Numbers 27:1-11 · Bible study
Numbers 27:1-11 Commentary: Zelophehad's Daughters
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Five women step before Moses to claim their father's inheritance, prompting God to establish a new law for daughters' inheritance in Israel.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God hears the cry of the voiceless and expands His law to include them, preserving family and dignity.
- Key words: shem (name), achuzzah (possession), nachalah (inheritance), ken (right), chuqqat mishpat (statute of judgment).
- Main debate: Was this a new right or a clarifying codification of existing custom?
- Theological theme: God's justice is responsive to human need and values the preservation of community and personhood.
- Best use: Preach on justice, the role of women in God's plan, or how God's law adapts to protect the vulnerable.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1Now the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. These were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They approached
2the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the whole congregation, and said,
3“Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not among the followers of Korah who gathered together against the LORD. Instead, he died because of his own sin, and he had no sons.
4Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan because he had no sons? Give us property among our father’s brothers.”
5So Moses brought their case before the LORD,
6and the LORD answered him,
7“The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly. You certainly must give them property as an inheritance among their father’s brothers, and transfer their father’s inheritance to them.
8Furthermore, you shall say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, you are to transfer his inheritance to his daughter.
9If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers.
10If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers.
11And if his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the next of kin from his clan, that he may take possession of it. This is to be a statutory ordinance for the Israelites, as the LORD has commanded Moses.’”
WEB World English Bible 2000
1Then 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.
2They stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door 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 Yahweh in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin. He had no sons.
4Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the brothers of our father.”
5Moses brought their cause before Yahweh.
6Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
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.
8You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies, and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter.
9If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers.
10If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers.
11If his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his kinsman who is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it. This shall be a statute and ordinance for the children of Israel, as Yahweh commanded Moses.’”
KJV King James Version 1769
1Then came 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: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.
2And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
3Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons.
4Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.
5And Moses brought their cause before the Lord.
6And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
7The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.
8And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.
9And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.
10And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father’s brethren.
11And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the Lord commanded Moses.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1Then drew near 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; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.
2And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the tent of meeting, saying,
3Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not among the company of them that gathered themselves together against Jehovah in the company of Korah: but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons.
4Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give unto us a possession among the brethren of our father.
5And Moses brought their cause before Jehovah.
6And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
7The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.
8And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.
9And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.
10And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father’s brethren.
11And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute and ordinance, as Jehovah commanded Moses.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1And daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh son of Joseph, draw near--and these are the names of his daughters, Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah--
2and stand before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes, and all the company, at the opening of the tent of meeting, saying:
3`Our father died in the wilderness, and he--he was not in the midst of the company who were met together against Jehovah in the company of Korah, but for his own sin he died, and had no sons;
4why is the name of our father withdrawn from the midst of his family because he hath no son? give to us a possession in the midst of the brethren of our father;'
5and Moses bringeth near their cause before Jehovah.
6And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
7`Rightly are the daughters of Zelophehad speaking; thou dost certainly give to them a possession of an inheritance in the midst of their father's brethren, and hast caused to pass over the inheritance of their father to them.
8`And unto the sons of Israel thou dost speak, saying, When a man dieth, and hath no son, then ye have caused his inheritance to pass over to his daughter;
9and if he have no daughter, then ye have given his inheritance to his brethren;
10and if he have no brethren, then ye have given his inheritance to his father's brethren;
11and if his father have no brethren, then ye have given his inheritance to his relation who is near unto him of his family, and he hath possessed it;' and it hath been to the sons of Israel for a statute of judgment, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1Then drew near 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; and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.
2And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and the whole assembly, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, saying,
3Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the band of them that banded themselves together against Jehovah in the band of Korah; but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons.
4Why should the name of our father be taken away from his family, because he has no son? Give unto us a possession among the brethren of our father.
5And Moses brought their cause before Jehovah.
6And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
7The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.
8And unto the children of Israel shalt thou speak, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.
9And if he have no daughter, ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.
10And if he have no brethren, ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren.
11And if his father have no brethren, ye shall give his inheritance to his kinsman that is nearest to him in his family, and he shall possess it; and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of right, as Jehovah commanded Moses.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1Then came the daughters of Salphaad, the son of Hepher, the son of Galaad, the son of Machir, the son of Manasses, who was the son of Joseph: and their names are Maala, and Noa, and Hegla, and Melcha, and Thersa.
2And they stood before Moses and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the people at the door of the tabernacle of the covenant, and said:
3Our father died in the desert, and was not in the sedition, that was raised against the Lord under Core, but he died in his own sin: and he had no male children. Why is his name taken away out of his family, because he had no son? Give us a possession among the kinsmen of our father.
4And Moses referred their cause to the judgment of the Lord.
5And the Lord said to him:
6The daughters of Salphaad demand a just thing: Give them a possession among their father's kindred, and let them succeed him in his inheritance.
7And to the children of Israel thou shalt speak these things:
8When a man dieth without a son, his inheritance shall pass to his daughter.
9If he have no daughter, his brethren shall succeed him.
10And if he have no brethren, you shall give the inheritance to his father's brethren.
11But if he have no uncles by the father, the inheritance shall be given to them that are the next akin. And this shall be to the children of Israel sacred by a perpetual law, as the Lord hath commanded Moses.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Numbers 27:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this passage introduces a major development in Israelite inheritance law. Calvin notes that women were not normally named in legal divisions of land, but here God makes a special exception. Barnes explains that up to this time daughters had no distinct right of inheritance; a father could arrange for part of his estate to pass to a daughter through marriage, but the law did not guarantee it. The daughters of Zelophehad, recognizing their father's name would vanish from his clan, took their case directly to the authorities. Matthew Henry calls it a singular case that provoked a permanent legal statute. Keil and Delitzsch highlight that Moses brought their mishpat (cause) before God, and God's immediate response, "The daughters of Zelophehad speak right", uses the Hebrew ken, meaning "correct" or "just." The consensus is clear: God not only granted their specific request but used it to create a general rule that reordered priorities of inheritance, placing daughters ahead of brothers and uncles when there was no son.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- New statutory law: Most commentators (Calvin, Matthew Henry, Keil & Delitzsch) argue that daughters previously had no right to inherit, and this case created a wholly new statute.
- Codification of existing custom: Barnes mentions that a father could already pass inheritance to daughters through special marriage arrangements; thus the new law may have formalized what was already practiced in exceptional cases.
What is clear: God affirms the daughters' request and commands a general inheritance rule that prioritizes daughters over other relatives when there is no son.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Legal right of daughters to inherit | All traditions agree that God granted inheritance rights to daughters when there was no son, creating a binding precedent. | Some read this as a completely new law (Calvin, Matthew Henry), while others see it as the official codification of an existing customary practice (Barnes mentions that fathers could already arrange inheritance for daughters). |
| Motivation of the daughters | All agree they sought to preserve their father's name and tribal standing within Israel. | Debate exists over whether they were primarily concerned with property, family legacy, or both, some emphasize the legal claim, others the emotional and social dimension. |
| Use of masculine pronouns in verse 7 | Interpreters note the anomaly where Hebrew masculine suffixes replace expected feminine ones when referring to the daughters. | Some, as Clarke reports, see it as signifying that the daughters are treated as heirs (like sons); others view it as a scribal inconsistency without theological weight. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This incident occurs during the final months of Israel's wilderness wandering, after the second census recorded in Numbers 26. At the door of the Tent of Meeting, a place where Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the tribal leaders gathered for judgment and administration, the five daughters of Zelophehad approach. The legal backdrop is patriarchal: land inheritance in ancient Israel passed through male heirs to keep property within a tribe and family line. Women could not normally inherit, as Calvin observes, "no name is given to women" in the law. A father lacking sons might see his property revert to brothers or uncles; his daughters had no claim. Yet the daughters of Zelophehad had no brothers, and their father had died in the wilderness, under the general sentence against the Exodus generation (Numbers 14:31). They took care to note he was not part of Korah's rebellion, a rebellion that led to the annihilation of entire households. They wanted their father's shem (name) preserved. The Hebrew word shem carries not only identity but also reputation, legacy, and property rights tied to a family. Their plea was both legal and deeply personal: they asked for a achuzzah, a possession or landed property, among their father's brothers. Moses, uncertain how to rule, brought the case directly to God. This pattern reflects the legal system described in Exodus 18:13, 26, where Moses judged the people and consulted God on difficult matters. The resulting law established a fixed order of inheritance: first a son, then a daughter, then brothers, then uncles, then the nearest kin. This statute both protected the immediate family and preserved tribal land boundaries, a principle reinforced later in Numbers 36.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants in this passage. However, a notable grammatical anomaly appears in verse 7: the Hebrew uses masculine pronominal suffixes (hem, lahem, abihem) when referring to the daughters (feminine antecedent). Adam Clarke observes this curiosity and notes that various interpreters have sought hidden meanings, some suggesting it shows the daughters are treated as male heirs, others viewing it as a minor grammatical irregularity.
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, this incident became foundational for inheritance law. The later regulation that heiresses must marry within their own tribe (Numbers 36) directly stems from the case of Zelophehad's daughters. Targumim and rabbinic literature expand on the women's wisdom and faith. In Christian tradition, the passage has been read as a demonstration of God's impartial justice and care for the vulnerable. Early church writers used it to affirm the dignity of women and God's responsiveness to human need. During debates about women's roles in the church, it has been cited as an example of God elevating women to places of legal standing. Reformation commentators like Calvin and Luther both used it to illustrate how God's law is not arbitrary but serves the well-being of families. Modern readings often highlight the theme of righteous advocacy and systemic reform.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Boldness grounded in justice: The daughters of Zelophehad saw an injustice and spoke up. They did not complain or demand, they made a reasoned case based on their father's dignity and the preservation of his name. Their courage invites us to identify where silence has let unfairness stand.
- Leadership that listens upward: Moses did not assume he knew the answer. He took the case to God. This models a leader who stays humble, refusing to decide complex matters without divine guidance.
- God expands the circle of care: God's response goes further than the immediate request. He creates a general law that protects daughters, then adds layers of protection for other relatives. God's justice does not just patch a hole; it builds a new foundation.
Five-point outline
- The daughters approach the highest legal authority with a specific claim.
- Their argument is precise: their father died under the general sentence, not as a rebel, and had no sons, so his name will vanish unless they inherit.
- Moses, uncertain, defers to God's direct instruction.
- God first affirms their request, then expands it into a statute governing all future cases.
- The new law establishes a clear priority of inheritance, ensuring property stays in the family.
Illustration hooks
- A widow discovers her husband's name is omitted from the family registry; she advocates for correction, changing the policy for others.
- A small business has a rule that only full-time employees qualify for profit-sharing; a part-time worker asks why, and the policy is rewritten to be more inclusive.
- A church's constitution grants voting rights only to males; a group of women respectfully asks the elders to reconsider, leading to constitutional change.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God care when the system overlooks me?
- How do I know if my cause is just or just selfish?
- What can I do when I see an injustice that no one else is addressing?
Leading a Discussion
This story shows how a present need prompted a permanent law. Read Numbers 27:1, 11 aloud together, then discuss the questions below. The goal is to understand the passage and reflect on how God's justice works in community.
Discussion questions
- What do the daughters say about their father? Why do they mention the rebellion of Korah specifically?
- What is their main argument for why they should receive an inheritance?
- Why does Moses not decide immediately? What does his action say about his leadership?
- When God responds, He says the daughters “speak right.” What does that tell you about God's view of their request?
- How does the new law change the way inheritance works? What values are embedded in its order?
- This story appears right after a census. Why do you think it is placed here, just before the account of Moses' death?
- What does this story teach us about how to seek justice in our own families, churches, or communities today?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| 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 36:1 | The heads of the fathers’ households of the family of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the princes, the heads of the fathers’ households of the children of Israel. |
| Numbers 36:12 | They were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph. Their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father. |
| 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. |
| Joshua 17:6 | because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh. |
| I 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. |
| Galatians 3:28 | There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. |
| Exodus 18:13 | On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke points out that the masculine pronouns in the Hebrew text of this passage are a copyist's mistake, not a hidden theological message. He notes that the Samaritan Pentateuch and dozens of manuscripts use the correct feminine forms, so the supposed anomaly is simply a scribal blunder.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that Israelite daughters had no automatic inheritance right, yet a father could still pass property to a daughter, making her husband join her family. He interprets “died in his own sin” as perishing under the general sentence excluding that generation, so the daughters claim their father’s sin should not disqualify them.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin sees the case of Zelophehad's daughters as a deliberate exception to the general rule of male-only inheritance, made so that a family name would not die out. He also highlights how the daughters' faith in God's promise drove them to press their claim before even entering the land.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that while Hebrew law firmly kept land within the tribe, this ruling marks a new departure by granting inheritance privileges to women. The daughters argue their father died in ordinary sin, not Korah’s rebellion, so his property should stay in the family.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight that the daughters' case succeeded because their father died a natural death in the wilderness, not in Korah's rebellion, so they deserved inheritance despite having no brothers. God upheld their plea and gave Moses a legal procedure for inheritance when a man dies without sons.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that this case was one of four especially difficult legal questions Moses brought directly to God for a ruling. The daughters' claim was just and reasonable, so God commanded that a general law be established: when a man dies without sons, his inheritance passes to his daughters, then to brothers, then to uncles, then to the nearest kinsman.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that Zelophehad's daughters had to specify their father died by common mortality, not in Korah's rebellion, because dying as a conspirator would have forfeited his family's inheritance. Their case established a legal precedent: daughters inheriting when no sons existed preserved the family's portion within the tribe.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch note that the daughters' request rests on an ancient custom: when a wife brought land as dowry, her sons who inherited it were counted as part of her father's family. This preserved the grandfather's name and inheritance through the grandchildren. The law God gave later formalized this existing practice.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees the daughters’ plea as driven primarily by concern for their father’s enduring name, not their own gain. Their request established that a family name could survive through female heirs, securing a significant but still limited elevation of women’s social dignity in Israel.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that this case was a singular exception in all Israel at that time: only here did a family head have daughters but no sons. The special attention Scripture gives it shows that God takes notice of unusual circumstances, and the ruling became a standing law for future generations.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that the daughters' request for a possession in Canaan, before it was conquered, showed faith by giving glory to God. He also observes that the first son of each heiress was called by their father's name, following the law in Deuteronomy.