Who is…
Zelophehad

Hebrew: צְלָפְחָד —transliteration: Tselofḥad —meaning: first-born

This is an Israelite man of the tribe of Manasseh, and of the family/clan of Gilead.

He died during the 40 years of wilderness wanderings after the Exodus from Egypt.

Under traditional patrilineal inheritance customs, daughters typically did not receive a permanent share of inherited land, as it would pass out of the father’s clan when the women married. In the ancient Near East, inheritance was overwhelmingly male-line to keep land within clans and support family continuity.

Having left no sons, his daughters, were very concerned that their father’s name would be “withdrawn from among his family.” They made an appeal to Moses, who, by Divine direction, appointed “a statute of judgment” in Israel that daughters should inherit their father’s portion when no sons were left (Numbers 27:1-11).

So Moses brought their case near before Yahweh. Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

“The daughters of Zelophehad are right in their statements. You shall surely give them a possession for an inheritance among their father’s brothers, and you shall have the inheritance of their father pass on to them. —Numbers 27:5-7 LSB

But so that the possession of Zelophehad should not pass away in the year of jubilee from the tribe to which he belonged, it was ordained by Moses that his daughters should not marry anyone outside of their father’s tribe; and this afterwards became a general law (Numbers 36).

The 5 daughters of Zelophehad are prominently featured in the Hebrew Bible, primarily in the Book of Numbers, with additional references in Joshua. They are noted for their bold petition that led to the change in Israelite inheritance law. Their story highlights themes of justice, family lineage, women’s agency, and the preservation of tribal land holdings in ancient Israel.

The names of Zelophehad’s daughters

  1. Mahlah (Hebrew: מַחְלָה, Maḥlā)
  2. Noah (or Noa; Hebrew: נֹעָה, Nōʿā)
  3. Hoglah (Hebrew: חָגְלָה, Ḥoglā)
  4. Milcah (or Milkah; Hebrew: מִלְכָּה, Mīlkā)
  5. Tirzah (Hebrew: תִרְצָה, Tīrṣā)

Relatives of Zelophehad

Q & A
Article Version: March 25, 2026