Numbers 27:1

The Daughters of Zelophehad

1 Then drew near the daughters of 1Zelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of Manasseh the son of Joseph. The names of his daughters were: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

Numbers 27:1 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 27:1

Then came the daughters of Zelophehad
Who are mentioned among the families of Manasseh, under that of the Hepherites, ( Numbers 26:33 ) , their father being dead, and they having no brethren, when they heard the land was to be divided among those that were numbered, and who were only males of twenty years old and upwards, were concerned, lest they should have no share in the division of the land; and therefore came, according to the Targum of Jonathan, to the house of judgment, or court of judicature, where Moses, the princes were now sitting: the genealogy of Zelophehad is given;

he was the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son
of Manasseh, the son of Joseph;
by which it appears he was of the tribe of Manasseh, and of the fourth generation from him:

and these are the names of his daughters, Mahlah, Noah, ann Hoglah, and
Milcah, and Tirzah;
in the same order their names are given in ( Numbers 26:33 ) ( Joshua 17:3 ) , but in ( Numbers 36:11 ) , it is a little altered, Noah and Tirzah change places, which Jarchi says shows they were upon an equality one with another.

Numbers 27:1 In-Context

1 Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of Manasseh the son of Joseph. The names of his daughters were: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
2 And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the chiefs and all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, saying,
3 "Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah, but died for his own sin. And he had no sons.
4 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."
5 Moses brought their case before the LORD.

Cross References 1

  • 1. Numbers 26:33; Numbers 36:11; Joshua 17:3
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.