Joshua 13:15 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּתֵּ֣ן מֹשֶׁ֔ה לְמַטֵּ֥ה בְנֵֽי־ רְאוּבֵ֖ן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָֽם׃
BSA[This is what] MosesMôsheh [the Israelite leader, who received the law from God] had givennâthan▸ [allotted, assigned] to the clansmishpâchâh [families, tribes] of the tribemaṭṭeh [ancestral group] of ReubenRᵉʼûwbên [the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּתֵּ֣ן | and he gave | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| מֹשֶׁ֔ה | Moses | Noun proper masculine |
| לְמַטֵּ֥ה | to [the] tribe of | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| בְנֵֽי־ | [the] descendants of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| רְאוּבֵ֖ן | Reuben | Noun proper masculine |
| לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָֽם׃ | to clans their | Preposition, noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | This is what Moses had given to the clans of the tribe of Reuben: |
| KJV | ¶ And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance according to their families. |
| ASV | And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their families. |
| YLT | And Moses giveth to the tribe of the sons of Reuben, for their families; |
| WEB | Moses gave to the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their families. |
| BBE | And Moses gave their heritage to the tribe of Reuben by their families. |
Where they part company is in the wording of נָתַן — see How Translations Differ.
The structure consists of a main clause followed by a prepositional phrase that specifies the recipients of Moses' action.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectמֹשֶׁה
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 — Joshua 13:15
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 Allotment of Landgenerated
Joshua 13:15 describes how Moses distributed land among the tribes of Israel, specifically noting the allocation to the tribe of Reuben. This allocation is part of the broader narrative of the Israelites settling in the Promised Land, where each tribe received its inheritance as commanded by God. The context emphasizes Moses' role in leading and organizing the community as they transitioned into their new homeland.
Cross References
The Key Word — נָתַן, vai.yi.Tengenerated
The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It is used frequently throughout the Old Testament to describe both divine and human actions of giving or assigning something.
The parsing indicates that this verb is in the sequential imperfect tense, third person masculine singular, suggesting an action that was completed in the past. This reflects Moses' definitive role in allotting land to the tribes, emphasizing his authority and leadership.
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 יִּתֵּ֣ן (yitten), meaning 'he gave', governs the main clause, with the subject מֹשֶׁ֔ה (Mosheh) directly preceding it. This structure highlights Moses' action as the focal point of the sentence.
The sentence is straightforward, with a clear subject-verb-object order, making it easy to follow the action of giving and the recipients of that action.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נָתַן as ἔδωκεν (edōken), meaning 'he gave'. This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, maintaining the sense of giving or allotting.
The consistency between the Hebrew and the Greek indicates that the translators sought to preserve the original intent of Moses' action in allocating land.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Joshua 13:15 tells us that Moses gave land to the clans of the tribe of Reuben. This allocation is part of the larger process of distributing land among the tribes of Israel as they settled in the Promised Land.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that Moses assigned specific territories for the descendants of Reuben, ensuring they had their own place within the Promised Land.
Reuben is significant as the firstborn son of Jacob, and his descendants were among the tribes that received land in the Promised Land.
This verse is part of the account of how the Israelites divided the land among the tribes, fulfilling God's promise to give them a homeland.
Moses acted as the leader who received instructions from God and carried out the distribution of land among the tribes.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn from Moses' leadership in assigning land to the tribes?
- How does the concept of inheritance apply to our lives today?
- In what ways do we see God providing for His people in the present day?
- How can we honor our family heritage as seen in the tribes of Israel?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Joshua 13:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben [inheritance] according to their families. According to the number of them, and sufficient for them.
Read John Gill on Joshua 13 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance according to their families. No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Joshua 13 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleDividing the inheritance into as many parts as they had families; but this is only spoken of the greater families; for the lesser divisions or distributions to the several small families was done by inferior officers, according to the rules which Moses gave them.
Read Matthew Poole on Joshua 13 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJoshua 13:15 And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben [inheritance] according to their families.Ver. 15. According to their families,] i.e., Proportionably according to the number of their families.
Read John Trapp on Joshua 13 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersOF THE BY MOSES ON THE EAST OF JORDAN (Joshua 13:15-33). (15) Reuben.—See also Numbers 32:33-42 and Deuteronomy 3:16, &c.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Joshua 13 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges15–23. The Possession of the Tribe of Reuben 15. the tribe of the children of Reuben] The historian now gives us, on the faith of the ancient registers, the several boundaries of the tribes east of the Jordan. Reuben] Reuben naturally comes first. His boundaries are more briefly given, Numbers 32:33-42.
Read Cambridge on Joshua 13 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible15. Children of Reuben — In Numbers 32 the children of Reuben and Gad are represented as petitioning Moses for an allotment on the east of Jordan, and they received their portion chiefly between the Arnon and the Jabbok.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Joshua 13 →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
This is what Moses had given to the clans of the tribe of Reuben:
Moses gave to the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their families.
This is what Moses had given to the clans of the tribe of Reuben:
Moses assigned land to the tribe of Reuben by its clans.
Tyndale line
¶ And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance according to their families.
And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their families.
And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their families.
And Moses gave to the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance according to their families.
Moses then gaue vnto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance, according to their families.
Strictly literal
And Moses gave [a portion] to the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their families.
And Moses giveth to the tribe of the sons of Reuben, for their families;
And Moses gives to the tribe of the sons of Reuben, for their families;
And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their families;
Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of Reuben, clan by clan.
From the Latin
And Moses gave a possession to the children of Ruben according to their kindreds.
Simplified
This was the land that Moses allotted to the tribe of Reuben, by families:
And Moses gave their heritage to the tribe of Reuben by their families.
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 reads: וַיִּתֵּ֣ן מֹשֶׁ֔ה לְמַטֵּ֥ה בְנֵֽי־ רְאוּבֵ֖ן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָֽם׃. The Septuagint matches five of the six words, indicating a strong agreement in the core message of the verse.
וַיִּתֵּ֣ן מֹשֶׁ֔ה לְמַטֵּ֥ה בְנֵֽי־ רְאוּבֵ֖ן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָֽם׃
5 of the 6 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.
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 Joshua 13:15
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.
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)
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh) refers to Moses, the prominent Hebrew leader, prophet, and lawgiver. The name is derived from the root meaning 'drawing out,' indicating his rescue from water. He is a key figure in the Old Testament, first mentioned in Exodus 2:10, and is known for leading the Israelites during the Exodus.
מֹשֶׁה 767 n.pr.m. Moses, the great Hebrew leader, prophet and lawgiver
base
H4872 מֹשֶׁה Moses, the great Hebrew leader, prophet and lawgiver
4872 Mosheh mo-sheh'
from 4871; drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued; Mosheh,
the Israelite lawgiver:--Moses.
see HEBREW for 04871
מֹשֶׁה (mo.sheh) — Moses.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.2.10;
son of: Amram (H6019) and Jochebed (H3115);
brother of: Aaron (H0175) and Miriam (H4813); married to Zipporah (H6855);
father of: Gershom (H1647) and Eliezer (H0461H); also called Manasseh at Jdg.18.30(?)
§ Moses = "drawn"
the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
mo'-zez, mo'-ziz (mosheh; Egyptian mes, "drawn out," "born"; Septuagint Mouse(s)). The great Hebrew national hero, leader, author, law-giver and prophet.
I. LIFE
1. Son of Levi
2. Foundling Prince
3. Friend of the People
4. Refuge in Midian
5. Leader of Israel
II. WORK AND CHARACTER
1. The Author
2. The Lawgiver
3. The Prophet
LITERATURE
The traditional view of the Jewish church and of the Christian church, that Moses was a person and that the narrative with which his life-story is interwoven is real history, is in the main sustained by commentators and critics of all classes.
It is needless to mention the old writers among whom these questions were hardly under discussion. Among the advocates of the current radical criticism may be mentioned Stade and Renan, who minimize the historicity of the Bible narrative at this point. Renan thinks the narrative "may be very probable." Ewald, Wellhausen…
Moses
Drawn (or Egypt. mesu, “son;” hence Rameses, royal son). On the invitation of Pharaoh (Gen. 45:17-25), Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt. This immigration took place probably about 350 years before the birth of Moses. Some centuries before Joseph, Egypt had been conquered by a pastoral Semitic race from Asia, the Hyksos, who brought into cruel subjection the native Egyptians, who were an African race. Jacob and his retinue were accustomed to a shepherd’s life, and on their arrival in Egypt were received with favour by the king, who assigned them the “best of the land”, the land of Goshen, to dwell in. The Hyksos or “shepherd” king who thus showed favour to Joseph and his family was in all probability the Pharaoh Apopi (or Apopis).
(Heb. Mosheh , "drawn," i.e. from the water; in the Coptic it means "saved from the water"), the legislator of the Jewish people, and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion. The immediate pedigree of Moses is as follows: Levi was the father of: Gershon -- Kohath -- Merari Kohath was the father of: Amram = Jochebed Amram = Jochebed was the father of: Hur = Miriam -- Aaron = Elisheba -- Moses = Zipporah Aaron = Elisheba was the father of: Nadab -- Abihu -- Eleazar -- Ithamar Eleazar was the father of: Phineas Moses = Zipporah was the father of: Gershom -- Eliezer Gershom was the father of: Jonathan The history of Moses naturally divides itself into three periods of 40 years each. Moses was born at Goshen, In Egypt, B.C. 1571. The story of his birth is thoroughly Egyptian in its scene. His mother made extraordinary efforts for his preservation from the general destruction of…
The name of the illustrious prophet and legislator of the Hebrews, who led them from Egypt to the Promised Land. Having been originally imposed by a native Egyptian princess, the word is no doubt Egyptian in its origin, and Josephus gives its true derivation—from the two Egyptian words, MO, water, and USE, saved. With this accords the Septuagint form, MOUSES. The Hebrews by a slight change accommodated it to their own language, as they did also in the case of some other foreign words; calling it MOSHIE, from the verb MASHA, to draw. See Ex 2:10. Moses was born about 15.71 B. C., the son of Amram and Jochebed, of the tribe of Levi, and the younger brother of Miriam and Aaron. His history is too extensive to permit insertion here, and in general too well known to need it. It is enough simply to remark, that it is divided into three…
מַטֶּה (mat-teh) refers to a staff, rod, or branch, and can also denote a tribe. It is derived from a root meaning to extend, and its uses include both literal and figurative meanings, such as a support or a means of correction. The lexicons consistently highlight its association with leadership and community.
מַטֶּה 251 n.m.
staff, rod, shaft
branch
tribe
base
H4294 מַטֶּה . staff, rod, shaft
. branch
. tribe
4294 matteh mat-teh'
or (feminine) mattah {mat-taw'}; from 5186; a branch (as
extending); figuratively, a tribe; also a rod, whether for
chastising (figuratively, correction), ruling (a sceptre),
throwing (a lance), or walking (a staff; figuratively, a
support of life, e.g. bread):--rod, staff, tribe.
see HEBREW for 05186
מַטֶּה (mat.teh) — tribe: rod.
: rod/staff
1) staff, branch, tribe
1a) staff, rod, shaft
1b) branch (of vine)
1c) tribe
1c1) company led by chief with staff (originally)
מַטֶּה (mat.teh) — tribe.
: tribe
1) staff, branch, tribe
1a) staff, rod, shaft
1b) branch (of vine)
1c) tribe
1c1) company led by chief with staff (originally)
מַטֶּה (mat.teh) — tribe: arrow.
: arrow
1) staff, branch, tribe
1a) staff, rod, shaft
1b) branch (of vine)
1c) tribe
1c1) company led by chief with staff (originally)
מַטֶּה (mat.teh) — tribe: stick.
: stick
1) staff, branch, tribe
1a) staff, rod, shaft
1b) branch (of vine)
1c) tribe
1c1) company led by chief with staff (originally)
מַטֶּה (mat.teh) — tribe: supply.
: supply
1) staff, branch, tribe
1a) staff, rod, shaft
1b) branch (of vine)
1c) tribe
1c1) company led by chief with staff (originally)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
son, male child, born of a woman
children (male and female)
youth, young men
the young of animals
of plant shoots
fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
member of a guild, order or class
of animals son of (the) herd
ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
n. relat. of age
base
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
done
H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman
. children (male and female)
. youth, young men
. the young of animals
. of plant shoots
. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
. . member of a guild, order or class
. of animals son of (the) herd
. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
. n. relat. of age
H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son
1121 ben bane
from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the
widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,
including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,
etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)
(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,
(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,
bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X
came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of
first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +
kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)
people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +
spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous
one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
see HEBREW for 01129
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 0251
בֵּן (ben) — son: child.
: child/son
בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;
son of: Jaaziah (H3269);
brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)
§ Beno = "his son"
the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)
בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.
: descendant, people, tribe, nation
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : child/son
בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.
: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : descendant
בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.
: rebel/son(Belial)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : people/men/nation/tribe
בֵּן (ben) — son.
: [inheriting]son/heir
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.
: warrior/son(strong)
HNcmpc — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
רְאוּבֵן (Reuben) refers to the eldest son of Jacob and Leah, meaning 'behold a son.' He is the ancestor of the tribe of Reuben, which is mentioned in the context of the Old Testament. The name is derived from the imperative of the verb for 'see' and the word for 'son.' Reuben is first mentioned in Genesis 29:32.
רְאוּבֵן 71 n.pr.m. Reuben
eldest son of Jacob and Leah
as name of clan or tribe
base
H7205 רְאוּבֵן Reuben
7205 R'uwben reh-oo-bane'
from the imperative of 7200 and 1121; see ye a son; Reuben, a
son of Jacob:--Reuben.
see HEBREW for 07200
see HEBREW for 01121
רְאוּבֵן (re.u.ven) — Reuben.
A man of the tribe of Reuben living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.32;
son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812);
brother of: Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);
half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144);
father of: Hanoch (H2585J), Pallu (H6396), Hezron (H2696) and Carmi (H3756)
§ Reuben = "behold a son"
1) the eldest son of Jacob by Leah
2) the tribe descended from Reuben
3) the territory inhabited by the tribe of Reuben
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
roo'-ben, ru'-ben (re'ubhen; Rhouben): The eldest son of Jacob, born to him by Leah in Paddan-aram (Ge 29:32).
1. Jacob's Oldest Son:
This verse seems to suggest two derivations of the name. As it stands in Massoretic Text it means "behold a son"; but the reason given for so calling him is "The Lord hath looked upon my affliction," which in Hebrew is ra'ah be`onyi, literally, "He hath seen my affliction." Of his boyhood we have only the story of the mandrakes (Ge 30:14). As the firstborn he should really have been leader among his father's sons. His birthright was forfeited by a deed of peculiar infamy (Ge 35:22), and as far as we know his tribe never took the lead in Israel. It is named first, indeed, in
Reuben
Behold a son!, the eldest son of Jacob and Leah (Gen. 29:32). His sinful conduct, referred to in Gen. 35:22, brought down upon him his dying father’s malediction (48:4). He showed kindness to Joseph, and was the means of saving his life when his other brothers would have put him to death (37:21,22). It was he also who pledged his life and the life of his sons when Jacob was unwilling to let Benjamin go down into Egypt. After Jacob and his family went down into Egypt (46:8) no further mention is made of Reuben beyond what is recorded in ch. 49:3,4.
(behold a son), Jacob’s firstborn Child, (Genesis 29:32) the son of Leah. (B.C. 1753.) The notices of the patriarch Reuben give, on the whole a favorable view of his disposition. To him and him alone the preservation of Joseph’s life appears to have been due and afterward he becomes responsible for his safety. (Genesis 37:18-30; 42:37) Of the repulsive crime which mars his history, and which turned the blessing of his dying father into a curse --his adulterous connection with Bilhah-- we know from the Scriptures only the fact. (Genesis 35:22) He was of an ardent, impetuous, unbalanced but not ungenerous nature; not crafty and cruel, as were Simeon and Levi, but rather, to use the metaphor of the dying patriarch, boiling up…
Behold, a son! The eldest son of Jacob and Leah, so-called in reference to the sentiment of his mother, "The Lord hath looked on my affliction," Ge 29:32. Reuben, having defiled his father’s concubine Bilhah, lost his birthright and all the privileges of primogeniture, the preeminence in the family being given to Judah, and the double portion to the two sons of Joseph, Ge 35:22 48:5 49:3,4,8,10 1Ch 5:1,2. He shared in his brother’s jealousy of Joseph, and yet interposed to save his life at Dothan with the design of restoring him privately to his father, Ge 37:18-30. See also his well-meant proposal in Ge 42:27. His…
מִשְׁפָּחָה (mishpachah) refers to a clan or family, encompassing a circle of relatives and extending to tribes or peoples. It can also denote a class of persons, species of animals, or kinds of things. The entries highlight its various uses, including guilds and aristocrats, but do not present any significant disagreement.
מִשְׁפָּחָה 303 n.f. clan
clan
= guild
= species, kind
pl. = aristocrats
base
H4940 מִשְׁפָּחָה clan . clan
. = guild
. = species, kind
. pl. = aristocrats
4940 mishpachah mish-paw-khaw'
from 8192 (compare 8198); a family, i.e. circle of relatives;
figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or
sort (of things); by extens. a tribe or people:--family,
kind(-red).
see HEBREW for 08192
see HEBREW for 08198
מִשְׁפָּחָה (mish.pa.chah) — family.
1) clan, family
1a) clan
1a1) family
1a2) tribe
1a3) people, nation
1b) guild
1c) species, kind
1d) aristocrats
Prep | N-fp | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp