Zelophehad has five daughters but no sons. His girls are Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah (2), and Tirzah. Zelophehad dies in the desert before he can receive his allotment of property in the Promised Land. Since he has no sons to receive his inheritance in his stead, the girls will get nothing.
They boldly go before Moses and ask for their father’s share, contrary to convention. God tells Moses to include them in the land assignments, which Joshua later carries out.
With a population of millions, there are surely other daughters in this same predicament. But only these sisters come forward, and only these women receive land.
Are we willing to speak up to receive what is due us? Will we trust God with the outcome?
[Discover more about Zelophehad’s five daughters in Numbers 26:33, Numbers 27:1–7, Numbers 36:1–11, Joshua 17:3–7, and 1 Chronicle 7:15.]
Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in audiobook, e-book, paperback, and hardcover.
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.