Girls · Hebrew · Old Testament · rising · Exodus / Wilderness
Noa
/NOH-ah/
נֹעָה
"Movement; motion; stirring"
Numbers 26:33
RoleOne of the five daughters of Zelophehad who petitioned for inheritance
Etymology
From the Hebrew root 'nua' (נוּעַ), meaning to move, to stir, to wander. NOT the same name as Noah (נֹחַ, rest). Noa is a distinct feminine Hebrew name with a completely different root and meaning.
Who they were
Noa was one of five sisters who changed the law of Israel. Their father Zelophehad died in the wilderness without sons, and under existing law, his inheritance would pass to male relatives and the daughters would receive nothing. The five sisters — Mahlah, Noa, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah — went to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the entire assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting and stated their case: 'Why should our father's name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father's relatives.' Moses took their case to God. God's answer was: 'What Zelophehad's daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father's relatives.' The law was changed. This is one of the earliest recorded legal victories for women's property rights in any ancient text. The name Noa — movement, stirring — captures what she and her sisters did: they moved the law. The name is currently the number one girls' name in Israel.
Family
- Father
- Zelophehad (died without sons)
Character qualities
- Willingness to challenge existing law
- Speaking up in public assembly
- Solidarity with sisters
- Changing the system from within
Key verse
Numbers 27:7
Where they appear
Themes
Variants & related forms
Noah (sometimes used for girls, but different name)
Read their story
Noa's story begins in Numbers.
The full passage is at Numbers 26:33. Any modern translation will do — the NLT and NIV are the most readable; the ESV and NKJV stay close to the wording the church has used for centuries.
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