Numbers 27:1 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Numbers 27:1
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.
to approach (causatively · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person feminine plural
daughters
בְּנ֣וֹתbe.Not
H1323
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms… · noun, common feminine plural construct
Zelophehad
צְלָפְחָ֗דtze.la.fe.Chad
H6765
Tselophchad · proper noun, a man's name
son
בֶּןben-
H1121
a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine singular construct
Hepher
חֵ֤פֶרChe.fer
H2660
Chepher · proper noun, a man's name
son
בֶּןben-
H1121
a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine singular construct
Gilead
גִּלְעָד֙gil.'Ad
H1568
Gilad · proper noun, a man's name
son
בֶּןben-
H1121
a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine singular construct
Machir
מָכִ֣ירma.Khir
H4353
Makir · proper noun, a man's name
son
בֶּןben-
H1121
a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine singular construct
Manasseh
מְנַשֶּׁ֔הme.na.Sheh
H4519
Menashsheh · proper noun, a man's name
families
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹ֖תle.mish.pe.Chot
H4940
a family · preposition + noun, common feminine plural construct
Manasseh
מְנַשֶּׁ֣הme.na.Sheh
H4519
Menashsheh · proper noun, a man's name
son
בֶןven-
H1121
a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine singular construct
Joseph
יוֹסֵ֑ףyo.Sef
H3130
Joseph · proper noun, a man's name
names
שְׁמ֣וֹתshe.Mot
H8034
an appellation · noun, common feminine plural construct
daughters
בְּנֹתָ֔יוbe.no.Tav
H1323
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms… · noun, common feminine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
Mahlah
מַחְלָ֣הmach.Lah
H4244
Machlah · proper noun, a woman's name
Noah
נֹעָ֔הno.'Ah
H5270
Noah · proper noun, a woman's name
Hoglah
וְחָגְלָ֥הve.cha.ge.Lah
H2295
Choglah · conjunction + proper noun, a woman's name
Milcah
וּמִלְכָּ֖הu.mil.Kah
H4435
Milcah · conjunction + proper noun, a woman's name
Tirzah
וְתִרְצָֽהve.tir.Tzah
H8656
Tirtsah · conjunction + proper noun, a woman's name
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Numbers 26:33 And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Mil…
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Numbers 36:1-12 And the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Jose…
1 Chronicles 7:15 And Machir took to wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister’s name was Maachah;) and the name of the second was Zelophehad: and Z…
Joshua 17:3-6 But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters: and these are the…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Numbers 27:1-11
Mention is made of the case of these daughters of Zelophehad in the chapter before, v. 33. It should seem, by the particular notice taken of it, that it was a singular case, and that the like did not at this time occur in all Israel, that the head of a family had no sons, but daughters only. Their case is again debated (Num 36:1-13) upon another article of it; and, according to the judgments given in their case, we find them put in possession, Jos 17:3, Jos 17:4. One would suppose that their personal character was such as added weight to their case, and caused it to be so often taken notice of.
Here is, I. Their case stated by themselves, and their petition upon it presented to the highest c…
Then came the daughters of Zelophehad,.... Who are mentioned among the families of Manasseh, under that of the Hepherites, Numbers 26:33, their father being dead, and they having no brethren, when they heard the land was to be divided among those that were numbered, and who were only males of twenty years old and upwards, were concerned, lest they should have no share in the division of the land; and therefore came, according to the Targum of Jonathan, to the house of judgment, or court of judicature, where Moses, the princes, &c. were now sitting: the genealogy of Zelophehad is given:
he was the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, the son of Joseph; by…
Numbers 27:1-11
1. 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.
1. Accesserunt autem filiae Salphaad, filii Hepher, filii Galaad, filii Machir, filii Manasse de familiis Manasse, filii Joseph: haec vero sunt nomina filiarum ejus, Malhah, Noah, Hoglah, et Milchah, et Thirsah.
2. And 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,
2. Hac steterunt coram Mose et coram…
The Church Fathers
There were five daughters, whose names too are recorded in Scripture, born of a certain Israelite named Zelophehad, who died in the desert leaving behind no male offspring. These daughters of Zelophehad therefore approach Moses and demand a share of their father's inheritance, saying: let not the name of their father be blotted out from the midst of his people, because no son was born to him. On this matter Moses refers the question to God. But the mercy of Almighty God does not spurn or despise a consultation offered by young women, and not only deigns to give an answer, but so approves and embraces their words that from them he establishes eternal laws for men, to be observed for all ages. For the Lord says, speaking to Moses: the daughters of Zelophehad have spoken rightly; you shall give them a possession in the midst of their father's brothers, and you shall give the inheritance of their father to them. And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: if a man dies and has no son, you shall give his inheritance to his daughters; but if he has no daughter, you shall give his inheritance to his brother; but if he has no brothers, you shall give his inheritance to his father's brother; but if his father has no brothers, you shall give the inheritance to the kinsman who is nearest to him from his own tribe, and he shall take his inheritance. And this shall be for the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the Lord appointed to Moses. What force these things have according to the historical sense is plain to all who know that these laws are kept not only among the children of Israel, but among all men who live by laws at all. From which it appears that the freedom of the daughters of Zelophehad conferred an inheritance not only upon themselves, but also gave perpetual laws of living to the world. You see how great is the usefulness even of the historical account itself in the law of God. Who can ever dissolve these laws which the whole world employs? But nevertheless let us seek how we too may be edified spiritually. For it can happen that I have neither daughters according to the flesh nor any land whose inheritance could be received. What then? Will this law accomplish nothing in the case of such a person, and will what has been sanctioned by the divine voice be idle for anyone? Let us therefore inquire, even in the spiritual law, who these…
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Children — The blessing of offspring, but especially of the male sex, is highly valued among all eastern nations, while a the absence is regarded as one of the severest punishments. (Genesis 16:2; 7:14; 1…
Hepher — A well or stream. (1.) A royal city of the Canaanites taken by Joshua (12:17). (2.) The youngest son of Gilead (Num. 26:32; 27:1). (3.) The second son of Asher (1 Chr. 4:6). (4.) One of David’s…
Hoglah — Partridge, one of the daughters of Zelophehad the Gileadite, to whom portions were assigned by Moses (Num. 26:33; 27:1; 36:11).
Mahlah — Disease, one of the five daughters of Zelophehad (Num. 27:1-11) who had their father’s inheritance, the law of inheritance having been altered in their favour.
Milcah — (queen or counsel).
Noah — Rest, (Heb. Noah) the grandson of Methuselah (Gen. 5:25-29), who was for two hundred and fifty years contemporary with Adam, and the son of Lamech, who was about fifty years old at the time of Adam’s…
Tirzah — an ancient Canaanite city, whose king is enumerated among those overthrown in the conquest of the country. (Joshua 12:24) It reappears as a royal city, the residence of Jeroboam and of his…
Zelophehad — First-born, of the tribe of Manasseh, and of the family of Gilead; died in the wilderness. Having left no sons, his daughters, concerned lest their father’s name should be “done away from among his…
Children · Female: Inherited property in default of sons — Female: Inherited property in default of sons
Daughter · Property rights of — Property rights of
Desert, Journey Of Israel Through The · The law of female inheritance settled — The law of female inheritance settled
Zelophehad’s lack of male heirs created an opportunity to refine the inheritance laws, which would later be refined even further (cp. 36:1-13).
Rashi on Numbers 27:1
למשפחת מנשה בן יוסף OF THE FAMILIES OF MANASSEH THE SON OF JOSEPH — Why is this stated? Has it not already been said בן מנשה, and consequently we know that they belonged to the family of Manasseh the son of Joseph?! But it is to suggest the following idea to you: Just as Joseph held the Promised Land dear, as it is said, (Genesis 50:25) “And ye shall bring my bones up (to Palestine) from hence”, so, too, his daughters held the Land dear, as it is said, (v. 4) “Give us an inheritance”; and further to teach you that they were righteous all of them (everyone here mentioned in the pedigree), for in every case where a person’s doings and his ancestors’ doings are nowhere plainly described and Scr…
Fatherless · Exemplified: Daughters of Zelophehad — Exemplified: Daughters of Zelophehad
Gilead · 4. Grand — 4. Grand
Hepher · 1. — 1.
Hoglah · A daughter of Zelophehad — A daughter of Zelophehad
Land · Unmarried woman’s rights in — Unmarried woman’s rights in
Legislation · Inheritance — Inheritance
Mahlah · to the inheritance of — to the inheritance of
Manasseh, The Tribe Of · Remarkable persons of: Daughters of Zelophehad — Remarkable persons of: Daughters of Zelophehad
Milcah · .Special legislation in regard to the inheritance of — .Special legislation in regard to the inheritance of
Noah · the inheritance of — the inheritance of
Orphan · .Daughters of Zelophehad — .Daughters of Zelophehad
Petition · Israel — Israel
Property · .Entail of — .Entail of
Tirzah · .Special legislation in regard to the inheritance of — .Special legislation in regard to the inheritance of
Zelophehad · His daughters petition for his inheritance — His daughters petition for his inheritance
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
