stand before Eleazar the Priest, and before all the congregation, and charge thou him before their eyes. And thou shalt give of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the sonnes of Israel may heare.
And hee shall stand before Eleazar the Priest, and he shall aske (counsell) for him, by the judgement of Vrim, before Iehovah: at his mouth shall they goe out, & at his mouth shall they come in; hee, and all the sonnes of Israel with him, and all the congregation.
And Moses did as Iehovah commanded him: and he tooke Ioshua and caused him to stand before Eleazar the Priest, and before all the congregation. And he laid his hands upon him, and charged him, as Iehovah spake, by the hand of Moses.
Annotations.
THen came] Hebr. And they came neere (or approached) to wit, unto Moses, &c. v. 2. Targum Ionathan saith, they came to the place of judgement. Zelophehad] or, Zelophchad; in Greeke, Salpaad son of Opher, son of Galaad, &c. See Nū. 26. 33. of the families] or with (among) the families of Manasseh; as comming before when all the other families came to be mustered, ch. 26. but the Greeke translateth, of the familie of Manasses. of Ioseph] what needeth he to be named here? Sol. Iarchi answereth, because Ioseph loved the land, as it is said (in Gen. 50. 25.) and ye shall carry up my bones from hence: and his daughters loved the land, as it is said, (in Num. 27. 4) Give unto us a possession, &c. Machlah] or Mahlah, Nognah, Choglah, &c. in Greeke, Maala, Noua, Aigla, &c. the Scripture nameth them foure times; here, and in ch. 26. 33. and 36. 11. & Ios. 17. 3. The order of their names is altered in Num. 36. 11. Machlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, &c. whereupon Iarchi here saith, they were all of like esteeme one as another, therefore the order of them is changed.
Vers. 3. of Korah] who was a rebell, Num. 16. Zelophehad was not among other Rebels, whereby he and his posteritie might be deprived of his inheritance. in his sinne] in (or for) his owne sinne, as other men died in the wildernesse: and he had not beene a meane to draw other men into sinne, as did Korah, and other rebellious persons.
Vers. 4. Why should the name of our father bee done away] or, be diminished; that is, let not his name be done away; as the Greeke translateth, Let not our fathers name be blotted out: see the notes on Exod. 32. 11. It was esteemed as a curse to have their fathers name abolished; as it is written, In the generation following let his name be b… ted out, Psal. 109. 13. Give unto us a possession] These daughters, as they honoured their father deceased, in seeking to have his name continued, so they shewed faith in God, beleeving that the land should bee given them for inheritance, which the men of Israel before beleeved not, and therefore could not come into it, but it was promised to their children, Num. 14. And though these were women, no warriers, not mustered among the armie, Num. 26. yet beleeved they the promise to belong unto them; as the inheritance was given to Abraham by promise, not by the Law, Gal. 3. 18. Wherfore in claiming right in the holy land, they figuratively claimed inheritance in the kingdome of heaven, which shall be given to them which worke not, but beleeve in him which justifieth the ungodly, Rom. 4. 5, 6. &c. So these five virgins may be considered as the five wise virgins, which tooke oyle in their vessels with their l…m…es, that they might be readie to goe in with the bridegroome to the marriage, Matth. 25. 1.—10. and they are our examples, that we should seeke comfort and assurance (in the wildernesse of this world, where we are weake and Orphans,) of our in heritance with those that are sanctified by faith in Christ: & to claime this portiō in the land of the living, without respecting either our works or weaknesse, by vertue of the covenant of grace confirmed by Christ, in whom there is neither Iew nor Gentile, bond nor free, male nor female; but all are one: and whosoever are Christs, are Abrahams seed, and heires according to the promise, Gal. 3. 28, 29. Their names also seeme to be not without mysterie: for Zelophehad by interpretation signifieth The shadow of feare, or of dread: his first daughter Machlah, Infirmitie; the second, Noghnah, Wandring; the third, Choglah, Turning about for joy, or Da…ing; the fourth, Milcah, a Queene; the fift, Tirzah, Welpleasing, or Acceptable. By these names we may observe the degrees of our reviving by grace in Christ: for wee all are borne as of the shadow of feare, being brought forth in sinne, and for feare of death were all our life time subject to bondage, Hebr. 2. 15. This begetteth Infirmitie, or Sicknesse, griefe of heart for our estate; after which, Wandring abroad for helpe and comfort, we find it in Christ, by whom our sorrow is turned into joy. He communicateth to us of his royaltie, making us Kings and Priests unto God his Father, Rev. 1. 6. and shall be presented unto him glorious, and without blemish, Ephes. 5. 27. So the Church is beautifull as Tirzah, Song 6. 3.
Vers. 5. brought their cause] or, brought neere their judgement, that is, their cause to be judged of, as in difficult cases he used to doe. Foure principally are observed, of which this was one: see the Annotations on Num. 15. 34.
Vers. 7. speake right] speake that which is just and meet to be done: so God approveth their desire and request of faith, and sheweth himselfe to bee the father of the fatherlesse, Psal. 68. 5. And of them Sol. Iarchi here observeth, that their eyes saw that which Moses eyes saw not. giving then shalt give them] that is, thou shalt surely give them without faile. This commandement was fulfilled in Ios. 17. 4. Here the word them, (as Chazkuni also noteth) is of the male or masculine gender, though he speaketh of females: which may bee either in respect of their faith and confidence, such as might beseeme men; or of Gods gift (especially of his grace in Christ hereby figured) which he giveth without difference of male and female, Gal. 3. 28. The Hebrewes (in Talmud Bab. in Baba hathra, ch. 8.) have recorded that The daughters of Zelophehad had three portions for inheritance; their fathers portion, because he was one of them that came out of Egypt; and his portion with his brethren in the goods of Hepher (his father) and because he was the first-borne, he had two portions. Which Rambam in his Annotations on that place, explaineth thus; All that came out of Egypt were to have part in the land; and if the father and his sonne both came out, each of them had a portion alike. And Zelophehad and Hepher were both of them that came out of Egypt: so Zelophehad was to have had his part, and to have had by inheritance of Hepher, two parts, because he was the first-borne, &c.
Vers. 8. If a man] or, Any man when hee dieth and have no sonne: here God passeth from the speciall case of these virgins, and giveth a generall law for inheritances, that they should passe to the female, if the father died without male issue: but otherwise the daughters had no part in the inheritance with the sonnes:
Vers. 11. unto his kinsman] or, unto his neere kin; of which words, see the notes on Levit. 18. 6. From this word, and that which followeth, next to him, Sol. Iarchi noteth he should be of his familie; and none is called a familie but on the fathers side. Touching the right of inheritances, the Hebrew Canons lay it downethus; Who so dieth, his children doe inherit that which is his, and they are before all other. And the males are before the females. But the female never inheriteth with the male. If he have no children, his father shall be his heire; or if it be a …ther, shee is heire to her children; and this thing is by tradition. And whosoever is first for inheritance, is of them that first come out of the thigh (that is, are begotten first.) Therefore whoso dieth, … it man or woman, if they leave a sonne, hee inheriteth all; if his sonne be not found alive, they looke next to the seed of that sonne. If any of his seed be found, whether males or females, though it be the sonnes daughters daughters daughter to the end of the world, she inheriteth all. If he have no male issue, they turne to the daughter. If he have a daughter, she inheriteth all. If his daughter be not found in the world, they looke unto the daughters seed, which if any be found, whether males or females to the worlds end, it inheriteth all. If the daughter have no seed, the inheritance returneth to his father. If his father be not living, they looke next to the seed of the father, which are the brethren of him that is dead. If hee have a brother found, or brothers seed, he inherits all: if not, they turne to the sisters; if he have a sister or sisters seed, it inherits all. And if there be neither brothers seed nor sisters seed, forasmuch as the father hath no seed, the inheritance returneth to the fathers father. If the grandfather be not living, they looke to the grandfathers seed, which are the brethren of his father that is deceased: and there the males are before the females, and the seed of the males before the females, as was the right of the seed of the dead him-selfe. If none of his fathers brethren, nor of their seed be found, the inheritance returneth to the great grandfather: and after this manner it proceedeth upwards. Thus the sonne is before the daughter, and all the issue of the sonne before the daughter, and the daughter is before her grandfather, and all her issue are before her grandfather. And the father of the deceased is before the brethren of the deceased, and the brother before the sister, and all the brothers issue before the sister: and the sister before her grandfather, and all the sisters issue before her grandfather. The grandfather is before the brethren of the father of him that is deceased, and his fathers brethren are before his fathers sisters, and all that come out of the thigh of his fathers brother, are before his fathers sisters; and his fathers sisters are before the fathers grandfather of him that is deceased; and so all that come out of the thigh of his fathers sister are before his fathers grandfather: and after this manner it proceedeth and ascendeth untill the beginning of the generations. Therefore there is no man of Israel that is without heires. Who so dieth & leaveth a son, and a sons daughter, though it be a sons daughters daughters daughter, to the end of many generations, shee is for most and heire of all, and the (first mans) daughter hath nothing. And the same law is for the brothers daughter with the sister, and for the daughter of his fathers brothers son, with his fathers sister, and so all in like sort. Who so hath two sons, and they both die while he liveth, and the one son leave three sons, and the other son leave one daughter, afterward when the old man dieth, the three sons of his son shall inherit the halfe of his heritage, and the daughter of his (other) sonne shall inherit the (other) halfe; for cach of them was to inherit aportion of his father: and after this manner doe the sonnes of brethren divids, and the sonnes of the fathers brother, unto the beginning of the generations. The familie of the mother is not called a familie, neither is there inheritance but to the familie of the father: therefore brethren by the mother are not heires one of another, but brethren by the father are heires one of another: and this, whether it be his brother by his father onelyonly, or his brother by his father and his mother. All that are neere (in bloud) by transgression doe inherit, as they which are lawfully begotten; as if one have a bastard son, or a bastard brother, loe they are as other sons and as other brethren for inheritance. But the sonnes of a bond-woman, or of a strange woman, is not counted a son for any matter, neither is he an heire at all. Maimony tom. 4. in Nachaloth (or treat. of Inheritances) ch. 1. sect. 1.—7. As the sons had their fathers inheritance divided among them, (the first-borne having a double portion, Deut. 21. 17.) so for releefe of the widow, and of the daughters, the Hebrewes had these lawes. A widow is to be sustained by the goods of the heires all the time of her widowhood, untill she receive her dowrie; and after shee hath received her dowrie in the judgement Hall, shee hath not that sustenance. As they sustaine her (with food) after her husbands death with his goods; so they give her raiment, and houshold-stuffe, and dwelling; or she remaineth in the dwelling which she had whiles her husband lived. If the widow die, her husbands heires are bound to bury her. Our wise men have commanded that a man should give a little of his goods to his daughter, &c. If a father die and leave a daughter, they measure his purpose how much was in his heart to give unto her for her livelihood, and they give it her: and his acquaintance are they that measure his purpose. If they know it not, the Magistrates rate it, and give her a tenth part of his goods for her livelihood. If he leave many daughters, every one of them when she commeth to be married, hath a tenth of his goods. And she which is after her, hath a tenth part of that which remaineth of the first: and she which is after her, hath a tenth of that which is left of the second. And if they come all to be married at once, the first receiveth a tenth part, and the second a tenth part of that which remaineth of the first, and the third a tenth of that which remaineth of the second; and so (the rest) though they be ten, &c. and the residue of the goods are the brethrens. If the brethren have sold or mortgaged their fathers lands, the daughter taketh her livelihood from the purchasers, even as a creditor taketh his debt of the purchasers. Who so commandeth at his death, that they should give his daughters no livelihood of his goods, they doe hearken unto him; for this is not of the nature of a dowrie. Maimony tom. 2. treat. of Wives, ch. 18. sect. 1. &c. and ch. 20. sect. 1. &c.
Vers. 12. this mountaine of Abarim] There were many mountaines of Abarim, Num. 33. 47. by this mountaine therefore is meant one speciall, which was called Nebo, which was in the land of Moab, over against Iericho, Deut. 32. 49. And they were called Abarim, of the fords or passages which were by them over Iordan into the land of Canaan. Wherefore the Greeke version saith, Goe thou up into the mountaine which is on this side (Iordan) of mount Naban, (or this mount Nabais:) And Mos. Gerundens. explaineth it thus; The mountaine of Abarim is mount Nebo, as is expounded in Deut. 32. and is so called, because it is by the fords of Iordan, where they passe over into the land of Canaan. see the land] the land of Canaan, saith the Greeke: and so Moses expresseth it in Deut. 32. 49. Though this were some comfort unto Moses, to see the land a farre off, and salute the same (as the faithfull fathers are said to doe the promises which they received not, Heb. 11. 13.) yet his desire and earnest suit unto the Lord was, that he might have gone over and seene it: but he would not grant it him, because he had sinned, and God had denounced his death before, Deut. 3. 23.—26. Num. 20. 12. See the Annotations on Deut. 34. where his viewing of the land is described.
Vers. 13. be gathered unto thy peoples] in Greeke, be added unto thy people: meaning, that he should die there, and be buried, Deut. 32. 50. and 34. 5, 6. and his soule should be gathered unto his godly forefathers: see Num. 20. 24.
Vers. 14. For ye rebelled] or, For as much as yet rebelled against my mouth, that is, as the Greeke and Chaldee expound it, against my word: so in Num. 20. 24. to sanctifie me] that is, which word and commandement of mine was, that ye by faith should sanctifie mee, but yee sanctified mee not. Wherefore the Greeke here translateth, ye sanctified me not: and so it is explained in Deut. 32. 51. because ye sanctified me not. Meribah of Kadesh] or, strife of Kadesh; as the Greeke translateth it, of the contradiction of Kades; & the Chaldee, the strife of Rekam. By this name Kadesh it is distinguished from the other Meribah spoken of in Exod. 17. 7. So in Deut. 32. 51.
V. 15. of the spirits of all flesh] the Greeke translateth, of the spirits, and of all flesh: so before in Num. 16. 22. It meaneth that God is both the Creator of all mens soules or spirits, Eccles. 12. 7. Zach. 12. 1. and he that giveth them spiritual gifts of wisdome, knowledge, grace, &c. as spirits are used for spirituall gifts, in 1 Cor. 14. 12. set] or, visit, that is, provide & constitute for Bishop or overseer; who therfore is called in v. 17. a shepherd, or Pastor. Though for the peoples sake the Lord was angry with Moses, and would not let him goe into the good land, Deut. 4. 21. yet such was Moses love unto them, and care for their welfare, that he procureth what in him lieth, their good after his decease, by having a faithfull governour set over them of God, which is a blessing unto a land or people, Eccles. 10. 17.
Vers. 17. goe out before them] by this phrase of going out, and comming in, and that which followeth, leading out and bringing in, is signified the administration of the officer, and government of his people, both in time of peace and of warre: wherefore when Moses was old, and the time of his administration expired, he said, I can no more goe out and come in, Deut. 31. 2. So the Priests administration in the Lords house, is called a going in thereto, 1 Chron. 24. 19. The similitude is taken from a shepherd, whose dutie is to goe before the sheepe, and to lead them out, that by his guidance they may goe in and out and sinde pasture, as is spoken of our great shepherd, the Lord Iesus, whom this Iesus the successor of Moses prefigured, Iohn 10. 3, 4, 9. which have no shepherd] or, no Pastor: wch estate is miserable, as is noted of our Saviour, that when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted & were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd, Mat. 9. 36.
Vers. 18. Iosua the son of Nun] in Greeke, Iesus the son of Naue: so in the new Testament he is called Iesus, Act. 7. 45. Heb. 4. 8. the spirit] to wit, the spirit of God; meaning the gifts and graces of the Spirit; as wisdome, Deut. 34. 9. and the like. The Chaldee expoundeth it, the spirit of prophesie; and Targ. Ionat. saith, the spirit of prophesie from before the Lord remaineth upon him: wch accordeth with Num. 11. 24. But whether in prophesie or other graces, he was but a shadow of Iesus the son of God, to whom he gave not the spirit by measure, Iob. 3. 34. lay thine hand] or, impose thine hand, that is, thine hands, as the Greeke translateth, and as Moses after sheweth in vers. 23. which was a signe of his calling and ordination to his office, as in Numb. 8. 10. with which also it seemeth he received a greater measure of the Spirit; as it is said, And Iosua the sonne of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdome; for Moses had laid his hands upon him, Deut. 34. 9.
Vers. 19. charge thou him] or, command him; give him a charge for the faithfull executing of his office: such as we reade of in Deut. 31. 7, 8. Besides that which was now done by Moses, God himselfe did after give him a charge in the Tabernacle, Deut. 31. 14, 15.
Vers. 20. give of thine honour] or, give (that is, put) of thy glory, or of thy Majestie: whereby the gifts fitting the government of Israel seeme to be meant, as wisdome, according to Deut. 34. 9. or some other exterior signe of his calling from God, whereby the people might be obedient to him. As it is said of Solomon, when he sate on the throne of the Lord, and all Israel obeyed him, that the Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly before the eyes of all Israel, and gave upon him the honour of the kingdom, (or royall majestie) such as had not beene on any king before him in Israel, 1 Chron. 29. 23, 25. And the contrary is spoken of Antiochus, that vile person, they shall not give upon him the honour of the kingdome; but he shall come in peaceably, and obtaine the kingdome by slatteries, Dan. 11. 21. The Chaldee translateth, thou shalt give of thy brightnesse (in Greeke, thy glory) upon him: as referring it to the shining of Moses face, spoken of in Exod. 34. 30, 35. and so other Hebrewes expound it, as Sol. Iarchi here saith, This is the shining of the skin of his face; and R. Menachem from the judgement of former Doctors, saith thus, of thine honour, and not all thine honour: Hereupon they say, The face of Moses was like the face of the Sunne; the face of Iosualike the face of the Moone. Though Iosua had not all the honour of Moses, for There arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, Deut. 34. 10. yet Iesus Christ was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, Hebr. 3. 3. may heare] that is, heare him, as the Greeke translateth, and so obey his authority. Thus it is opened in Deut. 34. 9. Moses had laid his hands upon him, and the sonnes of Israel hearkened unto him, that is, obeyed him: which is further manifested by their words unto him, in Ios. 1. 16, 17, 18. Herein Iesus the sonne of Nun was a figure of Iesus the Sonne of God, of whom it is written, We were eyewitnesses of his Majesty, for he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Sonne, in whom I am well pleased, HEARE YE HIM, 2 Pet. 1. 16, 17. Matth. 17. 5.
Vers. 21. and he shall aske for him] that is, Eleazar shall aske counsell of God for Iosua in all doubtfull cases; in all their warres, &c. Or, and hee shall aske of him, that is, Iosua shall aske of Eleazar: this the Greeke favoureth, translating, and they shall aske of him the judgement of Vrim (or of manifestations.) by the judgement of Vrim] by the brest-plate of judgement, wherein were Vrim and Thummim; whereof see the Annotations on Exod. 28. 30. Thus Saul enquired of the Lord by Urim, but hee answered him not, 1 Sam. 28. 6. at his mouth] in Chaldee, at his word; by his, understanding Gods mouth, or Eleazars mouth, speaking from the Lord: so in Targum Ionathan it is expounded, At the word of Eleazar the Priest they shall goe out. But then is implied the Lords word, by which the Priest was to give answer: for it is a rule among the Hebrew Doctors, Every Priest that speaketh not by the Holy Ghost, and the divine Majesty residing on him, they aske not (counsell) by him. Talmud Bab. in Ioma, cap. 7. in Gemara. For in such consultations, though they inquired by the Priest, yet the answer came from the Lord; as there is an example in David, 1 Sam. 23. 9, 10, 11, 12. shall they goe out] out to warre, and in againe from the same; and so in all weighty affaires which were extraordinary. Wherefore it was an over sight in Iosua and Israel that they made peace with the Gibeonites, and asked not (counsell at) the mouth of the Lord, Ios. 9. 14, 15. he] that is, Iosua himselfe, and all the people. Whereas the High Priest with Urim and Thummim, Lights and Perfections, was a figure of Christ, (as is shewed on Exod. 28. 30.) the Lord by this ordinance signified, that all governours and people should have their administrations directed by the mouth of Christ: For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Iesus Christ, 2 Cor. 4. 6.