Daughters of Zelophehad
Numbers 26:33; 27:1-11; 36:1-12; Joshua 17:3-6; 1 Chronicles 7:17
Numbers 26:33 Now Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons, only daughters, and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
Joshua 17:3-6 Now Zelophehad son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh had no sons but only daughters, and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They came before the priest Eleazar and Joshua son of Nun and the leaders and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with our male kin.” So according to the commandment of the Lord he gave them an inheritance among the kinsmen of their father. Thus there fell to Manasseh ten portions, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is on the other side of the Jordan, because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance along with his sons. The land of Gilead was allotted to the rest of the Manassites.
When Moses distributed the land of Israel, Zelophehad had already died with no male heirs. His daughters (Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, & Tirzah) petitioned Moses for the land allotted to their father. Standing before Moses, the priest, and the whole congregation, they said, “Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father’s brothers” (Numbers 27:4).
And how does God respond to the daughters’ request? God instructs Moses to give the women their father’s land: “The daughters of Zelophehad are right in what they are saying; you shall indeed let them possess an inheritance among their father’s brothers” (Numbers 27:7).
However, this decision was made in Moab, before the Israelites possessed the land of Canaan. By the time they actually made it to the promised land, Moses was dead. So the daughters once again went before Israel’s leaders and asked for their inheritance. And again, God commanded that the daughters be given their portion of the land.
Cole Arthur Riley says this about the Daughters of Zelophehad: “Mahlah, Noa, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah – these were women who knew their worth. And they stood in power in front of the powerful because of it.”
The Daughters of Zelophehad set the precedent for Israelite daughters to inherit property. They knew their worth, and God confirmed it.
The Daughters of Zelophehad are not alone in their boldness; Caleb’s daughter, Achsah, asks for both land and water resources. Like the Daughters of Zelophehad, her request is granted.
The Daughters of Zelophehad were part of the tribe of Manasseh. Manassite lands were in the hills of central Palestine.
Some of the Israelite men expressed concern about what would happen to tribal land if the daughters married outside their tribe. Would the tribe of Manasseh diminish? To prevent this outcome, it’s decided the daughters should marry within their father’s tribe (Numbers 36:6-8).