Hoglah

Hoglah is one of the five daughters of Zelophehad, a Manassite who left no sons. She and her sisters appear together in four passages that establish their place in the wilderness census, the inheritance ruling that bears their case, the marriage clause that closes the question of tribal land, and the territorial allotment under Joshua.

In the wilderness census

The census of Numbers 26 names Hoglah and her sisters because Zelophehad's lack of sons makes their listing necessary: "And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah" (Num 26:33).

The inheritance case

The five daughters approach Moses to claim their father's portion. The narrative reintroduces them by name and traces their lineage back to Manasseh: "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" (Num 27:1).

Marriage within the tribe

A second ruling closes a corollary problem — that inheritance through daughters could shift land between tribes. The five comply by marrying within their father's clan: "for Mahlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to their father's brothers' sons" (Num 36:11).

In the allotment of Manasseh

The story closes in the land. Joshua's allotment for Manasseh restates the names one last time as the daughters receive their inheritance: "But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters: and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah" (Josh 17:3).