Zelophehad

"First-born." Zelophehad, of the tribe of Manasseh, and of the family of Gilead; died in the wilderness. Having left no sons, his five daughters (Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah), concerned lest their father's name should be "done away from among his family," made an appeal to Moses, who, by divine direction, appointed it as "a statute of judgment" in Israel that daughters should inherit their father's portion when no sons were left.1 But that the possession of Zelophehad might not pass away in the year of jubilee from the tribe to which he belonged, it was ordained by Moses that his daughters should not marry any one out of their father's tribe; and this afterwards became a general law.2

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References

Notes

  1. Num. 27:1-11.
  2. Num. 36.

Source

  • Easton, M.G. (1897). Easton's Bible Dictionary. New York: Harper & Brothers.

This article incorporates text from Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897) by M.G. Easton, which is in the public domain.