Loading the publication-approved passages and connections for this study.
The Daughters of Zelophehad Ask for Their Father’s Inheritance
Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah—daughters of Zelophehad—bring a legal case because their father died without a son. Moses takes the case before YHWH, and YHWH says the daughters are right. Their request produces a general inheritance rule for families without sons.
Numbers 27 establishes an inheritance ruling through Zelophehad’s daughters; Numbers 36 returns to the same women to protect tribal land from transferring between tribes through marriage.
Zelophehad’s daughters receive land in Joshua because the LORD had already ruled through Moses that daughters could inherit when a man had no son. Joshua explicitly says the women received inheritance according to YHWH’s command to Moses, making the earlier legal ruling operative in the land.
Additional KJV-centered Bible study is available for this passage, including explanations behind its Scripture connections. The full study is available with Plus.
This passage has 3 research dossiers examining ancient writings, historical interpretation, material evidence and specialist source comparisons. Full sources and explanations require Deep Study.