Глава 27

Law on inheritance of land. – Revelation to Moses about the approach of his death. - God's command about the successor of Moses. Numbers 27:1. And the daughters of Zalpahad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machirov, the son of Manasseh, of the generation of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, came, and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah; Numbers 27:2. And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes, and before all the congregation, at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and said: Numbers 27:3. our father died in the wilderness, and he was not among the accomplices who gathered against the Lord with the crowd of Korah, but he died for his sin, and he had no sons; Numbers 27:4. Why should the name of our father disappear from his tribe, because he has no son? give us inheritance among our father's brothers. “But for his sin,” common to the old generation, he “died” in the wilderness (Num. 14:21–23, 26–38). Numbers 27:5. And Moses presented their case to the Lord. Numbers 27:6. And the Lord said to Moses: Numbers 27:7. Salpaad's daughters speak the truth; give them an inheritance among their father's brothers and give them their father's inheritance; Numbers 27:8. And declare and say to the children of Israel: if anyone dies without having a son, then give his inheritance to his daughter; Numbers 27:9. if he does not have a daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers; Numbers 27:10. if he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers; Numbers 27:11. if there are no brothers of his father, give his inheritance to his close relative from his generation, so that he inherits it; and let this be made a law for the children of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses. When dividing the land, land plots should be distributed “according to the number of names” of male persons and receive the names of their owners, in order to pass from generation to generation under these names, as a material consolidation among the people of the “name” of this or that surname. Naturally, given the existence of such a legislative principle, the closest heirs of the owner of the land plot were none other than his sons, bearers of his name, guardians of his family. In the absence of sons or the inability of the latter to continue their family, the land inheritance could pass to the daughter, but with the indispensable condition that in the event of marriage, her children would continue the family and bear the name of their maternal grandfather. In the absence of daughters, the heir to the land plot is the closest relative of the deceased. Numbers 27:12. And the Lord said to Moses: Go up to this Mount Abarim, [which is on this side of the Jordan, this Mount Nebo,] and look at the land [Canaan], which I am giving to the children of Israel [for a possession]; Nevo (or Nevav) is one of the hills of the Avarim mountain range. Numbers 27:15. And Moses spoke to the Lord, saying: Numbers 27:16. May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, place man over this congregation, Numbers 27:17. who would go out before them and who would come in before them, who would lead them out and who would bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lord would not remain like sheep that have no shepherd. Moses' entire life concern was the people of Israel. In difficult moments of God’s wrath against those who had sinned, the leader was ready to personally take on the full weight of the punitive truth in order to preserve the life and well-being of his tormentor. And now, having learned about the approaching day of his death, Moses is primarily concerned with the concern that “the congregation of the Lord should not remain like sheep that have no shepherd.” Numbers 27:18. And the Lord said to Moses, Take unto you Joshua the son of Nun, the man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thy hand on him, The laying on of hands is a visible sign of the communication of rights and authority. Numbers 27:19. and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and give him instruction before their eyes, Presentation before the people and instruction are an act of promulgation of succession and together an act of public recognition of the successor. Numbers 27:20. and give him of thy glory, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may hear him; This refers to I. Joshua’s permission to exercise some of his rights during the life of Moses. Numbers 27:21. and he will turn to Eleazar the priest and ask him about the decision, through the Urim before the Lord; and at his word they must go out, and at his word they must go in, he and all the children of Israel with him, and all the congregation. None of the chosen Old Testament men was worthy to have such close communication with the Divine as Moses had (Numbers 12:6–8). The successor of Moses will inquire of the Lord through the mysterious Urim and Thummim, which was on the breastplate of the high priest (Ex. 28:30). Numbers 27:22. And Moses did as the Lord [God] commanded him, and took Jesus, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; The final, nationwide transfer of the rights of a Jewish leader to I. Joshua occurred later (Deut. 31:23). You might be interested in: