Daily Bread

Zelophehad’s Daughters^(A)

27 The daughters of Zelophehad^(B) son of Hepher,^(C) the son of Gilead,^(D) the son of Makir,^(E) the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. They came forward ² and stood before Moses,^(F) Eleazar the priest, the leaders^(G) and the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting^(H) and said, ³ “Our father died in the wilderness.^(I) He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the Lord,^(J) but he died for his own sin and left no sons.^{(K) 4} Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.”

⁵ So Moses brought their case^(L) before the Lord,^{(M) 6} and the Lord said to him, ⁷ “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance^(N) among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them.^(O)

⁸ “Say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. ⁹ If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. ¹⁰ If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. ¹¹ If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it. This is to have the force of law^(P) for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.’”