John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 3. Our father died in the wilderness , etc.] As all the generation of the children of Israel did, that came out of Egypt, who were twenty years old and upwards, excepting Joshua and Caleb: and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah ; which is observed, not so much to obtain the favour and good will of Moses as to clear the memory of their father from any reproach upon it, he dying in the wilderness; and chiefly to show that the claim of his posterity to a share in the land was not forfeited, he not being in that rebellion, nor in any other; so that he and his were never under any attainder: but died in his own sin ; which though common to all men, every man has his own peculiar way of sinning, and is himself only answerable for it, ( Isaiah 53:6 Ezekiel 18:4) he sinned alone, had no partner or confederate, whom he had drawn into any notorious and public sin, as mutiny, etc. to the prejudice of the state, and the rulers in it; so the Targum of Jonathan adds, “and he did not cause others to sin,” so Jarchi; some take him to be the sabbath breaker, ( Numbers 15:32), others that he was one of those that went up the hill, ( Numbers 14:44,45), most likely his sin was that of unbelief, disbelieving the spies that brought the good report of the land, and giving credit to those that brought an ill report of it; and so with the rest of the people murmured, for which his carcass, with others, fell in the wilderness, and entered not into the good land, through unbelief: a sin not punished in their children: and had no sons . which was the reason of this application.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-11 - The five daughters of Zelophehad considered themselves as lef destitute, having neither father nor brother to inherit any land. Their believing expectation that the word of the Lord would be performed i due season, and their desire of an interest in the promise inheritance; and the modest, candid manner in which they asked, withou secret murmurs or discontents, are a good example. They ask for possession in the land of Canaan. Herein they discovered, 1. Stron faith in the power and promise of God, concerning the giving of the land of Canaan to Israel. 2. And earnest desire of a place and name in the land of promise, which was a type of heaven. 3. Respect and honou for their father, whose name was dear to them now he was gone. He neve had done any thing that might bar his children's claim. It is a comfor to parents when they come to die, if though they have smarted for their own sin, yet they are not conscious of any of those iniquities whic God will visit on their children. God himself gives judgment. He take notice of the affairs, not only of nations, but of private families and orders them according to his will. The petition is granted. Thos who seek an inheritance in the land of promise, shall have what the seek for, and other things shall be added to them.
Original Hebrew אבינו1 מת4191 במדבר4057 והוא1931 לא3808 היה1961 בתוך8432 העדה5712 הנועדים3259 על5921 יהוה3068 בעדת5712 קרח7141 כי3588 בחטאו2399 מת4191 ובנים1121 לא3808 היו׃1961
