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英語原文
We have in this chapter the determination of another question that arose upon the case of the daughters of Zelophehad. God had appointed that they should inherit, Nu 27:7. Now here, I. An inconvenience is suggested, in case they should marry into any other tribe, Nu 36:1-4. II. It is prevented by a divine appointment that they should marry in their own tribe and family (Nu 36:5-7), and this is settled for a rule in like cases (Nu 36:8,9); and they did marry accordingly to some of their own relations (Nu 36:10-12), and with this the book concludes, Nu 36:13.
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The Law of Inheritance (1452 BC)
承受產業的律例（主前1452年）
¹ 約瑟的兒子瑪拿西的孫子、瑪吉的兒子基列，他子孫各族各族長，都近前來，在摩西和以色列各支派首領、各族長面前，
² 說：「耶和華曾吩咐我主，拈鬮分地給以色列人為業；耶和華也曾吩咐我主，將我們兄弟西羅非哈的產業歸給他的眾女兒。
³ 她們若嫁給以色列別的支派的兒子，她們的產業就必從我們祖宗的產業中取出，加在她們所歸的那支派的產業上；這樣，我們拈鬮所得的產業就要減少了。
⁴ 到了以色列人的禧年，她們的產業就必加在她們所歸的那支派的產業上；這樣，她們的產業就要從我們祖宗支派的產業中被奪去了。」
我們在此看見瑪拿西半支派的首領，因近來關於西羅非哈女兒的條例，向摩西和眾首領所作的謙卑陳情。他們所屬的家族，是瑪拿西半支派中將要在約旦河這邊得地為業的那一部分，不是已經定居的那半支派；然而他們論到自己將得之地的產業、論到祖宗的產業，卻滿有把握，彷彿已經握在手中，因為他們知道所信的是誰。在他們的陳詞中當注意：1. 他們公平地引用了先前在這事上所定的條例，並不要求將其廢除，反倒十分願意順服（民三十六2）：耶和華曾吩咐將西羅非哈的產業歸給他的女兒；他們對此十分滿意，因為他們當中誰也不知道將來自己家族會不會遇到同樣的情形，那時他們的女兒就可因這律法受益。2. 他們指出了若西羅非哈的女兒嫁入別的支派，可能隨之而來的不便（民三十六3）。這大概不是憑空的揣測或假設，而是他們此時已知，別支派的年輕紳士正熱切地追求這些女兒，因她們是產業的繼承人，想要在這支派中立足，藉以擴充自己的產業。說實話，在締結婚姻時，人所追求的往往過於所當追求的，不是著眼於對象的相配，而是著眼於財產的便利，以房接房，以地連地。產業加上智慧固然是好；但在那種關係中，產業若沒有智慧，又有何益？然而在此，我們可以推想，這些女兒的個人品德和她們的財產一樣，都使人看重她們；無論如何，他們支派的首領預見了將要發生的禍患，就把這案子帶到摩西面前，使他可以就此事求問神諭。他們所提出的難題，神本可在先前關於這事的命令中預先防備；但為教導我們，在自己的事務中不僅當仰望神的護理，也當運用自己的慎思明辨，神並沒有立即指示，直等到當事人自己明智地預見了不便之處，並敬虔地向摩西求助。因為他們雖是各家族的首領，本可擅自運用權柄，在西羅非哈女兒的婚事上越俎代庖——何況她們父親已死，支派共同的利益又與此有關——他們卻寧可將此事交託摩西，結果甚好。我們不當貪求作自己案件的審判官，因為要作自己案件的審判官而不偏私，是極難的。在許多情形下，聽取好建議比給出好建議更容易，能在引導之下也是一種安慰。他們的陳詞有兩個目的：（1）為保全神關於產業的設立。他們引用了那命令（民三十六2），地當拈鬮分給各支派；又指出，瑪拿西所得之業中相當大的一部分，若因她們的婚姻而轉歸別的支派，就會破壞神的設立；因為後裔要按父親的支派、不按母親的支派歸屬。這誠然不會減少那支派中個別人的分（他們仍舊有自己的分），卻會削弱那支派整體的分，使其力量減小、地位變輕；所以他們認為自己當為本支派的聲譽掛心，也許更因為這支派已因半數定居在約旦河這邊而大為削弱，就格外警覺。（2）為防止後裔之間的爭競和爭論。若別支派的人進到他們中間，或許會引起一些紛爭。他們容易彼此攪擾，他們的所有權日後可能被質疑；這火將點起何等大的事！世上有產業的人，其智慧和本分乃是要妥善安排、處置產業，使後裔之間不因之而生紛爭。
⁵ 於是摩西照耶和華的話吩咐以色列人說：「約瑟子孫的支派說得是。
⁶ 耶和華論到西羅非哈的女兒所吩咐的是這樣說：她們可以隨意嫁人，只是當嫁給同祖支派宗族的人為妻。
⁷ 這樣，以色列人的產業就不至從這支派歸到那支派；因為以色列人各人要各守各祖宗支派的產業。
⁸ 凡在以色列支派中得了產業的女子，必當嫁給同祖支派宗族的人為妻，好叫以色列人各仍承受他祖宗的產業。
⁹ 這樣，產業就不至從這支派歸到那支派；因為以色列人各支派要各守各的產業。」
¹⁰ 耶和華怎樣吩咐摩西，西羅非哈的女兒就怎樣行：
¹¹ 因為西羅非哈的女兒瑪拉、得撒、和轄、密迦、挪阿，都嫁了她們的堂兄弟為妻。
¹² 她們嫁入約瑟的兒子瑪拿西支派的諸家族，她們的產業仍留在她們父家支派中。
¹³ 這是耶和華在摩押平原、約旦河邁向耶利哥的渡口附近，藉摩西吩咐以色列人的命令和典章。
在此看見：一、西羅非哈的女兒和瑪拿西其餘支派之間的事，藉神明確的命令而得解決。所請求的蒙了應允，所顧慮的不便也設法防備了：約瑟子孫的支派說得是（民三十六5）。照樣，凡為使自己屬天的產業穩妥而求問神諭的人，不僅必蒙指示當怎樣行，他們的求問也必蒙恩悅納，他們不僅要得著好——你這又良善又忠心的僕人——也要得著說得好。如今事情這樣安排：這些繼承產業的女子必須受約束，不僅要嫁在自己瑪拿西支派之內，而且要嫁在她們所屬的希弗家族之內。1. 她們並非被指定嫁給某個特定的人；在她們父家家族中選擇餘地已足：她們可以隨意嫁人。兒女當守父母的權柄，不可違背父母的心意而結婚；照樣，父母在安排兒女婚事時也當顧念兒女的情感，不可強迫他們嫁娶自己所不能愛的人。勉強的婚姻少有能成為祝福的。2. 然而他們被限制在自己親屬之內，免得她們的產業歸到別的家族。神要他們知道，地既由拈鬮而分，其定奪乃在於耶和華，他們不能改進神的安排，所以也不當更改。產業不可從這支派歸到那支派（民三十六7），免得他們中間發生混亂，產業糾纏不清，家譜也混亂難明。神不要一個支派因別的支派受困乏窮乏而致富，因為他們同樣都是祂朋友亞伯拉罕的後裔。
二、這條在特殊情形下所立的律法，被定為永例，每逢此後有類似情形發生，都要遵守（民三十六8）。不是產業繼承人的女子可以隨意嫁入任何支派（雖然我們可以推想，她們通常仍留在本支派之內），但作產業繼承人的女子，要麼放棄產業的權利，要麼嫁給自己家族中的人，使各支派都能守自己的產業，一支派不可侵犯另一支派，使他們世世代代都能保存古時的地界——這地界不是他們的祖宗所立，而是他們祖宗的神所立。
三、西羅非哈的女兒對這設立的順服。既有神親自引導，她們怎能不嫁得好、嫁得滿意呢？她們嫁了自己父親兄弟的兒子（民三十六10-12）。由此可見：1. 堂表親的婚姻本身並非不合法，也不在所禁止的等親之內，否則神就不會認可這些婚姻了。2. 然而通常而言這並不可取；因為若非有特別的理由（這理由如今在任何情形下都不能成立，因為產業不再像當時那樣由天上的特別指定而分），她們就不會嫁給這樣近的親屬。世界廣大，行事正直的人必努力穩妥行事。
四、本書全卷的結語，論到本書末後的部分：這是耶和華在摩押平原所吩咐的典章（民三十六13），就是民二十六1-3以來的這些，大多關乎他們將在迦南得地為業，如今他們正要進入。無論神藉護理將我們帶入何種新的境遇，我們都當求祂指教我們當盡的本分，並賜我們能力去行，好叫我們在當日作當日的工，在當地作當地的工。
英語原文
The Law of Inheritance (1452 BC)
¹ And the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spake before Moses, and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel:
² And they said, The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel: and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters.
³ And if they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and shall be put to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall it be taken from the lot of our inheritance.
⁴ And when the jubilee of the children of Israel shall be, then shall their inheritance be put unto the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.
We have here the humble address which the heads of the tribe of Manasseh made to Moses and the princes, on occasion of the order lately made concerning the daughters of Zelophehad. The family they belonged to was part of that half of the tribe of Manasseh which we yet to have their lot within Jordan, not that half that was already settled; and yet they speak of the land of their possession, and the inheritance of their fathers, with as great assurance as if they had it already in their hands, knowing whom they had trusted. In their appeal observe, 1. They fairly recite the former order made in this case, and do not move to have that set aside, but are very willing to acquiesce in it (Nu 36:2): The Lord commanded to give the inheritance of Zelophehad to his daughters; and they are very well pleased that it should be so, none of them knowing but that hereafter it might be the case of their own families, and then their daughters would have the benefit of this law. 2. They represent the inconvenience which might, possibly, follow hereupon, if the daughters of Zelophehad should see cause to marry into any other tribes, Nu 36:3. And it is probable that this was not a bare surmise, or supposition, but that they knew, at this time, great court was made to them by some young gentlemen of other tribes, because they were heiresses, that they might get footing in this tribe, and so enlarge their own inheritance. This truly is often aimed at more than it should be in making marriages, not the meetness of the person, but the convenience of the estate, to lay house to house, and field to field. Wisdom indeed is good with an inheritance; but what is an inheritance good for in that relation without wisdom? But here, we may presume, the personal merit of these daughters recommended them as well as their fortunes; however, the heads of their tribe foresaw the mischief that would follow, and brought the case to Moses, that he might consult the oracle of God concerning it. The difficulty they start God could have obviated and provided against in the former order given in this case; but to teach us that we must, in our affairs, not only attend God's providence, but make use of our own prudence, God did not direct in it till the themselves that were concerned wisely foresaw the inconvenience, and piously applied to Moses for a rule in it. For though they were chief fathers in their families, and might have assumed a power to overrule these daughters of Zelophehad in disposing of themselves, especially their father being dead and the common interest of their tribe being concerned in it, yet they chose rather to refer the matter to Moses, and it issued well. We should not covet to be judges in our own case, for it is difficult to be so without being partial. It is easier in many cases to take good advice than to give it, and it is a satisfaction to be under direction. Two things they aimed at in their representation:—(1.) To preserve the divine appointment of inheritances. They urged the command (Nu 36:2), that the land should be given by lot to the respective tribes, and urged that it would break in upon the divine appointment if such a considerable part of the lot of Manasseh should, by their marriage, be transferred to any other tribe; for the issue would be denominated from the father's tribe, not the mother's. This indeed would not lessen the lot of the particular persons of that tribe (they would have their own still), but it would lessen the lot of the tribe in general, and render it less strong and considerable; they therefore thought themselves concerned for the reputation of their tribe, and perhaps were the more jealous for it because it was already very much weakened by the sitting down of the one half of it on this side Jordan. (2.) To prevent contests and quarrels among posterity. If those of other tribes should come among them perhaps it might occasion some contests. They would be apt to give and receive disturbance, and their title might, in process of time, come to be questioned; and how great a matter would this fire kindle! It is the wisdom and duty of those that have estates in the world to settle them, and dispose of them, so as that no strife and contention may arise about them among posterity.
⁵ And Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying, The tribe of the sons of Joseph hath said well.
⁶ This is the thing which the LORD doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry to whom they think best; only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry.
⁷ So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
⁸ And every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers.
⁹ Neither shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance.
¹⁰ Even as the LORD commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad:
¹¹ For Mahlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married unto their father's brothers' sons:
¹² And they were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father.
¹³ These are the commandments and the judgments, which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses unto the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.
Here is, I. The matter settled by express order from God between the daughters of Zelophehad and the rest of the tribe of Manasseh. The petition is assented to, and care taken to prevent the inconvenience feared: The tribe of the sons of Joseph hath said well, Nu 36:5. Thus those that consult the oracles of God concerning the making of their heavenly inheritance sure shall not only be directed what to do, but their enquiries shall be graciously accepted, and they shall have not only their well done, but their well said, good and faithful servant. Now the matter is thus accommodated: these heiresses must be obliged to marry, not only within their own tribe of Manasseh, but within the particular family of the Hepherites, to which they did belong. 1. They are not determined to any particular persons; there was choice enough in the family of their father: Let them marry to whom they think best. As children must preserve the authority of their parents, and not marry against their minds, so parents must consult the affections of their children in disposing of them, and not compel them to marry such as they cannot love. Forced marriages are not likely to prove blessings. 2. Yet they are confined to their own relations, that their inheritance may not go to another family. God would have them know that the land being to be divided by lot, the disposal whereof was of the Lord, they could not mend, and therefore should not alter, his appointment. The inheritances must not remove from tribe to tribe (Nu 36:7), lest there should be confusion among them, their estates entangled, and their genealogies perplexed. God would not have one tribe to be enriched by the straitening and impoverishing of another, since they were all alike the seed of Abraham his friend.
II. The law, in this particular case, was made perpetual, and to be observed whenever hereafter the like case should happen, Nu 36:8. Those that were not heiresses might marry into what tribe they pleased (though we may suppose that, ordinarily, they kept within their own tribe), but those that were must either quit their claim to the inheritance or marry one of their own family, that each of the tribes might keep to its own inheritance, and one tribe might not encroach upon another, but throughout their generations there might remain immovable the ancient landmarks, set, not by their fathers, but by the God of their fathers.
III. The submission of the daughters of Zelophehad to this appointment. How could they but marry well, and to their satisfaction, when God himself directed them? They married their father's brothers' sons, Nu 36:10-12. By this it appears, 1. That the marriage of cousin-germans is not in itself unlawful, nor within the degrees prohibited, for then God would not have countenanced these marriages. But, 2. That ordinarily it is not advisable; for, if there had not been a particular reason for it (which cannot hold in any case now, inheritances being not disposed of as then by the special designation of Heaven), they would not have married such near relations. The world is wide, and he that walks uprightly will endeavour to walk surely.
IV. The conclusion of this whole book, referring to the latter part of it: These are the judgments which the Lord commanded in the plains of Moab (Nu 36:13), these foregoing, ever since Nu 26:1-3, most of which related to their settlement in Canaan, into which they were now entering. Whatever new condition God is by his providence bringing us into, we must beg of him to teach us the duty of it, and to enable us to do it, that we may do the work of the day in its day, of the place in its place.
本章記載了另一個因西羅非哈女兒的案件而引發之問題的裁決。神已指定她們可以得地為業，民 27:7。此處：一、指出一個可能的不便之處：倘若她們嫁到別的支派會怎樣，民 36:1-4。二、藉神的指示加以防範，規定她們必須嫁給本支派本家族的人（民 36:5-7），這也成為同類案件的定例（民 36:8,9）；她們也確實照著嫁給了自己的親屬（民 36:10-12），全書即以此作結，民 36:13。