An inconvenience if heiresses should marry into another tribe, ver. 1 - 4.
An appointment that they should marry in their own tribe, ver. 5 - 9.
Zelophehad's daughters marry their cousins, ver. 10 - 12.
The conclusion, ver.13.
6: To the family - They seem hereby to he confined not only to the
same tribe, but also to the family of their tribe, as appears from the
reason of the law, for God would have the inheritance of families as well
as tribes kept entire and unmixed.
8: The inheritance of his fathers - This law was not general to
forbid every woman to marry into another tribe, as may be reasonably
concluded from the practice of so many patriarchs, kings, priests, and
other holy men, who have married women of other tribes, yea sometimes of
other nations, but restrained to heiresses, or such as were likely to be
so. But if they had brethren, they were free to marry into any tribe, yet
so that, if their brethren died, the inheritance went from them to the next
a - kin of their father's tribe and family. And the principal reason why God
was solicitous to preserve tribes and families unmixed was, that the tribe
and family too, out of which the Messiah was to come, and by which he
should be known, might be evident and unquestionable.
