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CHAPTER XXVII

The daughters of Zelophehad claim their inheritance, 1-4. Moses brings their case before the Lord, 5. He allows their claim, 6, 7; and a law is made to regulate the inheritance of daughters, 8-11. Moses is commanded to go up to Mount Abarim, and view the promised land, 12; is apprised of his death, 13; and because he did not sanctify God at the waters of Meribah, he shall not enter into it, 14. Moses requests the Lord to appoint a person to supply his place as leader of th Israelites, 15-17. God appoints a Joshua, commands Moses to lay his hands upon him, to set him before Eleazar the priest, and give him a charge in the sight of the people, 18-20. Eleazar shall ask counsel for him by Urim, and at his command shall the Israelites go out and come in, 21. Moses does as the Lord commanded him, and consecrates Joshua, 22, 23.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXVII

Verse 1. "The daughters of Zelophehad" - The singular case of these women caused an additional law to be made to the civil code of Israel, which satisfactorily ascertained and amply secured the right of succession in cases of inheritance. The law, which is as reasonable as it is just, stands thus:

1. On the demise of the father the estate goes to the sons; 2. If there be no son, the daughters succeed; 3. If there be no daughter, the brothers of the deceased inherit; 4. If there be no brethren or paternal uncles, the estate goes to the brothers of his father; 5. If there be no grand uncles or brothers of the father of the deceased, then the nearest akin succeeds to the inheritance. Beyond the fifth degree the law does not proceed, because as the families of the Israelites were kept distinct in their respective tribes, there must always be some who could be called kinsmen, and were really such, having descended without interruption from the patriarch of the tribe.

Verse 7. "Thou shalt surely give them-an inheritance among their father's brethren" - There is a curious anomaly here in the Hebrew text which cannot be seen in our translation. In Hebrew they, them, and their, you, ye, and your, are both of the masculine and feminine genders, according as the nouns are to which they are affixed; but these words are of no gender in English. In this verse, speaking of the brethren of the father of those women, the masculine termination µh hem, THEIR, is used instead of the feminine, h hen, governed by twnb benoth, daughters. So µhl lahem, to THEM, and µhyba abihem, THEIR fathers, masculine, are found in the present text, instead of hl lahen and hyba abihen, feminine. Interpreters have sought for a hidden meaning here, and they have found several, whether hidden here or not. One says, "the masculine gender is used because these daughters are treated as if they were heirs male." Another, "that it is because of their faith and conscientious regard to the ancient customs, and to keep the memory of their father in being, which might well benefit men." Another, "that it signifies the free gift of God in Christ, where there is neither male nor female, bond or free, for all are one in Christ;" and so on, for where there is no rule there is no end to conjecture.

Now the plain truth is, that the masculine is in the present printed text a mistake for the feminine. The Samaritan, which many think by far the most authentic copy of the Pentateuch, has the feminine gender in both places; so also have upwards of fourscore of the MSS. collated by Kennicott and Deuteronomy Rossi. Therefore all the curious reasons for this anomaly offered by interpreters are only serious trifling on the blunder of some heedless copyists.

While on the subject of mysterious reasons and meanings, some might think it unpardonable if I passed by the mystery of the fall, recovery, and full salvation of man, signified, as some will have it, by the names of Zelophehad and his daughters. "1. Zelophehad's daughters, claiming a portion in the promised land, may represent believers in Christ claiming an inheritance among the saints in light. 2. These five virgins may be considered as the five wise virgins, (Matt. xxv. 1- 10) who took oil in their vessels with their lamps, and consequently are types of those who make a wise provision for their eternal state. 3. They are examples of encouragement to weak and destitute believers, who, though they are orphans in this world, shall not be deprived of their heavenly inheritance.

4. Their names are mysterious; for Zelophehad, djplx TSELOPHCHAD, signifies the shadow of fear or dread. His first daughter, hljm MACHLAH, infirmity; the second, h[n NOAH, wandering; the third, hlgj CHOGLAH, turning about or dancing for joy: the fourth, hklm MILCAH, a queen; the fifth, hxrt TIRTSAH, well-pleasing or acceptable. By these names we may observe our reviving by grace in Christ; for we are all born of the shadow of fear, (Tselophchad,) being brought forth in sin, and through fear of death being all our life time subject to bondage, Heb. ii. 15. This begets (Machlah) infirmity or sickness-grief of heart for our estate. After which (Noah) wandering about for help and comfort we find it in Christ, by whom our sorrow is turned into joy (Choglah.) He communicates of his royalty (Milcah) to us, making us kings and priests unto God and his Father, Rev. i. 6. So we shall at last be presented unto him glorious and without blemish, being (Tirtsah) well-pleasing and acceptable in his sight." This is a specimen of pious INGENUITY, which has been endeavouring to do the work of an EVANGELIST in the Church of God from the time of Origen to the present day.

Verse 12. "Get thee up into this Mount Abarim" - The mountain which Moses was commanded to ascend was certainly Mount Nebo, see Deut. xxxii. 49, &c., which was the same as Pisgah, see Deut. xxxiv. 1. The mountains of Abarim, according to Dr. Shaw, are a long ridge of frightful, rocky, precipitous hills, which are continued all along the eastern coast of the Dead Sea, as far as the eye can reach. As in Hebrew rb[ abar signifies to pass over, Abarim here probably signifies passages; and the ridge in this place had its name in all likelihood from the passage of the Israelites, as it was opposite to these that they passed the Jordan into the promised land.

Verse 14. "Ye rebelled against my commandment" - See the notes on "chap. xx. 12".

Verse 16. "The Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh" - See the notes on "chap. xvi. 22".

Verse 17. "That the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd." - This is a beautiful expression, and shows us in what light Moses viewed himself among his people. He was their shepherd; he sought no higher place; he fed and guided the flock of God under the direction of the Divine Spirit, and was faithful in all his Master's house.

To this saying of Moses our Lord alludes, Matt. ix. 36.

Verse 18. "In whom is the spirit" - This must certainly mean the Spirit of God; and because he was endued with this Spirit, therefore he was capable of leading the people. How miserably qualified is that man for the work of God who is not guided and influenced by the Holy Ghost! God never chooses a man to accomplish his designs but that one whom he himself has qualified for the work.

Verse 20. "And thou shalt put, &c." - ûdwjm mechodecha, of thine honour or authority upon him. Thou shalt show to the whole congregation that thou hast associated him with thyself in the government of the people.

Verse 21. "Eleazar the priest-shall ask counsel for him" - Here was a remarkable difference between him and Moses. God talked with Moses face to face; but to Joshua only through the medium of the high priest.