Catholic Commentary on Numbers 36

"Every daughter who inherits land in any Israelite tribe must marry someone in her father's tribal clan." (Numbers 36:8)

The Inheritance of Zelophehad's Daughters

The leaders of Manasseh raise a concern about the daughters of Zelophehad: if they marry men from other tribes, their inheritance will pass to their husbands' tribes and be permanently removed from Manasseh's portion. God rules: Every daughter who inherits land in any Israelite tribe must marry someone in her father's tribal clan, so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of their ancestors. The daughters of Zelophehad, Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milkah, and Noah, marry their cousins from within the clan of Manasseh. No inheritance passes from one tribe to another. Each person keeps the inheritance received from their ancestors.

Numbers closes with this resolution to the case of Zelophehad's daughters, which opened in chapter 27. The narrative circle is complete. These five women were courageous enough to bring their case before Moses and the leaders at the tent of meeting, and the legal tradition was expanded to protect them. Now the community ensures that the expanded protection does not inadvertently create other injustices. The Catechism draws from the daughters of Zelophehad the principle that the advocacy of those who have been excluded from legal protection is a legitimate form of participating in the life of the covenant community (CCC 1913).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milkah, and Noah are remembered by name. Five women who asked a question that changed the law are named at the beginning and the end of their story. God remembers those who stand up for what is right within the community of faith. Your advocacy for justice, however small and local, is recorded.

Prayer

Lord God, you remembered the daughters of Zelophehad by name and expanded your covenant community's law to protect them. Remember by name all who bring legitimate claims for justice before your people. And give your Church the wisdom to expand its protections when those who are excluded bring their case. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

36
Zelophehad’s Daughters Marry
(Numbers 27:1–11)
1 Now the family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh, one of the clans of Joseph, approached Moses and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families and addressed them, 2 saying, “When the LORD commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the Israelites by lot, He also commanded him to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. 3 But if they marry any of the men from the other tribes of Israel, their inheritance will be withdrawn from the portion of our fathers and added to the tribe into which they marry. So our allotted inheritance would be taken away. 4 And when the Jubilee for the Israelites comes, their inheritance will be added to the tribe into which they marry and taken away from the tribe of our fathers.”
 
5 So at the word of the LORD, Moses commanded the Israelites: “The tribe of the sons of Joseph speaks correctly. 6 This is what the LORD has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: They may marry anyone they please, provided they marry within a clan of the tribe of their father. 7 No inheritance in Israel may be transferred from tribe to tribe, because each of the Israelites is to retain the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 8 Every daughter who possesses an inheritance from any Israelite tribe must marry within a clan of the tribe of her father, so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of his fathers. 9 No inheritance may be transferred from one tribe to another, for each tribe of Israel must retain its inheritance.”
 
10 So the daughters of Zelophehad did as the LORD had commanded Moses. 11 Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to cousins on their father’s side. 12 They married within the clans of the descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained within the tribe of their father’s clan.
 
13 These are the commandments and ordinances that the LORD gave the Israelites through Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.

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