Mahlah מַחְלָה

Mahlah was one of the five daughters of Zelophehad, a man from the tribe of Manasseh. Zelophehad had no sons, and according to the law, his inheritance would pass to his brothers. However, Mahlah and her sisters approached Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the entire congregation at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. They argued that their father's name should not disappear from his clan because he had no sons and that they should receive an inheritance among their father's relatives. Moses brought their case before God, who agreed with the daughters and instructed Moses to give them property as an inheritance among their father's relatives, setting a precedent for cases where a man died without sons. Mahlah and her sisters received an inheritance in the land of Canaan (Num.26.33; 27.1; 36.11; Jos.17.3).