Tirzah תִּרְצָה
Daughter of Zelophehad, granted inheritance rights
Biography
Tirzah was one of the five daughters of Zelophehad, a descendant of Manasseh (Num.26.33; 27.1; 36.11; Jos.17.3). Zelophehad had no sons, and his daughters (Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah) approached Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of Israel to seek the right to inherit their father's property. Moses brought their case before the Lord, who instructed him to grant the daughters the right to inherit their father's property in the absence of male heirs (Num.27.1-11). This ruling set a precedent for inheritance rights in Israel. Later, when the Israelites were preparing to enter the Promised Land, the heads of the clan of Manasseh raised concerns about the potential loss of tribal land if the daughters were to marry outside their tribe. In response, the Lord commanded that the daughters of Zelophehad must marry within their father's tribal clan to keep the inheritance within the tribe (Num.36.1-12). Tirzah and her sisters complied with this ruling (Num.36.11). The story of Tirzah and her sisters highlights the importance of inheritance rights and the preservation of tribal allotments in ancient Israel.
Family
Siblings
- Mahlah Tribe of ManassehSister of IshhodDaughter of Zelophehad's sister.View full profile →
- Noah Early PatriarchFlood survivorRighteous man, built ark, survived floodView full profile →
- Hoglah Tribe of ManassehSister of MahlahDaughter of Zelophehad, of the tribe of Manasseh.View full profile →
- Milcah Early PatriarchSister of LotWife of Nahor, Abraham's brother.View full profile →
In Scripture
2 biblical books ; 1 with study contentNumbers 3 verses
- Numbers 26:33
"Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah."
- Numbers 27:1
"Then 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 came near. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah."
- Numbers 36:11
"for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to their father’s brothers’ sons."
Joshua 1 verse Study available
- Joshua 17:3
"But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | תִּרְצָה | H8656G |
Tirzah
ef>, etc.), and itself gave place in turn to Samaria. Here reigned Jeroboam, Nadab his son, Baasha, Elah and Zimri (1Ki 15:21,33; 16:6,8,9,15). Baasha was buried in Tirzah. Here Elah was assassinated while "drinking himself drunk" in the house of his steward; here therefore probably he was buried. Zimri perished in the flames of his palace, rather than fall into Omri's hands. In Tirzah Menahem matured his rebellion against Shallum (2Ki 15:14). The place is mentioned in So 6:4 the King James Version, where the Shulammite is said to be "beautiful .... as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem." The comparison may be due to the charm of its situation. The name may possibly be derived from ratsah, "to delight." Several identifications have been suggested. Buhl (Geographic des alten Palestina, 203) favors et-tireh, on the West of the plain of Makhneh, 4 miles South of Nablus, which he identifies with the Tira-thana of Josephus. He quotes Neubauer to the effect that the later Jews said Tir`an or Tar`ita instead of Tirzah, as weakening the claim of Telluzah, which others (e.g. Robinson, BR, III, 302) incline to. It is a partly ruined village with no spring, but with ancient cisterns, on a hill about 4 miles East of North from Nablus. This was evidently the place intended by Brocardius--Thersa, about 3 miles East of Samaria (Descriptio, VII). A third claimant is Teiasir, a fortress at the point where the road from Abel-meholah joins that from Shechem to Bethshan, fully 11 miles Northeast of Nablus. It is impossible to decide with certainty. The heavy "T" in Telluzah is a difficulty. Teiasir is perhaps too far from Shechem. Buhl's case for identification with eT-Tireh is subject to the same difficulty as Telluzah.
(2) One of the five daughters of Zelophehad (Nu 26:33; 27:1; 36:11; Jos 17:3).
W. Ewing
tish'-bit.
See ELIJAH; Expostory Times, XII, 383.
tish'-re, tiz'-re: The 7th month of the Jewish ecclesiastical, and 1st of the civil, year (September-October).