Context No. 4173 of 4322 · Numbers

Numbers 26:33-48: in context

33Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34These are the families of Manasseh. Those who were counted of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred. 35These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. 36These are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites. 37These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were counted of them, thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families. 38The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites; 39of Shephupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. 40The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: the family of the Ardites; and of Naaman, the family of the Naamites. 41These are the sons of Benjamin after their families; and those who were counted of them were forty-five thousand six hundred. 42These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families. 43All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were counted of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred. 44The sons of Asher after their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Berites. 45Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites. 46The name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. 47These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were counted of them, fifty-three thousand four hundred. 48The sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites;

In the middle of this census, a small detail is recorded that would prove significant: Zelophehad had no sons, only daughters, and their names are given, Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. In a society where inheritance passed through sons, these daughters would ordinarily have been left with nothing when the land was divided.

But their names are noted here, and, as the story goes on, they will come forward to ask for their father's inheritance, and God will grant it, establishing a principle of justice for daughters without brothers. There is something worth noticing in this small mention. God's eye is on those who might otherwise be overlooked, the ones who fall outside the usual categories, who would be left out by the ordinary rules. The daughters of Zelophehad had no standing under the customary system, yet God noticed them, recorded their names, and would see that they received their due. God sees those the world's systems pass by.

Do I trust that God sees those the world overlooks, the ones without the usual standing or advantages, as he saw the daughters of Zelophehad, recording their names and making a way for justice, so that I need not fear being forgotten by him?

Sources

Numbers 26:33: "Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah."
Numbers 27:7: "The daughters of Zelophehad speak right. You shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brothers."
Psalm 68:5: "A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation."