Zelophehad

Biblical Account

Zelophehad belonged to the tribe of Manasseh, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Numbers 27:1 records his genealogy as "the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh." He belonged to the Exodus generation and died in the wilderness. He had no sons and left only five daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah (Numbers 26:33).

Scripture says almost nothing about Zelophehad's own deeds. His name appears chiefly in the account of his daughters.

• Numbers 27: The daughters come before Moses and Eleazar the priest at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. They ask for an inheritance (land passed down from generation to generation), arguing that their father's name should not be removed from among his family simply because he had no son. They state that their father "was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin" (Numbers 27:3). God declares that the daughters speak rightly, and a statute is established: if a man has no son, his inheritance passes to his daughter; if he has no daughter, to his brothers; and after them, to his father's brothers and then to his nearest kinsman (Numbers 27:8-11).
• Numbers 36: The leaders of the families of Gilead raise the concern that if the daughters marry men of another tribe, their land will pass to that tribe. In response, a further provision is added requiring the daughters to marry within their father's tribe. The five daughters marry the sons of their father's brothers, that is, their cousins.
• Joshua 17:3-6: After the settlement in Canaan, the daughters remind Eleazar and Joshua of this promise, and they receive an inheritance within the territory of the tribe of Manasseh.
• 1 Chronicles 7:15: The genealogy of the descendants of Manasseh briefly notes that Zelophehad had only daughters.

Significance within Scripture

The account of Zelophehad centers on the preservation of a name and the passing on of land. In Israel, inheritance was bound up with the continuation of the family line, so the daughters' receiving land meant that their father's name would endure. The episode illustrates how a new statute arose when Moses inquired of God about a situation the law had not yet addressed. Together with the institution of the kinsman-redeemer, it is frequently cited in discussions of the Old Testament system of land inheritance. Zelophehad is not mentioned in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Debate

The text does not explain what is meant by the statement that he "died in his own sin." Christian commentators generally read it not as a reference to a particular sin such as taking part in the rebellion, but as meaning that he died under the judgment that fell on the entire first Exodus generation during the forty years in the wilderness.

Jewish rabbinic tradition preserves a view that identifies Zelophehad with the man who was executed for gathering sticks on the Sabbath (Numbers 15:32-36). The Talmud attributes this view to Rabbi Akiva. It is, however, an interpretation not stated in the biblical text, and it was disputed even within Judaism.

In the Korean Church

In Korean church preaching and Sunday school teaching, Zelophehad is treated mainly as background to the story of his daughters. Sermons usually focus on the daughters' faith, their bold request, and God's just response. The passage is also frequently cited in writings and lectures on the status and rights of women in the Bible.