John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 4. And when the jubilee of the children of Israel shall be , etc.] At which time inheritances were to be restored to the original proprietors of them; yet this would be of no service in the present case, but rather the contrary, since it would fix the inheritances of these daughters in another tribe or in other tribes into which they should marry; and so Aben Ezra and Jarchi interpret it, “though” there shall be a jubilee, that will be of no advantage; it will not remedy this inconvenience: for then shall their inheritance be put unto the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received ; it being one principal part of the business of the jubilee year to settle the inheritances of every tribe; and these daughters being married into another tribe, of consequence their inheritance would be placed there; or should it be sold by their husbands, or their sons, at the year of jubilee it would be restored to them as of such a tribe: so shall their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers ; and thereby be a lessening of it; and every tribe being ambitious of preserving and increasing its grandeur, this affair sensibly affected the heads of this tribe.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-4 - The heads of the tribe of Manasseh represent the evil which migh follow, if the daughters of Zelophehad should marry into any othe tribes. They sought to preserve the Divine appointment of inheritances and that contests and quarrels should not rise among those who shoul come afterwards. It is the wisdom and duty of those who have estates in the world, to settle them, and to dispose of them, so that no strif and contention may arise. (Nu 36:5-12)
Original Hebrew ואם518 יהיה1961 היבל3104 לבני1121 ישׂראל3478 ונוספה3254 נחלתן5159 על5921 נחלת5159 המטה4294 אשׁר834 תהיינה1961 להם ומנחלת5159 מטה4294 אבתינו1 יגרע1639 נחלתן׃5159
