Women of the Bible: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah

Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, the daughters of Zelophehad (and of Mrs. Zelophehad.)

Numbers 27:1 Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph came near. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 They stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the Tent of Meeting, saying, 3“Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against Yahweh in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin. He had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the brothers of our father.”

5 Moses brought their cause before Yahweh. 6 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 7 “The daughters of Zelophehad  speak right. You shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers. You shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. 8 You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies, and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers.

The request was granted by God. The five daughters did get an inheritance in their own names. But the elders of the tribe of Manasseh were concerned. What if Mahlah, or one of her sisters, married someone from another tribe? God’s judgment is found in Numbers 36:10 The daughters of Zelophehad did as Yahweh commanded Moses: 11 for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to their father’s brothers’ sons. 12 They were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph. Their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father.

It sounds as if Mahlah, Tirza, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah picked out their husbands. Amazing! That was progress in the status of women. Note, however, that their mother is not named in the entire story. Just their father.