Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 4 · Chapter 36
CHAP. XXXVI.
1 The inconvenience of the inheritance of daughters is remedied by marrying in their owne tribes, lest the inheritance should be removed from the tribe. 10 The daughters of Zelophehad obey the Lords commandement, and marry their uncles sonnes.
AND the heads of the fathers of the family of the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the sonne of Manasses, of the families of the sonnes of Ioseph, came neere, and spake before Moses and before the Princes, the heads of the fathers of the sons of Israel. And they said, Iehovah commanded my lord to give the land for an inheritance, by lot, to the sonnes of Israel: and my lord was commanded by Iehovah to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters. And if they become wives to any of the sons of the tribes of the sons of Israel, then shall their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of our fathers, and shall be put to the inheritance of the tribe, unto whom they shall be; so it shall be taken away from the lot of our inheritance. And when the Iubilee of the sonnes of Israel shall be, then shall their inheritance be put unto the inheritance of the tribe, unto whom they shall be: so their inheritance shall be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.
And Moses commanded the sonnes of Israel according to the mouth of Iehovah, saying; The tribe of the sonnes of Ioseph speake right. This is the thing which Iehovah doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying; Let them become wives to whom it is good in their eyes, onelyonly to the family of the tribe of their father shall they become wives. And the inheritance of the sonnes of Israel shall not remove from tribe to tribe; for every man of the sonnes of Israel shall cleave to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. And every daughter that possesseth an inheritance of the tribes of the sons of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the sonnes of Israel may possesse, every man the inheritance of his fathers. And the inheritance shall not remove from one tribe to another tribe, but every man of the tribes of the sonnes of Israel shall cleave to his inheritance.
Even as Iehovah commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad. For Machlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were wives unto their uncles sonnes. (To men) of the families of the sonnes of Manasses, the sonne of Ioseph, they became wives; and their inheritance was unto the tribe of the family of their father.
These are the commandements and the judgements which Iehovah commanded, by the hand of Moses, unto the sonnes of Israel, in the plaines of Moab, by Iordan, neere Iericho.
Annotations.
THE heads] in Greeke, the Princes, that is, the chiefe fathers. God having designed the limits of the holy land which Israel should inherit, in Numb. 34. and appointed his owne portion out of the same, to be given unto the Priests and Levites, Numb. 35. doth now conclude his lawes with an ordinance for the setled continuing of the inheritances unto the tribes, as they should at first be allotted unto them. The occasion of this ordinance is a complaint made by some of the Manassites, concerning Zelophehads daughters, if they should be maried to men of other tribes. Gilead] in Greeke, Galaad, of whom see Numb. 27. 1.
Vers. 2. my lord] meaning Moses, for to him was the commandement given, Numb. 26. 52, 53. &c. and 27. 6, 7. And by this title they give honour unto Moses, and shew their obedience; as the Scripture noteth by the like title given unto others, 1 Pet. 3. 6. Matth. 22. 44, 45. Zelophehad] in Greeke, Salpaad: See Numb. 27. 1, &c.
Vers. 3. of the tribes] of any of the other tribes, beside their owne. be taken away] or, be diminished; contrary to adding or putting to, after mentioned: so the inheritances of this, and of other tribes by like accidents might in time be changed, disturbed, and come to confusion, contrary to the order before set of God.
Vers. 4. the Iubilee shall be] which was every fiftieth yeare, in which the inheritances that were alienated to others, were by the law given in Lev. 25. to returne unto the first owners; which ordinance also should by such marriages be disanulled.
Vers. 5. the mouth] that is, the word of the Lord, as the Chaldee translateth; in Greeke, by the commandement of the Lord. So the answer which Moses gave, was not of himselfe, but by advice from God: See Numb. 27. 5.
Vers. 6. good in their eyes] that is, pleaseth them: Daughters are not to be forced to marry with such as they like not: See Gen. 24. 57, 58. to the family] to some of the family, or, in the family: See vers. 12.
Vers. 7. shall cleave to the inheritance] keeping himselfe thereto, and (for the better performance hereof) marrying within his tribe. For this word cleave, is often used in case of marriage, Gen. 2. 24. Dan. 2. 43. Thus God provideth that the order which he should set for the inheritāces in his land, to be divided by lot, might continue throughout all generations; by which meanes strife also might be cut off, and peace preserved among his people.
Vers. 8. that possesseth an inheritance] or, that is heire of a possession; by reason that her father had no sonne to inherit, as in this case of Zelophehad. So here is no restraint of other women, save such as had inheritance. The Priests also and Levites, (which might have no inheritance with Israel, Deut. 18. 1.) had liberty to marry with the women of any tribe; as Iehojada the Priest had to wife the Kings daughter of Iudah, 2 Chron. 22. 11. another tooke a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, Ezra 2. 61. and the like. By reason of such marriages there might be kindred betweene Elizabeth the mother of Iohn the Baptist, who was of the daughters of Aaron, and Mary the Virgin, the mother of our Lord Christ, who was of the linage of David, of the tribe of Iudah, Luke 1. 5. 36. and 3. 23,—31.
Vers. 11. For Machalh] Hebr. And Machlah, &c. Of these daughters see Numb. 27. 1. their uncles sonnes] the sonnes of their fathers brethren. Compare Levit. 18. 12, 13, 14.
Vers. 12. was unto the tribe] that is, remained unto (or in) the tribe. So Daniel was (that is, continued) even unto the first yeare of King Cyrus, Dan. 1. 21. and, they were (that is, continued) there, Ruth 1. 2. and sundry the like. By this example and observation of the Law for inheritances in the holy land, the people of God are taught to hold fast their inheritance in his promises, and right in Christ, which they enjoy by faith; that as the Father hath made them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light, Coloss. 1. 12. so they may keepe the faith and grace which they have obtained, unto the end, 1 King. 21. 3. Ezek. 46. 18. Iude vers. 3. Hebr. 6. 12.
ESAY 65. 9.
I Will bring forth out of Jakob a seed, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountaines, and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.
EZEK. 20. 35, 36, 37.
I will bring you into the wildernesse of peoples, and there will I plead with you face to face, like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wildernesse of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God. And I will cause you to passe under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the Covenant, &c.
HEBR. 9. 15.
Christ, he is the Mediator of the New *Or, Testament.Covenant, that by meanes of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Covenant, they which are called, might receive the promise of the eternall inheritance.
ANNOTATIONS VPONUPON THE FIFTH BOOKE OF MOSES CALLED DEVTERONOMIE: WHEREIN, BY CONFERENCE OF THE Holy Scriptures, by comparing the Greeke and Chaldee Versions, and Testimonies of Hebrew Writers, the Histories, Lawes, and Ordinances, which MOSES (a little before his death) repeated and enlarged unto ISRAEL in this Booke, are explained.
BY HENRY AINSWORTH.
IOSVA 1. 8.
This booke of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein, day and night, that thou maiest observe to doe, according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good successe.
LVKE 16. 31.
If they heare not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be perswaded, though one rose from the dead.
LONDON, Printed by John Haviland for John Bellamie, and are to be sold at his shop neere the ROYALL EXCHANGE. 1626.