The Meaning of Numbers 27:1 Explained

Numbers 27:1

KJV: Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.

YLT: And daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh son of Joseph, draw near -- and these are the names of his daughters, Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah --

Darby: Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.

ASV: Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then came  the daughters  of Zelophehad,  the son  of Hepher,  the son  of Gilead,  the son  of Machir,  the son  of Manasseh,  of the families  of Manasseh  the son  of Joseph:  and these [are] the names  of his daughters;  Mahlah,  Noah,  and Hoglah,  and Milcah,  and Tirzah. 

What does Numbers 27:1 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 27:1-23 - Joshua Appointed Moses' Successor
Up to the last Moses was faithful as a servant to Him that had appointed him in all his house, Hebrews 3:2. Notice that he did not attempt to legislate for these young girls, who pleaded for a possession in their father's right; but he brought their case before God. It was ever "as the Lord commanded Moses," Numbers 27:11; Numbers 22:1-41. And when he was bidden to ascend the mountain and die his main anxiety was to secure a successor to shepherd the people. Notice that expressive phrase, "the God of the spirits of all flesh!" See Hebrews 12:9.
The great Lawgiver may bring the people to the borders of the land of rest, but there he must resign his charge. The law, with its demands for an obedience which we cannot give, cannot bring the soul to rest. That is the prerogative of Joshua-Jesus, Hebrews 4:8. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 27

1  The daughters of Zelophehad ask for an inheritance
6  The law of inheritances
12  Moses, being told of his death, asks for a successor
18  Joshua is appointed to succeed him

What do the individual words in Numbers 27:1 mean?

And came the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher the son of Gilead of Machir of Manasseh from the families of Manasseh son of Joseph and these [were] the names of his daughters Mahlah Noah and Hoglah and Milcah and Tirzah
וַתִּקְרַ֜בְנָה בְּנ֣וֹת צְלָפְחָ֗ד בֶּן־ חֵ֤פֶר בֶּן־ גִּלְעָד֙ מָכִ֣יר מְנַשֶּׁ֔ה לְמִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת מְנַשֶּׁ֣ה בֶן־ יוֹסֵ֑ף וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ שְׁמ֣וֹת בְּנֹתָ֔יו מַחְלָ֣ה נֹעָ֔ה וְחָגְלָ֥ה וּמִלְכָּ֖ה וְתִרְצָֽה

וַתִּקְרַ֜בְנָה  And  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: קָרַב  
Sense: to come near, approach, enter into, draw near.
בְּנ֣וֹת  the  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
צְלָפְחָ֗ד  of  Zelophehad 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: צְלָפְחָד  
Sense: a Manassite, son of Hepher and grandson of Gilead; came out of Egypt with Moses and died in the wilderness leaving only five daughters as heirs; their right to the inheritance was confirmed by divine direction.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
חֵ֤פֶר  of  Hepher 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵפֶר 
Sense: youngest son of Gilead and head of the family of Hepherites.
בֶּן־  the  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
גִּלְעָד֙  of  Gilead 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גִּלְעָד  
Sense: a mountainous region bounded on the west by the Jordan, on the north by Bashan, on the east by the Arabian plateau, and on the south by Moab and Ammon; sometimes called ‘Mount Gilead’ or the ‘land of Gilead’ or just ‘Gilead’.
מָכִ֣יר  of  Machir 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָכִיר  
Sense: eldest son of Manasseh by an Aramite or Syrian concubine and progenitor of a large family.
מְנַשֶּׁ֔ה  of  Manasseh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְנַשֶּׁה  
Sense: the eldest son of Joseph and progenitor of the tribe of Manasseh.
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת  from  the  families 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מִשְׁפָּחָה  
Sense: clan, family.
מְנַשֶּׁ֣ה  of  Manasseh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְנַשֶּׁה  
Sense: the eldest son of Joseph and progenitor of the tribe of Manasseh.
בֶן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יוֹסֵ֑ף  of  Joseph 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄוסֵף  
Sense: the eldest son of Jacob by Rachel.
וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙  and  these 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
שְׁמ֣וֹת  [were]  the  names 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
בְּנֹתָ֔יו  of  his  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
מַחְלָ֣ה  Mahlah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַחְלָה  
Sense: the eldest of 5 daughters of Zelophehad the grandson of Manasseh.
נֹעָ֔ה  Noah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: נׄעָה  
Sense: one of the 5 daughters of Zelophehad in the time of the exodus.
וְחָגְלָ֥ה  and  Hoglah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָגְלָה  
Sense: 3rd of 5 daughters of Zelophehad, a descendant of Manasseh.
וּמִלְכָּ֖ה  and  Milcah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְכָּה  
Sense: daughter of Haran and wife of Nahor, her uncle and Abraham’s brother, to whom she bore 8 children.
וְתִרְצָֽה  and  Tirzah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: תִּרְצָה 
Sense: one of the 7 daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher of the tribe of Manasseh.