Commentary on Numbers, Book · Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII.
Verſe 1 Ver. 1. THEN came the Daughters of Zelophehad, the Son of Hepher, &c.] Who are mentioned before, XXVI. 33. juſt as they are here; only their Genealogy is here more fully ſet out, that their Father was the Grandſon of Manaſſeh the Son of Joſeph, from whom he was lineally deſcended, but left no Sons behind him. Now theſe young Women hearing Moſes ſay (as he doth in the foregoing Chapter) that the LORD commanded the Land of Canaan ſhould be divided among thoſe that were now numbred; and obſerving that only Males, from Twenty years old, were numbred, (v. 2.) preſently apprehended, that they being Females, were excluded from having any Inheritance among the Iſraelites (and ſo the Family of the Hepherites, XXVI. 32.) would be extinguiſhed. This was the ground of what follows. Whereby it appears that every body was immediately acquainted with the Laws which Moſes received from God; and that there was a faithful Regiſter kept of every one that was born in every Family and Tribe, to prevent all Diſputes about the true Heirs to Mens Eſtates.
Ver. 2. And they ſtood before Moſes, &c.] To repreſent Verſe 2 before him, and the reſt of the Judges, who were now aſſembled, the Caſe which I have mentioned.
Before Moſes, and Eleazar the Prieſt, and before the Princes, and all the Congregation.] Theſe made up the greateſt Court of Judicature that at any time ſate. For by Princes are meant, either the Heads of the Tribes, or the higheſt of the Judges appointed, XVIII Exod. called the Heads of the People, v. 25. And by all the Congregation is meant the LXX Elders mentioned in this Book, XI. 24. For they are called col ha edah (the whole Congregation, and ſometimes only Edah, the Congregation) as R. Solomon obſerves. See Bertram de Republ. Jud. p. 72. Now at the Head of all theſe ſat Moſes, and next to him Eleazar the Prieſt.
By the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation.] Near to which this auguſt Aſſembly, it is likely, was wont to ſit, when they met together; that Moſes might preſently, if there were occaſion, go and conſult with God himſelf, in any difficult matter, that came before them. And thus Mr. Selden obſerves out of Maimonides, that in future times the great Sanhedrim followed the Tabernacle, ſitting ſometimes in one place, ſometimes in another, according as that was ſettled. As (after they came to Canaan) it was firſt at Shiloh, then at Mizpeh, and afterwards at Gilgal, Nob, Gibeon, the Houſe of Obed-Edom, till at laſt it was fixed in Jeruſalem, Lib. II. de Synedr. cap. 15. n. 4. As concerning that which the Talmudiſts ſay, concerning the proceedings in this caſe of Zelophehad's Daughters, nothing certain can be determined. But they give this account of it, That they firſt brought this Cauſe into the Courts appointed by the advice of Jethro, XVIII Exod. 21. and began with the Rulers of ten, who knowing not what to ſay to them, they went to thoſe of fifty, and from thence to the Centurions, and at laſt to the Chiliarchs. None of which durſt adventure to give Judgment, but referred the Cauſe, by reaſon of its difficulty, to Moſes; who brought it to the SCHECHINAH, as they ſpeak, i. e. to the Divine Majeſty, Seld. ib. cap. 16. n. 1.
Verſe 3 Ver. 3. Saying, Our Father died in the Wilderneſs.] Among the reſt mentioned v. 64, 65. of the foregoing Chapter. They ſeem to have drawn up their Cauſe in the form of a Petition; or, as Mr. Selden ſpeaks, in the Legal Phraſe, preſented a Libel to the Court, containing the intire matter of their Petition, and that artificially enough.
And he was not one of them that gathered themſelves together against the LORD, in the Company of Korah.] They uſe the very words of Moſes, concerning that rebellious Company, XVI. 11. And inſtance in this Sin, rather than any other; either to ſhow that their Father had a due regard to the Authority of Moſes, (who they hoped therefore would be the more favourable to his Poſterity) or, rather to inſinuate, that he was not guilty of ſuch a Crime, as might make Men juſtly forfeit what they had, for their Children, as well as for themſelves. For all the Family of Dathan and Abiram periſhed: and it is taken notice of as a ſingular Mercy, that the Children of Korah did not, XXVI. 10, 11.
But died in his own Sin.] i. e. For his own Sin; which God had declared ſhould not affect the Children, XIV. 31. For to that General Sin, in which all the People were engaged, theſe words ſeem to refer. And ſo, it was his own ſin, not with reſpect to the reſt of the People, (for they were all alike guilty) but with reſpect to his Children; it being a perſonal Guilt, in which they were not concerned.
The Jews commonly ſay that Zelophehad was the Man that was ſtoned for gathering Sticks on the Sabbath-day. For which they have no authority, but a fancy of R. Aquiba, who is ſharply reproved for it, by another conſiderable Rabbi; who ſaith it is a raſh Judgment; for if it were true, ſince the Scripture conceals it, he ought not to have revealed it: but hath reproached a juſt Man, for any thing that appears. See Selden, Lib. II. de Synedr. cap. 1. ſect. 9.
And had no Son.] As was found when the People were numbred, XXVI. 33.
Ver. 4. Why ſhould the name of our Father be done Verſe 4 away from among his Family?] One Family of the Tribe of Manaſſeh, viz. the Hepherites, being in danger to be wholly extinguiſhed. R. Judah will have the word Name in this place to ſignifie as much as hereditary poſſeſſion; and ſo he thinks it ſignifies, XXV Deut. 6. as Mr. Selden obſerves out of Peſikta, Lib. de Succeſſionibus, cap. 14.
Becauſe he hath no Son.] Merely for want of Iſſue-Male, when he hath left many Daughters.
Give unto us therefore a poſſeſſion among the Brethren of our Father.] Let us come in for a ſhare among thoſe that are deſcended from Manaſſeh. Which if they did, the Name of their Father could not be thereby preſerved, but by the Son of one of theſe Daughters taking upon him, not the Name of his Father that begat him, but of his Mother's Grand-father, viz. Hepher; which was ordered afterwards by a general Law, XXV Deut. 6.
Verſe 5 Ver. 5. And Moſes brought their Cauſe before the LORD.] This was too difficult a Cauſe (though there ſeemed to be a great deal of Reaſon on their ſide) to be judged by the great Court before-mentioned; and therefore it was referred to Moſes alone, as other weighty Cauſes uſed to be; (See XV. 32. XXV. 4.) for neither Eleazar, nor any other Perſon (before whom it was brought, v. 2.) are here mentioned as the Judges of this matter. And he durſt not judge it, though the equity appeared very plain, without bringing it before the LORD for his direction, which he could have upon all important occaſions, XXV Exod. 22. VII Numb. 89.
Verſe 6 Ver. 6. And the LORD ſpake unto Moſes, ſaying.] This ſhows that the Cauſe was devolved upon Moſes alone; for the LORD tells him, and no other Perſon, how it ſhould be determined.
Verſe 7 Ver. 7. The Daughters of Zelophehad, &c.] The LORD approves of their Claim; and gives a Sentence in their favour.
Thou ſhalt ſurely give them a poſſeſſion of an inheritance, among their Father's Brethren.] Becauſe the word for them in the Hebrew, is of the Maſculine Gender, ſome think it ſignifies, they were to be conſidered as if they had been Sons.
And thou ſhalt cauſe the Inheritance of their Father to paſs unto them.] So that they were to enjoy, what would have faln to his ſhare, had he been alive: ob indutam defuncti patris perſonam, as the Lawyers ſpeak; becauſe they ſtood in the place of their dead Father, and repreſented his Perſon. And accordingly they put in their Claim at the Diviſion of the Land, and had their Portion therein, according to this Deciſion, XVII Joſh. 2, 3, &c. How the Portion was divided among them, according to the Hebrew Doctors, Mr. Selden ſhows at large in his Book de Succeſſionibus in bona defunctii, cap. 23.
Ver. 8. And thou ſhall ſpeak unto the Children of Iſrael, Verſe 8 ſaying.] Upon this occaſion he paſſes this ſpecial Caſe into a General Law, to be hereafter obſerved.
If a Man die, and have no Son, then ye ſhall cauſe his Inheritance to paſs unto his Daughter.] It being a reaſon, as Maimonides obſerves (More Nevochim P. III. cap. 42.) that what a Man leaves, ſhould come to his Family, and to thoſe who are next of Kin to him: for the nearer any Perſon is to us, we are inclined, by natural affection, to have the greater regard to him. But all this is to be underſtood of Land: as for Money, and moveable Goods (which were of his own getting) the Father might diſpoſe of them, by his Will, to whom he pleaſed.
Ver. 9. And if he have no Daughter, then ye ſhall give his Inheritance unto his Brethren.] Unleſs his Father was alive, who undoubtedly, the Jews ſay, was Verſe 9 the next Heir; but not mentioned, becauſe it was not neceſſary. Or, as ſome ſay, becauſe it was too ſad a thing, to ſpeak of a Fathers burying all his Children, without Iſſue. See Selden de Succeſſ. in bona defuncti, cap. 12. Where he obſerves that, according to the Rule v. 11. it muſt come to the Father▪ becauſe he is neareſt of kin to it. And therefore the Jews interpret this, as if Moſes had ſaid, If he have Daughter, he ſhall give his inheritance to the next of his Kindred (to his Father for inſtance) and afterwards ye ſhall give it to his Brethren, i. e. the Children of his Father. And the ſame is to be ſaid of the Grandchildren; unto whom the Brethren of a Father dying without iſſue, are heirs. For the Grandfather ſtands in the ſame relation to a Father, that a Father doth to his Son.
Verſe 11 Ver. 11. And if his Father have no Brethren, then ye ſhall give it to his Kinſman, that is next of Kin to him of his Family, and he ſhall poſſeſs it.] To his Brothers Children; or to thoſe who are deſcended from them, or from his Fathers' Brethren. But no conſideration was to be had of his Mother's Kindred, (as the Jewiſh Lawyers ſay) who could never be capable of the Inheritance: Which they gather not only from theſe words, which determine the Inheritance to his Family, (i. e. the Family of the Father before-mentioned, not to the Family of the Mother) but from the frequent mention of the Father of Miſchpachoth, which we tranſlate Families, or rather Kindreds of the Fathers, in the Books of Moſes, Chronicles, Ezra, and others. From whence this ſolemn Maxim of the Talmudiſts, The Family, or Kindred of the Mother, is never called by the name of Kindred. That is, it hath not the effect of a Kindred in Succeſſions to Inheritances. Which is the ſame with that in the ancient Book Siphri, Families follow the Fathers, as Mr. Selden obſerves in the place before-mentioned. Who in the next Chapter (cap. XIII.) gives an example, drawn up by Maimonides, of ſuch a Succeſſion out of the holy Scriptures. Amram had two Sons, Aaron and Moſes, as we read VI Exod. 20. If they had both died without Iſſue, Miriam their Siſter had inherited. And if ſhe had died in like manner, the Inheritance of the Family would have reverted to Kohath, the Father of Amram: Or he being dead, to his three Sons, the Brethren of Amram, viz. Izhar, Hebron and Ʋzziel, as the Heirs of Kohath. And there would have been no conſideration of Primogeniture; both becauſe none of them was the Firſt-born, and becauſe the Inheritance was not in the Poſſeſſion of their Father, at the time of his Death, &c.
And it ſhall be unto the Children of Iſrael a Statute of judgment, &c.] A Law whereby to determine ſuch Matters in future times, and to be obſerved inviolably. So that no Father ſhould have power to make any other Settlement: but if either by Word or Writing he declared his will to be, that his Son ſhould not inherit, his Act was null and void: As the Jewiſh Lawyers reſolve from theſe very words, a Statute or Decree of Judgment, i. e. as I ſaid, a Rule whereby to Judge of Succeſſion into Inheritances. If therefore a Man made a Will wherein he declared his Daughter, or Brethren, &c. ſhould not inherit, in caſe he had no Son, it was void, becauſe contrary to this Law. See Selden de Succeſſionibus, cap. 24.
Ver. 12. And the LORD ſaid unto Moſes, get thee up into this Mountain Abarim.] Either theſe words were ſpoken after all that follows here, and in the Verſe 12 Book of Deuteronomy, or they were repeated again, when he had repeated his Laws, and inforced them by many excellent Diſcourſes, and taught them that famous Song XXXII Deut. where, in the concluſion of it (v. 49.) it is ſaid, that very day he bad him go up this Mount Abarim. And there we learn alſo that Abarim was a long Tract of Mountains, one of which was called Nebo; and the very top of it called Piſgah. See XXXIV Deut. 1.
And ſee the Land which I have given to the Children of Iſrael.] Take a full view of it, as he did from that high neighbouring Mountain, III Deut. 17. XXXIV. 1, 2, 3, 4.
Verſe 13 Ver. 13. And when thou haſt ſeen it, thou alſo ſhalt be gathered unto thy People, as Aaron thy Brother was gathered.] Upon Mount Hor, as we read in this Book, XX. 23, 24.
Verſe 14 Ver. 14. For ye rebelled againſt my Commandment in the Deſert of Zin, &c.] See Chap. XX. 1, 12, 24. where all this verſe is explained.
Verſe 15 Ver. 15. And Moſes ſpake unto the LORD, ſaying.] He did not ſpeak thoſe words which follow, immediately after God bad him go up Mount Abarim and die; but firſt deſired he might be permitted to go over Jordan, &c. III Deut. 24, 25, 26. Unleſs we can think that he made the Prayer there mentioned, as ſoon as the Sentence was paſſed upon him, at the Waters of Meribah; which doth not ſeem ſo likely.
Verſe 16 Ver. 16. Let the LORD the God of the Spirits of all Fleſh, &c.] As ſoon as he found that God was reſolved he ſhould not conduct the People into Canaan, he was concerned for nothing, but for a fitting Perſon to take that Charge upon him. For he had a moſt generous, publick Spirit, wholly intent upon the good of this People.
The God of the Spirits of all Fleſh.] Who haſt not only made the Souls of all Men, but knoweſt their Diſpoſitions, (See XVI. 22.) and underſtandeſt who are fit for this weighty Employment.
Set a Man over the Congregation.] To be chief Ruler and Governour of the People in my place.
Ver. 17. Which may go out before them, and which Verſe 17 may come in Before them; and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in.] If the latter part of theſe words be not a mere repetition of the former, (as is uſual) then the one relates to their Conduct in War, and the other to the management of all their Civil Affairs. And both of them ſeem to be a Metaphor from Shepherds watching over their Flocks.
That the Congregation of the LORD be not as Sheep which have no Shepherd.] Having none to govern and take care of them. This is a deſcription of the moſt miſerable condition a People can be in, and became a Proverb among the Hebrews, 1 Kings 22.17. X Zachariah 2. XIII. 7. IX Matth. 36.
Ver. 18. And the LORD ſaid unto Moſes, take thee Verſe 18 Joſhua the Son of Nun.] Who had been a long time Servant unto Moſes, and attended upon his Perſon, (XXIV Exod. 13.) well known to Moſes, and perfectly acquainted with his adminiſtration.
A Man in whom is the Spirit.] Of Courage and Prudence, and the fear of God, with all other Gifts neceſſary in an excellent Governour. Among which Onkelos reckons the Spirit of Prophecy; which is not unlikely.
And lay thine hand upon him.] Which was a Ceremony uſual in Bleſſing, XLVIII Gen. 14, &c. and in ſetting Men apart, and Conſecrating them to an Office, VIII. 10. Upon which followed a more abundant meaſure of the Spirit, as appears from XXXIV Deut. 9.
Verſe 19 Ver. 19. And ſet him before Eleazar the Priest, and before all the Congregation.] Being all aſſembled for this purpoſe, that all might acknowledge him for the deſigned Succeſſor of Moſes, and be Witneſſes of all that Moſes commanded him.
And give him a charge in their ſight.] He told him before them all, what God expected from him; and bad him not be afraid to execute it. See XXXI Deut. 7, 8. Where he ſets down the words of this Charge; unto which God preſently after added one of his own, v. 14, 15, 23.
Verſe 20 Ver. 20. And thou ſhalt put ſome of thy honour upon him.] Communicate ſome of thy Authority to him at preſent; and not let him be any longer as thy Miniſter, but as an aſſociate in the Government. The word we tranſlate honour being glory in the Hebrew, it made Onkelos and other Hebrew Doctors imagine theſe words have reſpect to that Splendor which ſhone in Moſes his Face, after he came down from the Mount. Some of which they ſuppoſe was imparted unto Joſhua, to make him appear more venerable in the Eyes of the People. And R. Menachem obſerves, that it is not ſaid impart thy glory, but of thy glory to him. From whence came that ancient ſaying, the Face of Moſes ſhone like the Sun, but Joſhua's only like the Moon. This might have paſſed for Truth, or at leaſt that hereby was meant ſome great increaſe of illuſtrious Gifts of Mind, which procured him ſuch reverence as Moſes had, if it had been ſaid that God put ſome of Moſes his glory upon him; whereas Moſes is commanded to do it; which makes the firſt ſence moſt reaſonable.
That all the Congregation of Iſrael may be obedient.] That the People may begin to ſubmit to his Authority, and learn to obey his Commands, as well as thine.
Ver. 21. And he ſhall ſtand before Eleazar the Prieſt, Verſe 21 &c.] For the incouragement of Joſhua to undertake this Charge, he aſſures him he ſhall never want direction from God, what to do, when he was in any doubt: but, in the manner here preſcribed, moſt certainly receive it. And what is here ſaid concerning him, belongs to all their ſucceeding Governours. And it is obſerved by Maimonides and other Jewiſh Doctors, that the High-Prieſt ſtood before the Kings of Iſrael out of great reſpect to them: but no King is ſaid to ſtand before the High-Prieſt, but only in this caſe, when he was to conſult the holy Oracle. That it might appear the Honour was given, not to the Prieſt, but unto the Divine Majeſty, whom he conſulted by the Prieſt.
Who ſhall ask counſel for him, after the judgment of Ʋrim.] Becauſe the word Thummim is here wanting, ſome underſtand theſe words, as if he had ſaid, the High-Prieſt ſhall ask counſel for him, by the illumination of the Spirit of God. So Conradus Pellicanus. But the word Thummim, in all likelyhood is here to be underſtood, though not expreſſed, being always joyned with Ʋrim (except in this, and one other place, where Ʋrim only is named, after a ſhort manner of ſpeaking) in XXVIII Exod. XXXIII Deut. II Ezra, VII Nehem. For they were inſeparable from the Breaſt-plate of Judgment, as it is called XXVIII Exod. 30. (See there.) with which the High-Prieſt appeared before God when he conſulted him, in great Affairs, concerning the Publick Safety; more eſpecially in times of War; of which we have many Inſtances in I Judg. 1. XX. 18. 1 Sam. XIV. 18. XXVIII. 6. David indeed is ſaid to conſult God by the Ephod, but it muſt be obſerved that the Breast-plate was annexed to it; which Abiathar brought along with him, when he fled from Saul, who commanded the Prieſts to be ſlain, 1 Sam. XXII. 2, 9. XXX. 8. 2 Sam. V. 19. And it is further to be noted, that though David thus frequently conſulted God this way, being engaged in Wars; yet we never read that Solomon asked counſel by it, being a peaceable King.
Grotius alſo obſerves, that Joſhua now, and the Kings of Judah afterwards, therefore ſtood before the Prieſt, that they might be near to the Ʋrim and Thummim, which he had upon his Breaſt; without which he could not receive any anſwer, De Imperii Sum. Poteſt, &c. cap. 6.
Before the LORD.] The High-Prieſt never inquired by Ʋrim and Thummim, but ſtanding before the LORD; that is, before the Ark, where the SCHECHINAH was.
At his word ſhall they go out, and at his word ſhall they come in.] That is, ſaith Grotius in the place fore-named, at the Word of the LORD, by the Judgment of Ʋrim; which goes juſt before. Others, at the word of the Priest: which comes to the ſame. And this the Hebrew Doctors underſtand, concerning the People of Iſrael making War; which is wont to be meant in Scripture, by the words, going out and coming in. And they diſtinguiſh between the War that was made by the Divine Commandment (againſt the VII Nations of Canaan, and againſt Amalek) and that which was voluntary, againſt any of their Neighbours or others, as there ſhould be reaſon. In the former caſe, they think there was no need, to ask whether they ſhould make War or no, becauſe it was commanded; and Joſhua and the Kings afterward, did it when they pleaſed. But in the other, they were not to make War without this Divine Order. See Selden, Lib. III. de Synedr. cap. 12. n. 4. But it is plain from I Judg. 1. that they conſulted the LORD alſo in the firſt ſort of War (with the People of Canaan) how to manage it to the beſt Advantage.
Both he and all the Children of Iſrael with him, even all the Congregation.] By the firſt word [he] the Jews underſtand Joſhua, and all the ſucceeding Princes of Iſrael, who were bound to adviſe with God by Ʋrim and Thummim before they made War. And by the next words [all the Children of Iſrael with him] they underſtand the Prieſt that was particularly anointed to go with the People to War, XX Deut. 2. And by the laſt words [the whole Congregation] they underſtand the LXX. Elders, or the great Sanhedrim. So Maimonides, Abarbinel, and a great many others, expound theſe words (as Mr. Selden ſhows in the ſame place) from which they have framed this general Maxim, That no private Man might conſult this Oracle, but the King, and the Head of the great Sanhedrim, and he that was appointed by all the People in their name. And that Col haedah [all the Congregation] ſignifies frequently the great Aſſembly of the Elders and Judges. See alſo Bertram de Repub. Jud. p. 72.
Here the Jews ſtart a difficulty, as they account it, why we never read in the whole Book of Joſhua, that he conſulted the LORD, after this manner; but as ſoon as ever he was dead they did, I Judg. 1. From whence Abarbinel concludes, that Joſhua was bound to do this only at the firſt entrance upon his Office, that all Iſrael might know he was Moſes his Succeſſor, and that God was with him: but that afterward the Spirit of Prophecy reſted upon him, and conducted him without this Oracle. But if nothing was done, that is not recorded in the Scripture, he might as well have ſaid, that Joſhua never conſulted the Oracle at all; for we do not read he did, though he be here ſo ordered. R. Levi ben Gerſom therefore ſeems to me to ſpeak more reaſonably, when he ſays, that thoſe words in the beginning of the Book of Judges, do not import that they did not conſult God by Ʋrim in the Life of Joſhua, but only that after his Death, the Children of Iſrael would not adventure to proceed in the War of Canaan, without the ſame direction.
And there is ſomething elſe, which they might have obſerved from this verſe, with great reaſon, which is, how much inferiour Joſhua was to Moſes, though he ſucceeded him in the Conduct of the People. For Moſes never made uſe of the Ʋrim and Thummim, to conſult God by the High-Prieſt; but went directly and immediately to God himſelf: whereas Joſhua was not admitted to ſuch Familiarity; nor had he ſuch frequent Revelations from God as Moſes had. Yet ſometimes God vouchſafed him the honour, to ſpeak to him, as we find in the beginning of Joſhua, III. 7. IV. 1, 15, &c. And there was a moſt illuſtrious appearance of God to him before Jericho, V. 13, &c.
Ver. 22. And Moſes did as the LORD commandded him, and he took Joſhua and ſet him before Eleazar, and before all the Congregation.] According as he was ordered, v. 18, 19. In this we ſee the great Verſe 22 Integrity, the ſincere Humility and Self-denial of Moſes, that he readily ſubmitted to have the Government of Iſrael tranſlated from his own Family and Tribe unto another; who was of the Tribe of Ephraim. Whereby his own Children were reduced to a mean condition; being not ſo much as Prieſts, but mere Levites. This demonſtrates he acted not from himſelf, becauſe he acted not for himſelf; but was contented to have the Supreme Authority placed where God pleaſed, both in Church and State; and to leave his own Family in an inconſiderable employment. This ſhows him to have had a Principle, which raiſed him above all other Law-givers; who always took care to advance their own Families, and eſtabliſh them in ſome ſhare of that greatneſs which they themſelves poſſeſſed. This likewiſe demonſtrates that the future Rulers of this Nation, had no temptation to advance the Credit of Moſes, beyond what it really was; ſince they were not deſcended from him, but were of other Tribes.
Ver. 23. And he laid his hands upon him, and gave Verſe 23 him a charge as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moſes.] He did all things which the LORD required to create him his Succeſſor, as the Jews ſpeak: For thus (by laying on of hands) they in after times, made a Man a Member of the Sanhedrin, both of the great and of the ſmall: which continued to the time of the deſtruction of the ſecond Temple, as Mr. Selden ſhews, Lib. II. de Synedr. cap. 7. n. 1.
And this ſolemn Deſignation of Joſhua to the Government by the Divine Authority, was a clear Indication that God continued to be their King, as he became in a ſpecial manner, when he brought them out of Egypt, (as I obſerved upon III Exod. 10.) and he ſtill reſerved it to himſelf to appoint Governours under him, out of what Tribe he pleaſed; as he did Joſhua at this time out of the Tribe of Ephraim; and not Caleb who was of the Tribe of Judah, and alſo a Man as valiant as he was vertuous, XIV Joſh. 11. For there was no Tribe that could lay claim unto this Dignity, without the Gift of God. And this is one of the principal Reaſons, why the government of this People, before they had Kings, was, as Joſephus calls it, foreign (that is, the Empire of God) becauſe he ſtirred them up Judges to rule them when he pleaſed. Which being of his immediate appointment, are ſo far acknowledged by him, that when they were weary of Samuel's Government, and deſired a King, God declared, that it was not Samuel, but himſelf whom they rejected. And another reaſon was (as our Mr. Thorndike obſerves) becauſe God by his Oracle of Ʋrim and Thummim, preſcribed how they were to proceed in their Publick Affairs, Review of the Right of the Church, pag. 133.