Deuteronomy 3:15 — Word Study
WLCוּלְמָכִ֖יר נָתַ֥תִּי אֶת־ הַגִּלְעָֽד׃
BSATo MachirMâkîyr [the son of Ammiel, an Israelite leader] I gavenâthan■ [assigned, bestowed upon] GileadGilʻâd [a mountainous region, rocky region east of the Jordan River]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וּלְמָכִ֖יר | and to Makir | Conjunction, preposition, noun proper masculine |
| נָתַ֥תִּי | I gave | Verb, Qal, perfect first person common singular |
| אֶת־ | the object marker | Particle |
| הַגִּלְעָֽד׃ | Gilead | Particle, noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | To Machir I gave Gilead, |
| KJV | And I gave Gilead unto Machir. |
| ASV | And I gave Gilead unto Machir. |
| YLT | And to Machir I have given Gilead. |
| WEB | I gave Gilead to Machir. |
| BBE | And Gilead I gave to Machir. |
Where they part company is in the translation of נָתַ֥תִּי — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause presents the action of giving, with a clear indication of the recipient and the object of the action.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָתַן
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Deuteronomy 3:15
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Distribution of Landgenerated
Deuteronomy 3:15 is part of Moses' instructions regarding the land distribution among the tribes of Israel. In this section, he details the territories assigned to various leaders and tribes, emphasizing the importance of these allocations in the establishment of Israel's heritage. The mention of Machir highlights his significance as a leader and his connection to the land of Gilead, which is noted for its geographical features and historical relevance.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 50:23 | He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation, and indeed the sons of Machir son of Manasseh were brought up on Joseph’s knees. |
| 2 | Numbers 26:29 | These were the descendants of Manasseh: The Machirite clan from Machir, the father of Gilead, and the Gileadite clan from Gilead. |
| 3 | Numbers 32:39–40 | The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there. |
| 4 | Joshua 17:1–3 | Now this was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh as Joseph’s firstborn son, namely for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh and father of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead and Bashan because Machir was a man of war. |
| 5 | Joshua 22:7 | (To the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given land in Bashan, and to the other half Joshua gave land on the west side of the Jordan among their brothers.) When Joshua sent them to their homes he blessed them, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מָכִיר, u.le.ma.Khirgenerated
The name מָכִיר (Makiyr) is derived from the root that means 'sold', indicating a person of significance in the Old Testament. Machir is recognized as the son of Ammiel and a descendant of Manasseh, playing a notable role during the United Monarchy.
His connection to Gilead underscores the tribal allocations that were crucial for the Israelite community, reflecting his lineage and the historical context of the land.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb נָתַ֥תִּי (na.ti), meaning 'I gave', governs the entire verse. It is followed by a prepositional phrase indicating to whom the gift was given, an object marker, and the noun phrase specifying what was given.
The structure emphasizes the action of giving, with the object clearly marked, which is typical in Hebrew syntax to highlight the relationship between the giver and the gift.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates מָכִיר as μαξιρ, which maintains the name's identity while adapting it to Greek phonetics. This choice reflects a direct transliteration rather than an interpretation.
The verb נָתַן is rendered as ἔδωκα, which conveys the same meaning of giving, consistent with the Hebrew context.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Deuteronomy 3:15 tells us that Moses allocated the region of Gilead to Machir, a significant leader of the Israelite tribes. This verse highlights the importance of land distribution in the context of Israel's history and the roles of its leaders.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Machir was the son of Ammiel and a significant figure in the tribe of Manasseh, known for his contributions during the reigns of Saul and David.
Gilead refers to a mountainous region east of the Jordan River, known for its rocky terrain and historical significance in Israel.
The allocation of land was crucial for establishing the inheritance and identity of the Israelite tribes in the Promised Land.
This verse connects to other passages that discuss land distribution, such as in Joshua 17:1-3 and Numbers 32:39-40.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What significance does the land allocation have for the tribes of Israel?
- How does understanding Machir's background enhance our reading of this verse?
- In what ways does this allocation reflect God's promises to His people?
- How can we see parallels between land distribution in ancient Israel and our own communities today?
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 3:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd I gave Gilead unto Machir. The son of Manasseh; not to him personally, who cannot be thought to have been living at this time, but to his posterity, to the Machirites; see Numbers 32:40.
Read John Gill on Deuteronomy 3 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd I gave Gilead unto Machir. I gave Gilead unto Machir. It was only the half of Gilead (Deuteronomy 3:12-13) which was given to the descendants of Machir, who was now dead.
Read Robert Jamieson on Deuteronomy 3 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Biblei.e. The half part of Gilead, as appears from ,13. See Poole "". Unto Machir, i.e. unto the children of Machir son of Manasseh, for Machir was now dead.
Read Matthew Poole on Deuteronomy 3 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(13-17) Comp. Numbers 32:33-42, and Notes thereon,
Read Charles John Ellicott on Deuteronomy 3 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges15. And I gave Gilead unto Machir] Not irreconcilable with Deuteronomy 3:12 where the N. half of Gile‘ad is assigned to half-Manasseh, for Machir was held to have been the first and only son of Manasseh, and, apparently, is even taken for all Manasseh (Judges 5:14; Numbers 26:29?). Yet there is force in Dillm.’s contention that the author who had just written 12 f. could hardly have immediately added the variant Deuteronomy 3:15; hence the latter is reasonably taken as, like Deuteronomy 3:14, a later insertion derived from Numbers 32:40.
Read Cambridge on Deuteronomy 3 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible15. Machir — He was the eldest son of Manasseh. His name is put for the tribe.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Deuteronomy 3 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
To Machir I gave Gilead,
I gave Gilead to Machir.
To Machir I gave Gilead,
I gave Gilead to Machir.
Tyndale line
And I gave Gilead unto Machir.
And I gave Gilead unto Machir.
And I gave Gilead unto Machir.
And I gave Gilead to Machir.
And I gaue part of Gilead vnto Machir.
Strictly literal
And I gave Gilead to Machir.
And to Machir I have given Gilead.
And I have given Gilead to Machir.
And unto Machir I gave Gil'ad.
I gave Gilead to Machir.
From the Latin
To Machir also I gave Galaad.
Simplified
I assigned the rest of Gilead to the descendants of Machir,
And Gilead I gave to Machir.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is supported by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word with the Hebrew text. The Septuagint matches three out of the four words in this verse, while the Dead Sea Scrolls show damage, with the text supplied by an editor.
וּלְמָכִ֖יר נָתַ֥תִּי אֶת־ הַגִּלְעָֽד׃
3 of the 4 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ולמכיר נתתי את הגלעד
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
[ולמכיר] [נתתי] [את] [הגלעד]
nothing on the leather here — 4 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Deuteronomy 3:15
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
מָכִיר (Makiyr) refers to a notable figure in the Old Testament, specifically the eldest son of Manasseh and a son of Ammiel. The name is linked to the concept of being a salesman or 'sold.' He is mentioned in Genesis 50:23 and 2 Samuel 9:4, highlighting his lineage and significance in the tribes of Israel.
מָכִיר n.pr.m.
eldest son of Manasseh
son of Ammiel
base
H4353 מָכִיר . eldest son of Manasseh
. son of Ammiel
4353 Makiyr maw-keer'
from 4376; salesman; Makir, an Israelite:--Machir.
see HEBREW for 04376
מָכִיר (ma.khir) — Machir.
A man of the tribe of Manasseh living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.50.23;
son of: Manasseh (H4519) and Aramitess (H0761);
brother of: Asriel (H0844H); married to Maacah (H4601M);
father of: Gilead (H1568H), daughter_of_Machir (H4353I), Peresh (H6570), Sheresh (H8329) and Hammolecheth (H4447); also called in NIV: Makir
Also named: ma.khi.ri (מָכִירִי "Machirite" H4354)
§ Machir = "sold"
1) eldest son of Manasseh by an Aramite or Syrian concubine and progenitor of a large family
2) son of Ammiel, a powerful chief of one of the Transjordanic tribes who rendered essential services to Saul and to David
מָכִיר (ma.khir) — Machir.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.9.4;
son of: Ammiel (H5988H)
§ Machir = "sold"
Conj | Prep | N-proper — Conjunction · preposition · noun proper masculineHC/R/Npm
The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.
נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set
Qal 1917
give
Put, set
Make, constitute
Niph.
82be given
Be put, set
Hoph.
be given, bestowed
= be given to one for wife
be put upon
base
H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give
. Put, set
. Make, constitute
. . be given
. Be put, set
. . . be given, bestowed
. = be given to one for wife
. be put upon
5414 nathan naw-than'
a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of
application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,
assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,
hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +
cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X
without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),
grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),
(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,
occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X
pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send
(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,
strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,
turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)
God, yield.
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.
: give/deliver/send/produce
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend
1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate
1a3) to make, constitute
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned
1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up
1c2) to be put upon
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.
: put/set/apppoint
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
V-Qal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singularHVqp1cs
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HTo — ParticleHTo
גִּלְעָד (Gil'ad) refers to a mountainous region east of the Jordan River, known as 'rocky region'. It encompasses both a land area and a city, often divided into northern and southern Gilead. The term also identifies several individuals from the tribe of Manasseh, including a notable figure, Jephthah. The lexicons agree on its geographical significance and historical references.
גִּלְעָד n.pr.loc. of mountain-range or hill-country, land & city, E. of Jordan territory S. of Jabboḳ
Northern Gilead
more generally, of all Gilead
name of a city
of Israelites living E. of Jordan (as a whole)
treated as n.pr.m.
base
H1568 גִּלְעָד of mountain-range or hill-country, land & city, E. of Jordan
1568 Gil`ad ghil-awd'
probably from 1567; Gilad, a region East of the Jordan; also
the name of three Israelites:--Gilead, Gileadite.
see HEBREW for 01567
גִּלְעָד (gil.ad) — Gilead.
Gilead = "rocky region"
a mountainous region bounded on the west by the Jordan, on the north by Bashan, on the east by the Arabian plateau, and on the south by Moab and Ammon; sometimes called 'Mount Gilead' or the 'land of Gilead' or just 'Gilead'. Divided into north and south Gilead
Also named: gil.a.di (גִּלְעָדִי "Gileadite" H1569)
גִּלְעָד (gil.ad) — Gilead.
A man of the tribe of Manasseh living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Num.26.29;
son of: Machir (H4353);
brother of: daughter_of_Machir (H4353I), Peresh (H6570), Sheresh (H8329) and Hammolecheth (H4447);
father of: Abiezer (H0044I), Helek (H2507), Asriel (H0844), Shechem (H7928), Shemida (H8061) and Hepher (H2660A)
§ Gilead = "rocky region"
Art | N-proper — Particle · noun properHTd/Npl
Gilead
Hill of testimony, (Gen. 31:21), a mountainous region east of Jordan. From its mountainous character it is called “the mount of Gilead” (Gen. 31:25). It is called also “the land of Gilead” (Num. 32:1), and sometimes simply “Gilead” (Ps. 60:7; Gen. 37:25). It comprised the possessions of the tribes of Gad and Reuben and the south part of Manasseh (Deut. 3:13; Num. 32:40). It was bounded on the north by Bashan, and on the south by Moab and Ammon (Gen.…
(rocky region). A mountainous region bounded on the west by the Jordan, on the north by Bashan, on the east by the Arabian plateau, and on the south by Moab and Ammon. (Genesis 31:21; 3:12-17) It is sometimes called "Mount Gilead," (Genesis 31:25) sometimes "the land of Gilead," (Numbers 32:1) and sometimes simply "Gilead." (Psalms 60:7; Genesis 37:25) The name Gilead, as is usual in Palestine, describes the physical aspect of the country: it signifies "a hard rocky region." The mountains of Gilead, including Pisgah, Abarim and Peor, have a real elevation of from 2000 to 3000 feet; but their apparent elevation on the…
the heap or mass of testimony
1. A region east of the Jordan River allotted to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh Nu 32:1-30; De 3:13; 34:1; 2Ki 10:33
Reubenites expel the Hagarites from 1Ch 5:9,10,18-22
Ammonites make war against; defeated by Jephthah Jud 11