And Machir took a wife le-Ḥuppim u-le-Shuppim. This means: He took a wife from [Huppim and Shuppim]. These are the sons of Ir mentioned above (v. 12). The meaning of the lameds in le-Ḥuppim u-le-Shuppim is that Machir took a wife who was a sister of Huppim and Shuppim (aḥot le-Ḥuppim u-le-Shuppim). Thus it says, “The name of his sister was Maacah.” In saying “his sister” rather than “their sister,” the text is referring to the more highly regarded of them, namely Huppim, whom it places before Shuppim. But when it says “Shuppim and Huppim” (v. 12), this is according to birth.

And the name of the second was Zelophehad. This connects to “The sons of Manasseh: Asriel” above (v. 14): Asriel is a great-grandson of Manasseh—three generations after him—whereas Zelophehad is a great-great-grandson of Manasseh—four generations after him. The text says “the second” even though, relative to Asriel, [the line that produced Zelophehad] did not come second—for [Zelophehad’s] father Hepher was Gilead’s sixth son, whereas Asriel was the third (Numbers 26:29–33). Rather, it means “the second” one mentioned, for it only mentions Asriel, Zelophehad, and the sons of Shemida mentioned at the end (v. 19). The text mentions [Zelophehad] instead of his father Hepher, because Zelophehad was the only son he had who was as honorable and highly regarded as he was, and it was [Zelophehad] who perpetuated his name; for the others are not mentioned. But while Zelophehad had daughters only, Hepher did have other sons, as it says in Joshua, “a portion among their father’s brothers” (Joshua 17:4), and in the Torah, “wives for the sons of their uncles” (Numbers 36:11).