And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
Zelophehad, who was Hepher's son, had no sons—only daughters. The names of Zelophehad's daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
This verse records that Zelophehad had five daughters but no sons, which was significant because it would later lead to important changes in inheritance laws.
📚 Historical Context
This census was taken as the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land after 40 years in the wilderness. In ancient Israel, inheritance typically passed from father to son, so having only daughters created a legal question about land inheritance. These five daughters would later petition Moses for the right to inherit their father's land, leading to a landmark ruling that daughters could inherit when there were no sons.
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