And Moses brought their cause before the LORD.
Moses brought their cause before the Lord. Had the case involved the application of an existing law in a claim to a patrimonial inheritance, or had the Israelite leaders been about to carry into effect a humanly-devised scheme for colonizing a new country, the court to which the case was submitted for consideration would have been fully competent, in their collective wisdom, to decide to what was right or expedient to be done. But the Israelites were not to acquire the land of Canaan by right of conquest. It was assigned to them by the free gift of God. The tenure of property in it was held by every individual among them in accordance with the will of God; and therefore it was resolved wisely, in the case of Zeophehad's daughters, to refer the matter simpliciter to the decision of God. Their claim was admitted; and its recognition led to the enactment of a general law, that in all cases of a similar kind the rights of daughters should be acknowledged. Here is a case, among several that are found in the Mosaic code, of supplemental legislation in minor matters; and circumstances ere long occurred which necessitated the promulgation of an additional statute, (see the notes at Numbers 36:1-13.)