46
To prevent the possibility of the possession of Zelophehad passing, in the year of Jubilee, away from the
tribe to which Zelophehad had belonged, it was determined (Numbers 36) that his daughters should not
marry out of their father's tribe; and this was afterwards made a general law.
47
That the sacrifices prescribed in Leviticus 23:17-21 were not the same as those in Numbers 28:26-31, is not
only established by the unanimous testimony of Jewish tradition, but appears from a comparison of the
differences between the sacrifices ordained in these two passages. Thus the feast of weeks or "of first-
fruits" had threefold sacrifices - the ordinary daily, the ordinary festive, and the special festive sacrifice.
48
For details as to the manner in which these feasts were observed at the time of Christ, I have to refer the
reader to my book on The Temple: its Ministry, and Services at the Time of Christ.
49
Numbers 32:1 speaks of "the Land of Jazer and of Gilead." "Jazer," or "Jaazer" (Numbers 21:32) was a town
on the way between Heshbon in the south and Bashan in the north. It gave its name to the district, and was
probably specially mentioned by the Reubenites as perhaps the township east of Jordan nearest to the camp
of Israel. It is supposed to be the modern Seir -almost in a line with Jericho, east of the Jordan.
50
These are not "Hazzeroth," but rubble walls for sheep, ma de of loose stones.
51
These cities were rebuilt before the apportionment of the country among these two and a half tribes. This
appears from the fact that, for example, Dibon and, Aroer were built by "the children of Gad" (Numbers
32:34, 35), but afterwards allocated to Reuben (Joshua 13:16, 17).
52
Each of these two series is marked by a special preface - the first, Numbers 33:50; the second, Numbers
35:1.
53
Very varied interpretations of these two difficult verses have been proposed. That adopted in the text is in
accordance with Jewish tradition, and the most simple, while it meets all the requirements of the text.
54
Perek 2 of the Mishnic tractate Maccoth treats on this subject, and expounds at length the application of
this law.
55
We translate literally.
56
Literally: Enough (sufficient) for thee.
57
Our description here, and of the view from the top is from Canon Tristram's Land of Israel, pp. 539-543, of
course, in a shortened form. We must content ourselves with this general acknowledgment without always
the formality of inverted commas.
58
Kurtz, History of the Old Covenant, vol. 3 p. 495 (English translation).
59
Calvin.
60
In Joshua 2:1, the accentuation connects the words "secretly" and "saying," which are separated by
commas in our Authorized Version showing that the commission was intrusted to them secretly.
61
The meaning really is "especially Jericho," which fortress was the key to the western bank of Jordan.
62
Tristram, Land of Israel, pp. 203 and following.
63
This impression is irresistibly conveyed to the mind by a comparison of the Scriptural account of Jericho
with that of the other cities in Canaan.