Lives of Scripture
Milcah (F)
First named in Numbers 26:33
Milcah was one of five daughters of Zelophehad, a man of Manasseh's tribe who died in the wilderness leaving no sons (Numbers 26:33; 27:1) -- a different woman from the earlier Milcah of Genesis who was Abraham's sister-in-law and Rebekah's grandmother. Along with her sisters Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, and Tirzah, Milcah came before Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the whole congregation at the tent of meeting with a direct legal claim: their father had died for his own sin, not as part of Korah's rebellion, and it was unjust that his name should be lost from his clan simply because he had no son -- they asked for a possession among their father's brothers (27:2-4). Moses, uncertain how to rule, brought their case directly to the LORD, who answered unequivocally: 'The daughters of Zelophehad are right in their statements... you shall surely give them a hereditary possession' -- and God used the occasion to establish a permanent statute of inheritance law for Israel covering exactly this situation (27:5-11). Later, when the leaders of their tribe raised a follow-up concern about land passing out of the tribe through marriage, God's law was refined so the sisters were required to marry within their own tribe, which they did, marrying their cousins (36:1-12), and their inheritance was confirmed in the land allotment under Joshua (Joshua 17:3-6).
Thought for Today
Milcah and her sisters brought their case for a father's inheritance directly to Moses, and God ruled in their favor: 'The daughters of Zelophehad are right in their statements.' Jesus is the God who hears people the world might overlook and answers with real justice, not empty sympathy.
References: Numbers 26:33; Numbers 27:1-11; Numbers 36:1-12; Joshua 17:3-6
Genealogy
Connections
- Zelophehad (M) — begot → Milcah (F)
- Hoglah (F) ↔ petitioned Moses for their inheritance ↔ Milcah (F)
Hoglah and Milcah, two of Zelophehad's five daughters, came together before Moses and the leaders of Israel to request a hereditary possession since their father had died without sons, and God ruled in their favor, establishing a permanent statute of inheritance law.
Numbers 27:1-7
- Milcah (F) ↔ petitioned Moses for their inheritance ↔ Noah (F)
Milcah and Noah, with their sisters Mahlah, Hoglah, and Tirzah, came before Moses and the leaders of Israel to argue it was unjust for their father Zelophehad's name to be lost from his clan simply because he had no son; the LORD ruled in their favor and established a permanent inheritance statute because of their appeal.
Numbers 27:1-11
- Milcah (F) ↔ petitioned Moses for their inheritance ↔ Tirzah (F)
Milcah and Tirzah, together with their three sisters, brought a joint legal claim before Moses, Eleazar, and Israel's leaders that their father Zelophehad's inheritance should not be lost simply because he had no sons; God ruled in their favor and established a permanent inheritance statute because of their case.
Numbers 27:1-11; Numbers 36:1-12
- Mahlah (F) ↔ petitioned Moses for their inheritance ↔ Milcah (F)
Mahlah and Milcah, two of Zelophehad's five daughters, came together with their sisters before Moses, Eleazar, and the whole congregation to ask for a possession among their father's brothers since he had died with no sons, and the LORD ruled in their favor, establishing a permanent inheritance statute for Israel.
Numbers 27:1-11
Places
- Plains of Moab — a daughter of Zelophehad who sought her father's inheritance here
Numbers 27:1-7
- Sinai — a daughter of Zelophehad, numbered among Israel here
Numbers 26:33