Total amount of the tribes. A. M. 2553. 40. 43 All the families of the Shillem, the family of the Shil An. Exod. Isr. Shuhamites, according to those that were numbered of them, were threescore and four thousand and four hundred. 44 Of the children of Asher after their families of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites: : lemites. A. M. 2553. B. C. 1451. An. Exod. Isr. 40. 50 These are the families of Naphtali according to their families: and they that were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and four hundred. 51 These were the numbered of the chil of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites: of Be-dren of Israel, six hundred thousand and a riah, the family of the Beriites. 45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites. thousand seven hundred and thirty. 52 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 53 m Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of 46 And the name of the daughter of Asher names. was Sarah. 47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those that were numbered of them; who were fifty and three thousand and four hundred. · i 48 Of the sons of Naphtali after their families of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites of Guni, the family of the Gunites : 49 Of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites of h Gen. xlvi. 17; 1 Chron. vii. 30. Gen. xlvi. 24; 1 Chron. vii. 13.1 Chron. vii. 13, Shallum.- See chapter i. 46. Josh. xi. 23; xiv. 1. Verse 51. These were the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty.] The following comparative statement will show how much some of the tribes had increased, and others had diminished, since the enumeration in chap. i. n 54 To many thou shalt give the more in heritance, and to few thou shalt P give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him. 55 Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.. 56 According to the lot shall the possession Chap. xxxiii. 54.- - Heb. multiply his inheritance.—P Heb. diminish his inheritance. -9 Ch. xxxiii. 54; xxxiv. 13; Josh. xi. 23; xiv. 2. Notwithstanding the amazing increase in some and decrease in other tribes, the same sort of proportion is preserved in the east, west, north, and south divisions, as before; so as to keep the division of Judah, which was always in the front or van, the largest; and the division of Dan, which was always in the rear, the next in number. But it is worthy of remark that as they are now, properly speaking, to commence their grand military operations, so their front, or advanced division, is increased from 186,400 to 201,300; and their rear from 157,600 to 163,200. The first division is strengthened 14,900 men, and the last division 5,600 men. The reasons for this are sufficiently ob vious. Mr. Ainsworth has a curious remark on the number of families in the 12 tribes. "Here are families, Ephraim 32,500 40,500 Asher 4. Of Simeon 5 10. Of Naphtali 4 5. Of Judah 5 6. Of Asher 5 11. Of Zebulun 3 12. Of Dan "In all 57; to whom if we add the 12 patriarchs, Let it be observed, 1. That among these there was and Jacob their father, the whole number is 70, the not a man of the former census, saye Joshua and Ca- exact number of the souls in Jacob's house that went leb, see ver. 64, 65. 2. That though there was an down to Egypt, Gen. xlvi. 27." In a variety of things increase in seven tribes of not less than 74,800 men, in this ancient economy there is a most surprising proyet so great was the decrease in the other five tribes, portion kept up, which never could have been a forthat the balance against the present census is 1,820, tuitous effect of general causes. But proportion, haras appears above: thus we find that there was an in-mony, and order distinguish all the works of God, both crease of 601,728 from 603,550 in the space of thir- in the natural and moral world. ty-eight years. Verse 55. The land shall de divided by lot] The The number of the Levites A. M. 2553. B. C. 1451. An. Exod. Isr. 40.. thereof be divided between many | offered strange fire before the 57 And these are they that were numbered of the Levites after their families of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites: of Merari, the family of the Merarites.. LORD. A. M. 2553. B. C. 1451. An. Exod. Isr. 40. bered of them were twenty and three thousand, all males from a month old and upward; w for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was X no inheritance 58 These are the families of the Levites: given them among the children of Israel. the family of the Libnites, the family of the 63 These are they that were numbered by Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered family of the Mushites, the family of the Ko-the children of Israel in the plains of Moab, rathites. And Kohath begat Amram. 59 And the name of Amram's wife was * Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister. by Jordan near Jericho. 64 But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. 65 For the LORD had said of them, They And there 60 And unto Aaron was born Nadab, and shall surely die in the wilderness. Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. was not left a man of them, b save Caleb the 61 And Nadab and Abihu died, when they son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nún. a Chap. i. 49. - Chap. xviii. 20, 23, 24; Deut. x. 9; Josh. xiii. 14, 33; xiv. 3.y Ver. 3.- - Chap. i; Deut. ii. 14, 15. Chap. xiv. 28, 29; 1 Cor. x. 5, 6.- bChap. xiv, 30. was ever supposed to be the whole disposer in such matters, whatever fell out in the course of God's providence was called a lot, "This is the lot of them that rob us;" Isa. xvii. 14. "Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter;" Acts viii. 21. A lot in the promised land was evidently typical of a place in eternal glory. "That they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance (xλnpov, a lot) among them that are sanctified;" Acts xxvi. 18. "Who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance (kλnpov, of the lot) of the saints in light;" Col. i. 12. "Which is the earnest of our inheritance, (λnpovouac, of our allotted portion ;") Eph. i. 14. "What is the riches of the glory of his inheritance," (λnpovouias, allotted portion ;) Eph. i. 18. As therefore the promised land was divided by lot to the believing Israelites, God de word 1 goral, translated lot, is supposed by some to signify the stone or pebble formerly used for the purpose of what we term casting lots. The word blot hlot is Anglo-Saxon, from bleotan, to divide, or portion out, i. e., fortuitously: it answers to the Greek *2.npos, which some think comes from khaw, to break; because the lot, being a sort of appeal to God, ("The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord," Prov. xvi. 33,) broke off all contentions and litigations relative to the matter in dispute. | From this original division of the promised land by lot to the children of Israel, all portions, appointments, offices, shares, or divisions in spiritual and ecclesiastical matters, were termed lots. So in the New Testament, the word kλŋpoç, lot, is used to signify a portion of spiritual blessedness, and kλnpovoμa, a division by lot, an inheritance; and kλnpoɩ, the lotted or ap-termining the lot as he saw good, none of the people pointed persons to different works, shares, &c.; hence our word clergy, kλпpol, persons appointed by lot to a lot, portion, or inheritance; see the case of Matthias, Acts i. 26. Persons thus appointed were by accommodation termed inheritors, because originally, when there could be no claims of exclusive right, all lands where a wandering tribe chose to take up its residence were divided by lot, as the promised land in the case before us. So Judah says to Simeon his brother, Judg. i. 3: "Come up with me into my lot." And as God having any claim on or right to it; so the kingdom of heaven is a lot given by the mere good will of God to them that believe and obey him; for as unbelief and disobedience threw 600,000 people out of the inheritance of the promised land; so none who disbelieve God's word, and rebel against his authority, shall ever enter into the kingdom of heaven.-See Ainsworth. These things happened unto them for examples: see then, reader, that thou fall not after the same example of unbelief. 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 VOL. I. ( 46 ) 705 requests the Lord to appoint a person to supply his place as leader of the Israelites, 15-17. God appoints 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 conse crates Joshua, 22, 23. A. M. 2553. THEN B. C. 1451. An. Exod, Isr. 40. THEN came the daughters of a Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 3 Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons. 4. Why should the name of our father be d done away from among his family, because he hath no son? • Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father. Chap. xxvi, 33; xxxvi. 1, 11; Josh. xvii. 3.b Chap. xiv. 35; xxvi. 64, 65.- C Chap. xvi. 1, 2. 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 satisfac-a torily 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 this 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 hem, THEIR, is used instead of the feminine, n hen, governed by benoth, daughters. So on lahem, 706 a 8 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. T 9 And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.. 10. And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren. 11 And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall d Heb. diminished. Le Josh, xvii. 4.- Exod. xviii. 15, 19. 8 Chap. xxxvi. 2; Jer. xlix. 11; Gal. iii. 28. to THEM, and ' abihem, THEIR fathers, masculine, are found in the present text, instead of lahen and abihen, feminine. Interpreters have sought for 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 befit 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 De 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 ( 46* ) Joshua is appointed to be A. M. 2553. A. M. 2553. possess it and it shall be unto | lead them out, and which may An. Exod. Isr. the children of Israel ha statute | bring them in; that the congrega- An. Exod. Isr. of judgment, as the LORD com- tion of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd. 40. manded Moses. 40. 18 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; 19 And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation, and give him a charge in their sight. 17 Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may Chap. xxxv. 29. - Chap. xxxiii. 47; Deut. iii. 27; xxxii. 49; xxxiv. 1.- Chap. xx. 24, 28; xxxi. 2; Deut. x. 6. 1 Chap. xx. 12, 24; Deut. i. 37; xxxii. 51; Psa. evi. 32.- - Exod.1 xvii. 7.- Chap. xvi. 22; Heb. xii. 9. - Deut. xxxi. 2; 1 Sam, viii. 20; xvii. 13; 2 Chron. i. 10. -P 1 Kings xxii. 17; Zech, x. 2; Matt. ix. 36; Mark vi. 34. Π t 20 And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel "may be obedient. 21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation. 22 And Moses did as the LORD commanded a Gen. xli. 38; Judg. iii. 10; xi. 29; 1 Sam. xvi. 13, 18. Deut. xxxiv. 9.- - Deut. xxxi. 7.- See chap. xi. 17. 28; Sam. x. 6, 9; 2 Kings ii. 15.-"Josh. i. 16, 17.- See Josh. ix. 14; Judg. i. 1; xx. 18, 23, 26; 1 Sam. xxiii. 9; xxx. 7.—— Exod. xxviii. 30,- Joshua ix. 14; 1 Samuel xxii. 10, 13, 15. virgins may be considered as the five wise virgins, Verse 14. Ye rebelled against my commandment] Verse 16. The Lord, the God of the spirits of all 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. 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, All offerings to be observed A. M. 2553. B. C. 1451. An. Exod. Isr. 40. gregation : him and he took Joshua, and 23 And he laid his hands upon A: M. 2553. B. C. 1451. : 40. set him before Eleazar the him, and gave him a charge, An. Exod. Isr. y Deut. iii. 28; xxxi. 7. 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. Verse 23. He laid his hands upon him] As a proof of his being appointed to and qualified for the work. So at the word of Joshua they were to go out, and at his word to come in, ver. 21. And thus he was a type of our blessed Lord as to his mediatorial office, and Divine appointment as man to the work of our salvation; and to this circumstance of the appointment of Joshua to this work, and his receiving of Moses's honour and glory, St. Peter seems to refer in these words, 2. Epist. i. 16, 17: "We were eye-witnesses 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 Son, in whom I am well pleased; HEAR HIM." See Matt. xvii. 5. But one infinitely greater that either Moses or Joshua is here. CHAPTER XXVIII. All the offerings of God to be offered in their due season, 1, 2. The continual burnt-offering for the morning, 3-6; and its drink-offering, 7. The continual burnt-offering for the evening, 8. The offerings for the Sabbath, 9, 10. The offerings for the beginning of each month, 11-15. Repetition of the ordinances concerning the passover, 16–25. Ordinances concerning the day of first-fruits or pentecost, 26-31. A. M. cir. 2553. AND the LORD spake unto Mo B. C. cir. 1451. An. Exod. Isr. cir. 40. ses, saying, f e A. M. cir. 2553. B. C. cir. 1451. An. Exod. Isr. cir. 40. 4. The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb 2 Command the children of Is-shalt thou offer at even; rael, and say unto them, My offering, and 5 And a tenth part of an ephah of flour for my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for a meat-offering, mingled with the fourth part a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to of a hin of beaten oil. offer unto me in their due season. NOTES ON CHAP. XXVIII. Verse 2. Command the children of Israel, &c.] It is not easy to account for the reason of the introduction of these precepts here, which had been so circumstantially delivered before in different parts of the books of Exodus and Leviticus. It is possible that the daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly services had been considerably interrupted for several years, owing to the unsettled state of the people in the wilderness, and that it was necessary to repeat these laws for two reasons: 1. Because they were now about to enter into the promised land, where these services must be established and constant. 2. Because the former generations being all dead, multitudes of the present might be ignorant of these ordinances. In their due season] Moses divides these offerings into 1. DAILY. The morning and evening sacrifices: a 'amb each time, ver. 3, 4. 2. WEEKLY. The Sabbath offerings, two lambs of a year old, ver. 9, &c. 3. MONTHLY. At the beginning of each month two young bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs of a year old, and a kid for a sin-offering, ver. 11, &c. 4. ANNUAL. 1. The passover to last seven days; the offerings, two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs of a year old, and a he-goat for a sin-offering, ver. `16, &c. 2. The day of FIRST-FRUITS. The sacrifices, the same as on the beginning of the month, ver. 26, &c. With these sacrifices were offered libations, or drink-offerings of strong wine, ver. 7, 14, and minchahs, or meat-offerings, composed of fine flour mingled with oil, ver. 8, 12, &c. For an ample account of all these offerings, see the notes on Lev. vii., and Exod. xii. Verse 7. Strong wine] Sikera; see the note on chap. x. 9, where this is largely explained. |