Tirzah was one of the five daughters of Zelophehad from the tribe of Manasseh. She and her sisters were known for bringing their case before Moses and the leaders of Israel, demanding inheritance rights to their deceased father's land since he had no sons. Their case led to an important law change in Israel that granted daughters inheritance rights when there were no male heirs.
Zelophehad's daughters bring their case before Moses
Tirzah and her four sisters stood before Moses, the priest Eleazar, the leaders, and the entire congregation at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, demanding inheritance rights from their father, who had died in the wilderness without sons.
1Then the daughters of Zelophehad came forward—Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. These were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
3"Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company that banded together against the LORD with Korah; he died for his own sin, and he had no sons.
The Lord's ruling on the inheritance rights of daughters
The Lord told Moses that Zelophehad's daughters were right and should receive their father's property as an inheritance. This became a lasting law in Israel.
7"The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You shall certainly give them a holding as their inheritance among their father's brothers, and transfer their father's inheritance to them.
Through the case of Tirzah and her sisters, a general law was enacted regarding inheritance when a man died without sons, securing property rights for women in Israel.
11And if his father had no brothers, you shall give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, and that man shall take possession of it. This shall be a binding statute for the Israelites, as the LORD commanded Moses."
The leaders of the tribe of Manasseh raised concern that the inheritance might pass to other tribes if daughters married outside their own tribe. It was therefore decided that inheriting daughters must marry within their own tribe.
1The heads of the fathers' houses of the clan of the sons of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh, from the clans of the sons of Joseph, came forward. They spoke before Moses and before the leaders, the heads of the fathers' houses of the Israelites.
2They said, "The LORD commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance by lot to the Israelites, and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters.
3Now if they marry men from another of the Israelite tribes, their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe they marry into; so it will be taken from the portion allotted to us.
4And when the Jubilee comes for the Israelites, their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe they have married into, and their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of our fathers' tribe."
6This is what the LORD has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: They may marry whomever they please, but they must marry within a clan of their father's tribe.
Tirzah is mentioned among Zelophehad's daughters during the land distribution
When the land of Canaan was distributed under Joshua, Zelophehad's daughters, including Tirzah, came forward and claimed their allotted inheritance as the Lord had commanded through Moses.
3Now Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
4They came before Eleazar the priest, before Joshua son of Nun, and before the leaders, and said, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers." So, at the LORD's command, he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father.