The case of this family was very singular. And no doubt was ordered to be so by the Divine appointment. But it gave occasion to manifest the faith and piety of those five sisters; for it is very evident they had faith in the promises of GOD, that Canaan should be divided to Israel: and they had grace to desire an inheritance among the people of GOD. While the Reader hath made these observations on the conduct of the daughters of Zelophehad, I would call upon him also, to attend to another instruction, arising out of their circumstances. Moses was commanded to number the people, and this he did in the foregoing Chapter; and GOD promised that those which were numbered should be the possessors of Canaan. Numbers 26:53. But the daughters of Zelophehad were not numbered, and consequently had no claim in this promise. We shall see in the sequel, however, what the LORD'S will concerning them was; though, from not being enrolled, they had no pretensions on this ground. What is said of their father's dying in his own sin, and not in the company of Korah, to whose tribe he belonged, means that he died, not for that rebellion, but from the general cause of death, which is from sin: for when sin first entered into the world, death came by sin, and so death passed upon all men, because all have sinned. Romans 5:12.
Numbers 27:1-4
1 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.
2 And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
3 Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons.
4 Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.