In brief
The daughters of Zelophehad are five sisters of the tribe of Manasseh: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. At the end of the stay in the wilderness, their father has died without sons. They appear before Moses to ask for an inheritance, so that their father’s name will not disappear. God rules in their favor and sets a new law on inheritance. Under Joshua, they receive their share in Canaan. We remember their courageous faith in God’s promise.
What does the name The Daughters of Zelophehad mean?
The meaning of the name Zelophehad (Tselophchad in some French translations) remains uncertain, and the Bible does not explain it. It does, however, give the names of his five daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah (Numbers 27:1).
The story of The Daughters of Zelophehad
Five Daughters and No Brother
Numbers 26:33In the second census, on the plains of Moab, the Bible notes an unusual detail: “Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters.” They are named: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. This census is meant for dividing the land, hence the stakes of their situation.
A Request Before Moses
Numbers 27:1-4The five sisters come before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the princes and the whole congregation, at the door of the Tent of Meeting. Their father did not take part in Korah’s rebellion, but he died in his own sin. They ask: “Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son?”
They Are Right
Numbers 27:5-11Moses brings their cause before Yahweh, who answers: “The daughters of Zelophehad speak right.” They receive an inheritance among their father’s brothers. God also makes it a law for all Israel: when a man dies without a son, his inheritance passes to his daughter, then to his nearest relatives.
The Inheritance Protected
Numbers 36:1-9The heads of the family of Gilead are worried: if these daughters marry men of another tribe, their inheritance will leave Manasseh. Moses agrees with them in turn. The daughters may marry whom they think best, provided it is within a family of their father’s tribe.
Faithful Obedience
Numbers 36:10-12“The daughters of Zelophehad did as Yahweh commanded Moses.” Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah marry their cousins, the sons of their father’s brothers, in the families of Manasseh. Their inheritance thus remains in the tribe of their father’s family.
The Promise Kept
Joshua 17:3-6After the entry into Canaan, the five sisters come before Eleazar the priest and Joshua. They recall that Yahweh commanded Moses to give them an inheritance. According to that command, they are given their share among their father’s brothers, in the territory of Manasseh.
Test your knowledge
What The Daughters of Zelophehad teaches us
- We can bring a rightful question before God with respect and trust: he listens and he answers.
- The faith of the daughters of Zelophehad rests on the promise of the land before Israel has even entered it.
- God cares for vulnerable people and does justice to those whom custom left aside.
- Obeying God in the details, such as choosing a husband within one’s tribe, protects what he has given.
- What God promises, he confirms in his time: the word given under Moses is fulfilled under Joshua.
Key verses
God decides in favor of the five sisters. Their request is not a rebellion but an appeal to his justice, and he grants them their father’s inheritance among his brothers.
The request of the daughters of Zelophehad becomes a law for all Israel. A particular situation serves to establish a lasting right for families without sons.
The sisters recall God’s word to Moses and receive their share. The promise made in the wilderness is fulfilled in the land.
Bible verses to meditate on
Sermons about The Daughters of Zelophehad
Frequently asked questions
Who were the daughters of Zelophehad?
They are five sisters, Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah, daughters of Zelophehad, of the tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph. Their father had died in the wilderness without leaving a son. They asked Moses for an inheritance in the promised land, and God ruled in their favor (Numbers 27:1-7).
Why was their request important?
The land was to be divided among the families of Israel, and inheritance normally passed through sons. Without a son, Zelophehad’s name risked being cut off from his family. By ruling for the five sisters, God established a law that also protected, in the future, families without a male heir (Numbers 27:8-11).
Where can I find their story in the Bible?
They are named in Numbers 26:33. Their request and God’s answer are in Numbers 27:1-11, the rule on their marriage in Numbers 36, and the granting of their share in Joshua 17:3-6. They are also mentioned in the genealogy of 1 Chronicles 7:15.