Numbers 27:1
in Numbers 27Now 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
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then 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.
KJV
Then 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.
⋯
This verse in Numbers 27
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Women in Israel had not, up to the present time, enjoyed any distinct right of inheritance. Yet a father, whether sons had been born to him or not, had the power, either before or at his death, to cause part of his estate to pass to a daughter; in which case her husband married into her family rather than she into his, and the children were regarded as of the family from which the estate had come.
This site's exposition
Then came the daughters of Zelophehad
on Numbers 27:1-2
The census just finished had already named these five women at Numbers 26:33, the one place in either census where daughters are listed, and here they come and stand. Their descent is given back four generations to Manasseh and to Joseph, so what they claim is a portion of a named tribe rather than land in general. They stand at the door of the tabernacle before Moses, Eleazar, the princes and the whole congregation, which puts a family inheritance question in front of the entire assembly.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Then came the daughters of Zelophehad,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The daughters of Zelophehad - The singular case of these women caused an additional law to be made to the civil code of Israel, which satisfactorily ascertained and amply secured the right of succession in cases of inheritance. The law, which is as reasonable as it is just, stands thus: 1. On the demise of the father the estate goes to the sons; 2. If there be no son, the daughters succeed; 3. If there be no daughter, the brothers of the deceased inherit; 4. If there be no brethren or paternal uncles, the estate goes to the brothers of his father; 5. If there be no grand uncles or brothers of the father of the deceased, then the nearest akin succeeds to the inheritance. Beyond the fifth degree the law does not proceed, because as the families of the Israelites were kept distinct in their respective tribes, there must always be some who could be called kinsmen, and were really such, having descended without interruption from the patriarch of the tribe.
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתִּקְרַ֜בְנָה | vatikravnah | and they drew near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| בְּנ֣וֹת | benot | [the] daughters of | H1323 → | 588 times |
| צְלָפְחָ֗ד | tzelafechad | Zelophehad | H6765 → | 11 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| חֵ֤פֶר | chefer | Hepher | H2660 → | 9 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| גִּלְעָד֙ | gilad | Gilead | H1568 → | 134 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| מָכִ֣יר | makhir | Makir | H4353 → | 22 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| מְנַשֶּׁ֔ה | menasheh | Manasseh | H4519 → | 146 times |
| לְמִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת | lemishpechot | of [the] clans of | H4940 → | 303 times |
| מְנַשֶּׁ֣ה | menasheh | Manasseh | H4519 → | 146 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יוֹסֵ֑ף | yosef | Joseph | H3130 → | 213 times |
| וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ | veeleh | and these | H428 → | 746 times |
| שְׁמ֣וֹת | shemot | [were] [the] names of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| בְּנֹתָ֔יו | benotav | daughters his | H1323 → | 588 times |
| מַחְלָ֣ה | machlah | Mahlah | H4244 → | 5 times |
| נֹעָ֔ה | noah | Noah | H5270 → | 4 times |
| וְחָגְלָ֥ה | vechagelah | and Hoglah | H2295 → | 4 times |
| וּמִלְכָּ֖ה | umilkah | and Milcah | H4435 → | 11 times |
| וְתִרְצָֽה׃ | vetirtzah | and Tirzah | H8656 → | 18 times |
וַתִּקְרַ֜בְנָהand they drew near
vatikravnahH7126 →280 times
בְּנ֣וֹת[the] daughters of
benotH1323 →588 times
צְלָפְחָ֗דZelophehad
tzelafechadH6765 →11 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
חֵ֤פֶרHepher
cheferH2660 →9 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
גִּלְעָד֙Gilead
giladH1568 →134 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
מָכִ֣ירMakir
makhirH4353 →22 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
מְנַשֶּׁ֔הManasseh
menashehH4519 →146 times
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹ֖תof [the] clans of
lemishpechotH4940 →303 times
מְנַשֶּׁ֣הManasseh
menashehH4519 →146 times
בֶן־[the] son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
יוֹסֵ֑ףJoseph
yosefH3130 →213 times
וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙and these
veelehH428 →746 times
שְׁמ֣וֹת[were] [the] names of
shemotH8034 →864 times
בְּנֹתָ֔יוdaughters his
benotavH1323 →588 times
מַחְלָ֣הMahlah
machlahH4244 →5 times
נֹעָ֔הNoah
noahH5270 →4 times
וְחָגְלָ֥הand Hoglah
vechagelahH2295 →4 times
וּמִלְכָּ֖הand Milcah
umilkahH4435 →11 times
וְתִרְצָֽה׃and Tirzah
vetirtzahH8656 →18 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Galatians 3:28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 12:12–13
The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ.
- Colossians 3:11
Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.
- Romans 3:29–30
Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
- Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.
- Romans 10:12–15
For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him,
- 1 Corinthians 12:12–13
Through
1 Chronicles 7:15Machir took a wife from among the Huppites and Shuppites. The name of his sister was Maacah. Another descendant was named Zelophehad, who had only daughters.
it leads to
- Numbers 36:1–12
Now the family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh, one of the clans of Joseph, approached Moses and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families…
- Numbers 26:33
Now Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons but only daughters. The names of his daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
- Numbers 27:1–11
Now 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…
- Numbers 36:1–12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Numbers

Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJosephThe rejected-then-exalted son — Genesis's great Christ-type; preserver of his family and of Egypt; the bridge into Exodus.
- PersonPrimevalNoahThe righteous 'preacher of righteousness' who found grace and, by faith, built the ark — through whom the race survived the Flood.
- PersonLate monarchyManassehJudah's longest-reigning and worst king, who filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; the book names his apostasy as the cause of 586…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch.
