2026.06.14 | The Daughters of Zelophehad

“Faces of Our Faith: The Daughters of Zelophehad”
Numbers 27:1-11
Preached by 
Rev. Brenda Loreman
Eden United Church of Christ  
Cherryland, CA 
14 June 2026

In the catalog of memorable biblical characters, the daughters of Zelophehad are definitely not at the top of the list. In fact, I’m willing to guess that until today, most of you had never heard of them. Am I right?

Don’t feel bad about that—they are definitely not what Pastor Marvin called “headliners” last week. Their story does not appear in the Revised Common Lectionary, and I have never seen a stained glass image or classical religious painting of Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. I have never heard a sermon preached about these daughters, and, although I have read the entire book of Numbers, I really have no memory of encountering the daughters in my reading.

And yet, their story is not insignificant. In addition to today’s text from Chapter 27, they are mentioned briefly in Chapter 26 of Numbers, and again in Chapter 36. And they appear yet again in Chapter 17 in the book of Joshua, after the Israelites have conquered the promised land and the land is being apportioned to the twelve tribes. The daughters show up and confront Joshua and the priest Eleazar, and make sure that they remember that God commanded that they be given their father’s inheritance. And it was given to them.

In the patriarchal structure of biblical-era society, property passed from father to son. Women and girls had to rely on their male family members for subsistence and protection. Widows without sons and unmarried daughters without a father or brothers were the most vulnerable in such a community. They had no power and no advocate, and—one would think—no voice. 

And yet, these five sisters had courage. They stood up and marched right up to the entrance of the meeting tent and confronted what they saw as an unjust system. “Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son?” they said.  “Give to us a possession among our father’s brothers.” Notice that they didn’t weep or ask or beg. They demanded! These disenfranchised women confronted what was unjust, demanded justice for themselves, and proposed a more equitable law—one that would benefit not only these five sisters, but generations of women to come.

These daughters represented the least powerful in their community, and yet they dared to challenge the tradition of the patriarchy. 

As Pastor Marvin said last week, “if you actually read Scripture, you discover that God seems to have a particular affection for ordinary people. People who appear for only a few verses. People who never preach a sermon or never perform a miracle. The kingdom of God is built not only by famous leaders, but by everyday acts of courage, kindness, persistence, hospitality, and hope. In fact, if the Bible teaches us anything, it is that there really are no ‘minor’ characters. There are only people whose stories we have not paid enough attention to.”

I think the daughters of Zelophehad are one of those stories that we have not paid enough attention to. And I believe this story is acutely relevant in today’s fight against unjust systems. Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah are the perfect biblical role models for people who need the courage to stand up, let their voice be heard, and demand justice.

The daughters of Zelophehad  remind us that sometimes, the simple act of raising your voice for what you believe is right does, indeed, make a difference.  Amen.