It wasn’t a small case. It’s mentioned in Numbers 26,27, 36, Jos 17 and a brief mention in 1 Chr 7.
Court Petition: Mahlah, Noah, Hoghlah, Milcah vs. the Distrubution of Land to the Families
There was a problem. The land of Israel was to be deeded to the men of Israel via tribes, clans and families and passed through the sons. But what about the man who had only daugheters? Like Zelophehad? He had four daughters and then he passed away. So would they lose their land in Israel?
They brought their case before Moses and Eleazer and Moses went to the Lord. The Lord told Moses that if there were no sons, the women would receive the inheritance. Yes, women as land-owners! They were first in line. Not the brothers of the man. They were next. But yes, the women. Their only stipulation was that they had to marry within their clan.
Pretty earth shattering at the time but what was important was that God was preserving the land in the family name and in the family clan and in the family tribe. Land was holy. And if that meant that women were to be the land-owners, then they were to possess the land.
