Berean Study Bible Zelophehad’s Daughters MarryRepresentatives of the leading Manassite family came forward. As descendants of Machir, they possessed territory east of the Jordan and sought to preserve the inheritance allotted to their clan. Num 26:29-34 These were the descendants of Manasseh:… one of the clans of Joseph, Manasseh shared in the inheritance granted through Joseph’s family, giving this matter significance for the future boundaries of the tribe. Gen 48:5-6 And now your two sons born to you in Egypt… approached Moses and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families They brought their concern before the appointed authorities responsible for applying God’s law and safeguarding the tribal divisions of the land. Num 27:1-5 Now the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher… and addressed them, Their petition concerned the daughters of Zelophehad and the possibility that marriage outside Manasseh could transfer inherited land to another tribe. Num 32:25-27 The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses,… saying, “When the LORD commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the Israelites by lot, Moses had received God’s command to divide Canaan among the tribes after its conquest. The casting of lots placed the distribution under the LORD’s direction while preserving an orderly inheritance for each tribe. The speaker respectfully addresses Moses as “my lord,” recognizing his authority as Israel’s leader and God’s appointed servant. Num 26:55-56 Indeed, the land must be divided by lot;… He also commanded him to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. Zelophehad died without sons, and the LORD had directed that his inheritance pass to his daughters. Their case preserved their father’s name and property within Manasseh, but it also raised the concern that marriage outside the tribe could transfer tribal land to another inheritance. Num 27:1-11 Now the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher… But if they marry any of the men from the other tribes of Israel, If Zelophehad’s daughters married men from other Israelite tribes, their inherited land would pass to their husbands’ tribes, reducing Manasseh’s territorial inheritance. Jdg 21:19-23 “But look,” they said, “there is a yearly feast”… their inheritance will be withdrawn from the portion of our fathers The tribal inheritance was received from God and passed down through families. It was tied to the permanent division of the land among Israel’s tribes. Num 27:1-11 Now the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher… and added to the tribe into which they marry. A daughter’s inherited land would become associated with her husband’s tribe, altering the boundaries established for the tribes in the Promised Land. 1Ki 21:15-16 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death,… So our allotted inheritance would be taken away. The concern led to the command that heiresses marry within their own tribe, preserving each tribe’s ancestral land and inheritance. Deu 27:17 Cursed is he who moves his neighbor’s boundary stone.… And when the Jubilee for the Israelites comes, At the Jubilee, inherited land reverted to the family line originally assigned to it. If Zelophehad’s daughters married outside Manasseh, their property could pass to another tribe through their husbands’ households. Lev 25:10 So you are to consecrate the fiftieth year… their inheritance will be added to the tribe into which they marry Their inheritance would be transferred to the tribe into which they married, reducing Manasseh’s tribal allotment. Israel’s land was not merely private property but part of the permanent inheritance God assigned to each tribe. Num 27:7-11 “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly.”… and taken away from the tribe of our fathers.” The leaders of Manasseh sought to preserve the boundaries and inheritance of their tribe for future generations. 1Ki 21:3 But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should… So at the word of the LORD, Moses acted under God’s direct authority, applying the Lord’s will to the inheritance question before Israel. God’s instruction preserved both justice for individual families and the order of the tribes. Num 9:23 They camped at the LORD’s command, and they set out… Moses commanded the Israelites: As Israel’s covenant leader, Moses publicly established the ruling so that the matter would be understood and observed throughout the nation. Exo 35:1 Then Moses assembled the whole congregation of Israel… “The tribe of the sons of Joseph The clans of Manasseh, descended from Joseph, had raised a legitimate concern about tribal land passing through marriage into another tribe. Their request sought to protect the inheritance assigned to Manasseh. Gen 48:5 And now your two sons born to you in Egypt… speaks correctly. The Lord affirmed that the concern was right. The ruling concerning Zelophehad’s daughters would allow them to inherit their father’s land while preserving the permanent inheritance of each tribe. Num 27:7 “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly.”… This is what the LORD has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: God’s ruling addressed the inheritance granted to Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah after their father died without sons. Their rights were upheld, while the inheritance of their family was also protected within Manasseh. Num 27:1-11 Now the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher… They may marry anyone they please, The daughters were permitted to choose their husbands, recognizing their lawful place as heirs and their personal responsibility in marriage. 1Co 7:39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives.… provided they marry within a clan of the tribe of their father. Their husbands had to belong to Manasseh so that the land inherited from Zelophehad would not pass permanently to another tribe. The command preserved the tribal allotments God had assigned to Israel and maintained each family’s inheritance within its appointed tribe. Deu 25:5-10 When brothers dwell together and one of them dies… No inheritance in Israel may be transferred from tribe to tribe, The land was assigned by God to the tribes as a lasting possession, and tribal boundaries were to remain intact. This protected each tribe’s place in the nation and prevented the gradual loss of its God-given allotment through marriage or other transfers. Lev 25:23-28 The land must not be sold permanently, because it is Mine… because each of the Israelites is to retain the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. Family inheritance was to remain connected to the ancestral tribe, preserving both household property and tribal identity. The land served as a continuing reminder that Israel’s possession of Canaan rested on God’s covenant promise to their fathers. 1Ki 21:3 But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should… Every daughter who possesses an inheritance from any Israelite tribe Daughters inherited land only when there were no sons, as in the case of Zelophehad’s daughters. Their inheritance was protected as part of the tribal allotment God had given Israel. Num 27:7-11 “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly.”… must marry within a clan of the tribe of her father, Marriage within the tribe prevented inherited land from passing permanently to another tribe. The requirement preserved the boundaries and possessions assigned to each tribe in the Promised Land. Gen 24:3-4 I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven… so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of his fathers. Land was a family trust tied to God’s covenant promise and was to remain with the descendants of the tribe that received it. 1Ki 21:3 But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should… No inheritance may be transferred from one tribe to another, The ruling concerning Zelophehad’s daughters protected the tribal allotments assigned when Israel entered the land. An heiress who received family land was to marry within her tribe so that her inheritance would not pass permanently to another tribe through marriage. Num 27:7-11 “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly.”… for each tribe of Israel must retain its inheritance.” The land belonged ultimately to the Lord, who had distributed it among the tribes as a lasting possession. Preserving those boundaries maintained the family lines, tribal order, and inheritance established for Israel. Lev 25:23-24 The land must not be sold permanently, because it is Mine… So the daughters of Zelophehad The daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They were from the tribe of Manasseh, one of the tribes of Israel. Their story is significant because it highlights the issue of inheritance rights for women in ancient Israel. This event is a pivotal moment in biblical history, showcasing God's justice and provision for all His people. Num 27:1-7 Now the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher… did as the LORD had commanded Moses. They married within the clans of Manasseh, as the Lord directed, so that their inherited land remained within their father’s tribe. Their obedience upheld both the inheritance rights God had granted them and the tribal boundaries established for Israel. Exo 40:16 Moses did everything just as the LORD had commanded him. Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah were the daughters of Zelophehad. After their father died without sons, they received his inheritance, establishing that a man’s property could pass to his daughters and remain within Israel. Num 27:1-11 Now the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher… were married to cousins on their father’s side. They married within the clans of Manasseh, as Moses had commanded, so that their inheritance would remain in their father’s tribe and would not pass to another tribe through marriage. Gen 24:4-5 but will go to my country and my kindred… They married within the clans of the descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, The daughters of Zelophehad obeyed the Lord’s instruction by marrying men from their own tribal family. Their marriages protected the land allotted to their father’s household and prevented it from passing into another tribe through marriage. Manasseh’s inheritance, received as Joseph’s son, remained secure within the tribe God had assigned. Jos 17:3-6 But Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons but only daughters.… and their inheritance remained within the tribe of their father’s clan. The outcome fulfilled the purpose of the inheritance laws: each tribe and clan retained the land entrusted to it. Land was not merely property but a lasting sign of God’s covenant provision for Israel, preserving the family’s place, livelihood, and identity among the tribes. Num 27:1-11 Now the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher… These are the commandments and ordinances These laws completed the instructions God gave Israel through Moses, governing worship, personal conduct, justice, inheritance, and life within the covenant community. They displayed God’s holy standard and prepared Israel to live faithfully in the land He promised them. Deu 6:1 These are the commandments and statutes and ordinances… that the LORD gave the Israelites God personally established His covenant with Israel, setting them apart from the surrounding nations. Their obedience was to reflect His rule among them as they entered Canaan. Neh 9:13-14 You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them… through Moses Moses served as God’s appointed mediator and leader, faithfully communicating the Lord’s commands to the people before his death. Jhn 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth…… on the plains of Moab Israel was encamped east of the Jordan after forty years in the wilderness. Here Moses gave final instructions and resolved matters necessary for the nation’s settlement in the land. Num 35:1 Again the LORD spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab… by the Jordan The river marked the boundary between Israel’s wilderness journey and the Promised Land they would soon enter under Joshua. Jos 3:1 Early the next morning Joshua got up and left Shittim… across from Jericho. Jericho stood directly before them as the first major Canaanite city Israel would encounter after crossing the Jordan. Num 22:1 Then the Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains… This is a draft of the Berean Study Bible. Please send all comments and recommendations to bereanstudybible@aol.com. Bible Hub |
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