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BT Library

Zelophehad

ZELOPHEHAD (zē-lō'fĕ-hăd, Heb. tselophādh, meaning unknown). A Manassite who died in the wilderness, leaving five daughters but no sons; in the division of the land, they begged a share in the inheritance (Num.27.1-Num.27.11). This the Lord granted, and when their tribesmen feared that their property might be alienated from the tribe by marriage (Num.36.1-Num.36.12), he commanded that they should marry only within their tribe; and this became a general law regarding heiresses.

Bibliography

M. Noth, Die israelitischen Personennamen (1928), 256, T. Pedersen, Israel I (1926), 94-96.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

Gray says (ICC on Nu 26:33) that the "daughters" of Zelophehad are towns or clans.