Zelophehad: First-born, of the tribe of Manasseh, and of the family of Gilead;
died in the wilderness. Having left no sons, his daughters, concerned
lest their father's name should be "done away from among his family,"
made an appeal to Moses, who, by divine direction, appointed it as "a
statute of judgment" in Israel that daughters should inherit their
father's portion when no sons were left
(Numbers 27:1-11) But that the
possession of Zelophehad might not pass away in the year of jubilee
from the tribe to which he belonged, it was ordained by Moses that
his daughters should not marry any one out of their father's tribe;
and this afterwards became a general law
(Numbers 36:1)ff
