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Zelophehad צְלׇפְחָד

Male Tribe of Manasseh H6765 3 books

Israelite whose daughters received his inheritance

Biography

Zelophehad was a man from the tribe of Manasseh during the time of Moses. He had five daughters - Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah - but no sons. After the census in the wilderness, Zelophehad's daughters came before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the congregation, asking for a possession among their father's brothers, since Zelophehad had died without a male heir. Moses brought their case before the Lord, who commanded that the daughters be given their father's inheritance. This ruling set a precedent for cases where a man died without a son. Later, when the Israelites were preparing to enter Canaan, the heads of the fathers' houses of Manasseh raised a concern that if Zelophehad's daughters married outside their tribe, their inheritance would be lost to the tribe. Moses then commanded that they could marry whom they thought best, but only within their father's tribal clan, to keep the inheritance within the tribe. Zelophehad's daughters did as the Lord commanded and married sons of their father's brothers. This event is significant in establishing the rights of inheritance for women in ancient Israel.

Family

Parents

Offspring

In Scripture

3 biblical books ; 1 with study content
Numbers 5 verses
  • Numbers 26:33

    "Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah."

  • Numbers 27:1

    "Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph came near. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah."

  • Numbers 27:7

    "“The daughters of Zelophehad speak right. You shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers. You shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them."

  • Numbers 36:2

    "They said, “Yahweh commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the children of Israel. My lord was commanded by Yahweh to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters."

  • Numbers 36:6

    "This is the thing which Yahweh commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, ‘Let them be married to whom they think best, only they shall marry into the family of the tribe of their father."

Joshua 1 verse
  • Joshua 17:3

    "But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah."

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1 Chronicles 1 verse
  • 1 Chronicles 7:15

    "Machir took a wife of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister’s name was Maacah. The name of the second was Zelophehad; and Zelophehad had daughters."

Names & Aliases

Form Language Script Strong's
Named Hebrew צְלׇפְחָד H6765
Encyclopedia Article

Zelophehad

ISBE 1915 (Public Domain)

27.7">7; 36:2,6,10,11; Jos 17:3; 1Ch 7:15). His daughters came to Moses and Eleazar and successfully pleaded for a possession for themselves (Nu 27:1). This became the occasion for a law providing that in the case of a man dying without sons, the inheritance was to pass to his daughters if he had any. A further request is made (Nu 36:2) by the heads of the Gileadite houses that the women who were given this right of inheritance should be compelled to marry members of their own tribe, so that the tribe may not lose them and their property. This is granted and becomes law among the Hebrews.

Gray says (ICC on Nu 26:33) that the "daughters" of Zelophehad are towns or clans.

David Francis Roberts

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ze-lo'-tez (Zelotes).

See SIMON THE ZEALOT; ZEALOT.

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zel'-za (tseltsach; hallomenous megala): A

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