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英文原文
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)
承继产业之律（主前1452年）
¹ 约瑟子孙玛拿西半个支派中、玛吉的儿子基列的子孙、各家族中的宗族首领，近前来，在摩西和以色列众首领——各宗族首领——面前陈明说：
² "耶和华曾吩咐我主，凭拈阄将地分给以色列人为业；我主也受了耶和华的吩咐，将我们兄弟西罗非哈的产业分给他的众女儿。
³ 她们若嫁给以色列别的支派的子孙，她们的产业就必从我们祖宗的产业中取出，加到她们所归的那支派的产业上；这样，我们拈阄所得的产业就必减少了。
⁴ 到了以色列人的禧年，她们的产业就必加到她们所归那支派的产业上；这样，我们祖宗支派所得的产业，她们的产业就必被夺去。"
此处我们看见玛拿西支派的首领们，因最近所颁布关于西罗非哈众女儿的命令，向摩西和众首领所作的谦卑陈情。他们所属的家族，属于尚要在约旦河内得分的玛拿西半个支派——不是已经定居的那一半；然而他们论到自己将有的地业、祖宗的产业时，却怀着仿佛已经握在手中那样的把握，因为他们知道所信的是谁。在他们的上诉中请观察：1. 他们公正地复述了先前就此事所定的命令，并不要求撤销它，反倒十分愿意顺服（民36:2）："耶和华曾吩咐将西罗非哈的产业分给他的众女儿"——他们对此十分满意，因为他们各人也不知道日后自己家中是否也会有同样情形，那时他们的女儿就可因此律例得益。2. 他们指明了若西罗非哈众女儿嫁入别的支派，可能随之而来的弊端（民36:3）。此事大概并非纯属臆测，而是他们此时已知有别的支派的年轻男子因她们是承业之女，而向她们殷勤求婚，为要在这一支派中立足，扩大自己的产业。在婚配之事上，人所图谋的往往过于所当有的——所求的不是对象的相配，而是产业的便利——"以房连房，以地连地"。"智慧加上产业是好的"；但若没有智慧，产业在那种关系上又有何用？然而此处我们可以推想，这些女儿个人的美德与她们的家财同样受人称赞。但无论如何，他们支派的首领预见到了随之而来的祸患，便把这事呈到摩西面前，好让他为此求问神的谕旨。他们所提出的难处，神本来可以在先前就此事所下的命令中预先防备；但为要教训我们：在我们的事务上，不仅要仰望神的护理，也要运用自己的审慎，神便没有及时指示，直等到那相关之人自己明智地预见到弊端，并敬虔地向摩西请示规则。因为他们虽是各家族的首领，本可擅权辖制西罗非哈的众女儿自主其事——况且她们父亲已死，又有本支派的共同利益牵涉其中——他们却宁愿将此事呈交摩西，结果美善。我们不可贪图在自己案件中作审判官，因为既在自己案件中作审判官，便难免偏颇。在许多情形下，听取良谋比献策更易；处于引导之下也是安慰。他们在陈述中要达到两个目的：(1.) 保全神对产业的安排。他们援引命令（民36:2）：地要凭拈阄分给各支派；若玛拿西所得之份中这一大部分因她们的婚姻转移到别的支派，就是侵犯了神的安排，因为后裔要从父系的支派得名，而非母系。这当然不会减少该支派中个别之人的份（他们仍保有自己原有的份），却会减少……
⁵ 摩西照耶和华的话吩咐以色列人说："约瑟子孙的支派说得是。
⁶ 论到西罗非哈的女儿，耶和华所吩咐的是这样：她们可以随意嫁给自己看为好的人；只是要嫁到本支派父家的宗族里。
⁷ 这样，以色列人的产业就不至于从这支派转到那支派；因为以色列人各人要守住自己祖宗支派的产业。
⁸ 凡在以色列支派中得了产业的女儿，必须嫁给她父亲支派中某一家族的人为妻，好叫以色列人各自承受祖宗的产业。
⁹ 这样，产业就不至于从这一支派转到另一支派；因为以色列各支派的人都当守住自己所得的产业。"
¹⁰ 耶和华怎样吩咐摩西，西罗非哈的女儿就怎样行了。
¹¹ 因为西罗非哈的女儿玛拉、得撒、曷拉、密迦、挪阿，都嫁给了她们父亲的兄弟的儿子；
¹² 她们都嫁给约瑟儿子玛拿西子孙家族中的人为妻，她们的产业仍留在她们父亲支派的家族中。
¹³ 这是耶和华在约旦河边耶利哥对面的摩押平原，借摩西吩咐以色列人的命令和典章。
此处，I. 西罗非哈众女儿与玛拿西支派其余的人之间的事，借神明确的命令得到解决。请愿获得允准，并设法防止所忧虑的弊端："约瑟子孙的支派说得是"（民36:5）。照样，那些为使自己在天上的产业稳固而求问神谕旨的人，不仅必得着当行何事的指引，他们的求问也必蒙恩悦纳；他们不但要听见"作得好"，也要听见"说得好"，良善又忠心的仆人。如今事情这样安排：这些承业之女必须受约束，不可嫁到自己支派玛拿西之外，也不可嫁出她们所属的希弗家族之外。1. 并不限定于特定的某个人；她们父亲家族中有足够的选择余地："她们可以随意嫁给自己看为好的人"。儿女一方面当尊重父母的权柄，不可违背父母之意而婚嫁；另一方面父母在处置儿女时也当顾念儿女的情感，不可勉强他们与自己所不能爱的人结婚。勉强的婚姻多半不能成为祝福。2. 然而她们却局限于本家族之内，免得她们的产业归到别家。神要他们明白：地既凭拈阄而分，其处置乃在乎耶和华，他们不能改良，因此也不当更改他的安排。各支派的产业不可"从这支派转到那支派"（民36:7），免得他们中间发生混乱，产业纠缠不清，谱系杂乱无章。神不要一个支派因另一个支派的困窘和贫乏而致富，因为他们都同样是他的朋友亚伯拉罕的子孙。
II. 这一特例遂定为永远之律，日后凡有同样情形都要遵行（民36:8）。凡非承业之女可以随意嫁入任何支派（虽然我们可以设想，她们通常仍在本支派内择偶）；但凡承业之女，要么放弃产业的 claim，要么必须嫁在本家族之内，好叫各支派都守住自己的产业，一支派不可侵吞另一支派，使历代之间那古旧的界碑永不动摇——这界碑不是他们父亲所立，而是"他们父亲的神"所立。
III. 西罗非哈众女儿顺服这一安排。当神亲自引导她们时，她们怎能不嫁得好、嫁得心满意足？她们嫁给了自己父亲的兄弟的儿子（民36:10-12）。由此可知：1. 堂兄妹之间的婚姻本身并非不合法，也不在所禁之列，否则神就不会赞许这些婚姻。但是，2. 通常并不相宜；若非有特别的理由（如今任何情形中都不再有这种理由，因为产业不再像那时那样由天上的特别指定来分配），她们就不会与这样近的亲属联姻。世界广阔；行事正直的人也必力求行得稳妥。
IV. 全书的结语，指最后这一部分："这些典章是耶和华在摩押平原所吩咐的"（民36:13）——就是上述自民26:1-3以来的典章，其中大部分与他们即将进入的迦南定居有关。无论神借他的护理把我们带入何等新的境地，我们都当求他教导我们当尽的本分，并赐我们能力去履行，好叫我们能在当日的日子做当日的事，在当处的地方做当处的事。
英文原文
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.
本章中，我们看见因西罗非哈女儿之案而起的另一个问题获得裁定。神已判定她们可以承受产业（民 27:7）。如今在此：I. 有人提出一个不便之处——倘若她们嫁入别的支派将会如何（民 36:1-4）。II. 借着神圣的判语，规定她们必须在本支派本宗族中婚嫁，以此加以防范（民 36:5-7）；此事遂定为同类情形的通则（民 36:8,9）；她们也照此嫁给本族的亲属（民 36:10-12），全书即以此作结（民 36:13）。