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Numbers 1:21 — Word Study

Depth

WLCפְּקֻדֵיהֶ֖ם לְמַטֵּ֣ה רְאוּבֵ֑ן שִׁשָּׁ֧ה וְאַרְבָּעִ֛ים אֶ֖לֶף וַחֲמֵ֥שׁ מֵאֽוֹת׃ פ

BSAthose registeredpâqad [numbered, counted, or reckoned] to the tribemaṭṭeh [family] of ReubenRᵉʼûwbên [the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah] numbered 46,500shêsh [were counted as, forty-six thousand five hundred, six and forty thousand and five hundred]

Word
Listen & take awayNumbers 1
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 21 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (me.'ot) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Numbers 1:21quick helps
In a sentenceThe tribe of Reuben had 46,500 men registered for military service.
Who is speakingThe narrator, detailing the census of the Israelite tribes.
Where we areIn the book of Numbers, which records the census of the Israelites.
The hard wordפְּקֻדֵיהֶ֖ם
Take awayThe count reflects the organization of the Israelite tribes for their journey.
4 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Cambridge, Whedon & more — read them › clause The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

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 — Numbers 1:21

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 Census of the Tribes of Israelgenerated

20From the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, according to the records of their clans and families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
21those registered to the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.
22From the sons of Simeon, according to the records of their clans and families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
23those registered to the tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300.

Numbers 1:21 records the number of men from the tribe of Reuben who were eligible for military service. This census was part of a larger effort to organize the people of Israel as they prepared for their journey through the wilderness. The details of the census emphasize the importance of order and readiness in the community.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Numbers 2:10–11On the south side, the divisions of Reuben are to camp under their standard: The leader of the Reubenites is Elizur son of Shedeur,
2Numbers 26:7These were the clans of Reuben, and their registration numbered 43,730.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.Numbers 2:10–11 Numbers 26:7

The Key Word פְּקֻדֵיהֶ֖ם, pe.ku.dei.Hemgenerated

The word פְּקֻדֵיהֶ֖ם (pe.ku.dei.Hem) is a passive participle derived from the verb פָּקַד (paqad), meaning to visit or oversee. In this context, it refers to those who have been counted or enrolled for service.

The parsing indicates that it is a masculine plural form, suggesting a group of men who have been registered. The word carries connotations of oversight, implying that these individuals have been specifically accounted for in a formal manner.


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 main verb in this verse is פְּקֻדֵיהֶ֖ם, were counted, which governs the entire clause. The structure is straightforward, presenting the subject first, followed by the prepositional phrase indicating the tribe, and concluding with the numeral phrase that specifies the count.

The Hebrew word order emphasizes the count of the tribe of Reuben, placing it prominently at the end of the sentence, which highlights the importance of this number in the context of the census.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates לְמַטֵּ֣ה as φυλῆς (phulēs), meaning 'of the tribe.' This choice aligns with the Greek understanding of tribal organization, indicating a direct correspondence to the Hebrew concept.

The use of ἓχ (hex) for שִׁשָּׁ֧ה shows a consistent translation of numbers, maintaining clarity in the enumeration of the tribes.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Numbers 1:21 tells us that the tribe of Reuben had 46,500 men registered for military service. This census was part of a larger organization of the Israelite tribes as they prepared for their journey.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to be registered in this context?

Being registered indicates that these men were counted and recognized as able to serve in the military, highlighting the importance of organization within the Israelite community.

Why is the tribe of Reuben significant?

Reuben is significant as the firstborn son of Jacob, and his tribe's count reflects the legacy and leadership role within the larger community of Israel.

How does this census relate to the overall narrative of the Israelites?

The census serves to prepare the Israelites for their journey through the wilderness, ensuring that they are organized and ready for the challenges ahead.

What is the significance of the number 46,500?

The specific number indicates the strength and readiness of the tribe of Reuben, which is crucial for their role in the military organization of the Israelites.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does it mean for a community to be organized and prepared, as seen in this census?
  2. How can we apply the lessons of accountability and readiness from this census to our own lives?
  3. In what ways do we see leadership and legacy reflected in the tribes of Israel?
  4. How can understanding the historical context of the Israelites help us appreciate their journey?

Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Numbers 1:21 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Those that were numbered of them, [even] of the tribe of Reuben, [were] forty and six thousand and five hundred. 46,500 men. [See comments on Numbers 1:20].

Read John Gill on Numbers 1 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And the children of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from

Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 1 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

17–46. The numbers ascertained by the census. There can be no doubt that the numbers given in chs. 1–3 and 26 are purely artificial. Gray (Numbers, pp. 10–15) shews that (1) they are impossible, (2) when compared with each other they yield absurd results, (3) they are inconsistent with numbers given in Hebrew literature earlier than P . (1) The number of male Israelites of fighting age is put at 603,550, which appears in round numbers as 600,000 in Numbers 11:21, Exodus 12:37. But the fighting men could form hardly more than a quarter of the whole; so that the population would reach a total of some 2¼ millions. The present population of the Sinaitic peninsula is estimated at from 4,000 to…

Read Cambridge on Numbers 1 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

21. Those that were numbered — That is, mustered or marshalled on the basis of the prior enumeration in Exodus 38:26, the total of which agrees with that here given.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 1 →

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

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

those registered to the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty-six thousand five hundred.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

those registered to the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.

RVARevised Version, American1894

those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The nomber of them, I say, of the tribe of Reuben, was sixe and fourtie thousande, and fiue hundreth.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty-six thousand five hundred.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

their numbered ones, for the tribe of Reuben, are six and forty thousand and five hundred.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

their numbered ones, for the tribe of Reuben, are forty-six thousand and five hundred.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Those that were numbered of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

They counted 46,500 men from the tribe of Reuben.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Were forty-six thousand five hundred.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

from the tribe of Reuben totaled 46,500.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Forty-six thousand, five hundred of the tribe of Reuben were numbered.

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.

clausenoun phrase · subjectnoun phraseפְּקֻדֵיtheir.enrolledהֶ֖ם[men]prepositional phraseלְofnoun phraseמַטֵּ֣הthe.tribeרְאוּבֵ֑ןof.Reubennoun phrase · predicatenumeral phrasenumeral phrasenumeral phraseשִׁשָּׁ֧ה[were].sixוְandאַרְבָּעִ֛יםfortyאֶ֖לֶףthousandוַandnumeral phraseחֲמֵ֥שׁfiveמֵאֽוֹתhundred(s)

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. The Septuagint matches seven of the eight words, though its structure differs. The Dead Sea Scrolls show some restoration, indicating partial agreement with the Masoretic Text.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

פְּקֻדֵיהֶ֖ם לְמַטֵּ֣ה רְאוּבֵ֑ן שִׁשָּׁ֧ה וְאַרְבָּעִ֛ים אֶ֖לֶף וַחֲמֵ֥שׁ מֵאֽוֹת׃ פ

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
לְמַטֵּ֣הφυλῆςרְאוּבֵ֑ןρουβηνשִׁשָּׁ֧הἓχוְאַרְבָּעִ֛יםτεσσαράκονταאֶ֖לֶףξιλιάδεςוַחֲמֵ֥שׁκαὶמֵאֽוֹת׃ פπεντακόσιοι

7 of the 8 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.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

פקדיהם למטה ראובן שׁשׁה וארבעים אלף וחמשׁ מאות

Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q23a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[פקדי׳הם] [למטה] [ראובן] [ששה] וארבעים [אלף] [וחמש] [מאות]

nothing on the leather here — 1 partly restored, 7 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.

Numbers 1:21פָּקַדenrolled [menrolled [men] פָּקַדמַטֶּהof [the] trof [the] tribe מַטֶּהרְאוּבֵןReubenReubenרְאוּבֵןשֵׁשׁ[were] six[were] sixשֵׁשׁאַרְבָּעִיםand fortyand fortyאַרְבָּעִיםאֶ֫לֶףthousandthousandאֶ֫לֶףחָמֵשׁand fiveand fiveחָמֵשׁמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהנָטָהto stretchto stretchנָטָהרָאָהProviderProviderרָאָהבֵּןson: childson: childבֵּןשׂוּשׂto rejoiceto rejoiceשׂוּשׂאַרְבַּעfourfourאַרְבַּעאֶ֫לֶףcattlecattleאֶ֫לֶףמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהאֶ֫לֶףthousandthousandאֶ֫לֶףמִשְׁפָּחָהfamilyfamilyמִשְׁפָּחָהנָשִׂיאleaderleaderנָשִׂיאגָּדGadGadגָּדחֲנוֹךְHanochHanochחֲנוֹךְלַ֫יְלָהnightnightלַ֫יְלָהחָמֵשׁfivefiveחָמֵשׁכֶּ֫בֶשׂlamblambכֶּ֫בֶשׂאַמָּהcubitcubitאַמָּהחֲמִשִּׁיםfiftyfiftyחֲמִשִּׁים
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Numbers 1:21

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.

enrolled [men] their of [the] tribe of Reuben [were] six and forty thousand and five hundred
פְּקֻדֵיהֶ֖םpe.ku.dei.Hem enrolled [men] their H6485 Verb qal participle (passive) masculine plural common · suffix
303× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to visit or oversee, and can imply a range of actions, from friendly to hostile. It is used in various contexts, including appointing, avenging, or delivering something into someone's care. The KJV translates it in many ways, including appoint, avenge, or commit.
Amplified meaning
numbered, counted, or reckoned
Tyndale gloss
to reckon: list
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פָּקַד (paqad) is a Hebrew verb that encompasses a range of meanings including to attend to, visit, muster, appoint, and punish. It can imply oversight or care, as well as the act of seeking or lacking something. The word can also be used in various grammatical forms, indicating actions such as being appointed or being visited upon. The plural form פְּקוּדִים refers to musterings or expenses.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פָּקַד 303 vb. attend to, visit, muster, appoint

Qal

pay attention to, observe (with care, practical interest)

attend to, in act, see to

seek (with interest, desire)

seek in vain, need, miss, lack

specif. visit, c. acc., for different purposes

c. עַל pers., visit upon

pass in review, muster (nearly = number), c. acc.

appoint

Niph.

be (sought, i.e. needed) missed, lacking

be visited (graciously)

be visited upon, עַל pers.

be appointed

Pi. (intens.) muster a host

Pu. be passed in review; be caused to miss, deprived

Hithp. be mustered

Hothp. id.

Hiph.

c. acc. pers. set (over), make overseer

c. acc. rei (implic.)

commit, entrust

deposit

Hoph.

be visited in punishment

be deposited

be made overseer

base

[פְּקוּדִים] n.pl.[m.] abstr. musterings, i.e. expenses;—cstr. Ex 38:21

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6485a פָּקַד attend to, visit, muster, appoint .. . . pay attention to, observe (with care, practical interest)

. attend to, in act, see to

. seek (with interest, desire)

. seek in vain, need, miss, lack

. specif. visit, c. acc., for different purposes

. c. עַל pers., visit upon

. pass in review, muster (nearly = number), c. acc.

. appoint

. . be (sought, i.e. needed) missed, lacking

. be visited (graciously)

. be visited upon, עַל pers.

. be appointed

. (intens.) muster a host

. be passed in review; be caused to miss, deprived

. be mustered

. id.

. . c. acc. pers. set (over), make overseer

. c. acc. rei (implic.) . commit, entrust

. deposit

. . be visited in punishment

. be deposited

. be made overseer

H6485b פְּקוּדִים n. pl. [m.] abstr. musterings, i.e. expenses

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6485 paqad paw-kad'

a primitive root; to visit (with friendly or hostile intent);

by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss,

deposit, etc.:--appoint, X at all, avenge, bestow, (appoint

to have the, give a) charge, commit, count, deliver to keep,

be empty, enjoin, go see, hurt, do judgment, lack, lay up,

look, make, X by any means, miss, number, officer, (make)

overseer, have (the) oversight, punish, reckon, (call to)

remember(-brance), set (over), sum, X surely, visit, want.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּקַד (pa.qad) — to reckon: list.

: list/count

1) to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to pay attention to, observe

1a2) to attend to

1a3) to seek, look about for

1a4) to seek in vain, need, miss, lack

1a5) to visit

1a6) to visit upon, punish

1a7) to pass in review, muster, number

1a8) to appoint, assign, lay upon as a charge, deposit

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be sought, be needed, be missed, be lacking

1b2) to be visited

1b3) to be visited upon

1b4) to be appointed

1b5) to be watched over

1c) (Piel) to muster, call up

1d) (Pual) to be passed in review, be caused to miss, be called, be called to account

1e) (Hiphil)

1e1) to set over, make overseer, appoint an overseer

1e2) to commit, entrust, commit for care, deposit

1f) (Hophal)

1f1) to be visited

1f2) to be deposited

1f3) to be made overseer, be entrusted

1g) (Hithpael) numbered

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Inf-c | Suff — Verb qal participle (passive) masculine plural common · suffix
HVqsmpc/Sp3mp
enrolled [men] their of [the] tribe of Reuben [were] six and forty thousand and five hundred
לְמַטֵּ֣הle.ma.Teh of [the] tribe of H4294 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
252× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word can mean a tribe, like the 12 tribes of Israel, or a staff, like the one Moses used to lead his people in Exodus 4:2.
Amplified meaning
family
Tyndale gloss
tribe
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַטֶּה 251 n.m.

staff, rod, shaft

branch

tribe

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4294 מַטֶּה . staff, rod, shaft

. branch

. tribe

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

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)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

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…

enrolled [men] their of [the] tribe of Reuben [were] six and forty thousand and five hundred
רְאוּבֵ֑ןre.'u.Ven Reuben H7205 Noun proper masculine
72× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah, and the ancestor of the tribe of Reuben. He is mentioned in Genesis as the brother of Simeon, Levi, and Judah, and the father of Hanoch and Pallu.
Amplified meaning
the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah
Tyndale gloss
Reuben
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רְאוּבֵן 71 n.pr.m. Reuben

eldest son of Jacob and Leah

as name of clan or tribe

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7205 רְאוּבֵן Reuben

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(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…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

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…

enrolled [men] their of [the] tribe of Reuben [were] six and forty thousand and five hundred
שִׁשָּׁ֧הshi.Shah [were] six H8337 Adj
216× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means the number six, and is often used in the Bible to describe measurements, like the six days of creation in Genesis 1.
Amplified meaning
were counted as, forty-six thousand five hundred, six and forty thousand and five hundred
Tyndale gloss
six
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שֵׁשׁ, transliterated as shesh, means 'six' and can function as both a cardinal and ordinal number, indicating the sixth position. It is a primitive number that signifies an excess beyond five, as noted in the entries. The Aramaic equivalent is שֵׁת (shet).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֵׁשׁ, שִׁשָּׁה 216 n.m. et f. six

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8337 שֵׁשׁ, שִׁשָּׁה six

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8337 shesh shaysh

masculine shishshah {shish-shaw'}; a primitive number; six

(as an overplus (see 7797) beyond five or the fingers of the

hand); as ord. sixth:--six((-teen, -teenth)), sixth.

see HEBREW for 07797

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֵׁשׁ (shesh) — six.

1) six

1a) six (cardinal number)

1b) sixth (ordinal number)

1c) in combination with other numbers

Aramaic equivalent: shet (שֵׁת "six" H8353)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAcbsa
enrolled [men] their of [the] tribe of Reuben [were] six and forty thousand and five hundred
וְאַרְבָּעִ֛יםve.'ar.ba.'Im and forty H705 Conjunction
136× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The number forty is what this Hebrew word represents, often used in the Bible to mark significant periods of time, like the 40 days of rain in Genesis or the 40 years of Israel's wilderness journey.
Tyndale gloss
forty
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַרְבָּעִים (arba`iym) simply means 'forty' in Hebrew. It is a multiple of the number 702 and is consistently defined across various lexicons. There are no significant disagreements among the entries regarding its meaning.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַרְבָּעִים a forty

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H705 אַרְבָּעִים a forty

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

705 'arba`iym ar-baw-eem'

multiple of 702; forty:---forty.

see HEBREW for 0702

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַרְבָּעִים (ar.ba.im) — forty.

forty

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Acmpa — Conjunction
HC/Acmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

for'-ti ('arba`im; tessarakonta).

See FOUR (5); NUMBER.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Remarkable coincidences in the number

→ DAYS

Of rain, at the time of the flood Ge 7:17

Of flood, before sending forth the raven Ge 8:6

For embalming Ge 50:3

Of fasting

By Moses Ex 24:18; 34:28; De 9:9,25

By Elijah 1Ki 19:8

By spies in the land of promise Nu 13:25

Of probation, given to the Ninevites Jon 3:4

By Jesus Mt 4:2

Christ's stay after the resurrection Ac 1:3

enrolled [men] their of [the] tribe of Reuben [were] six and forty thousand and five hundred
אֶ֖לֶף'E.lef thousand H505
506× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A thousand, as in Exodus 20:6 where God shows love to thousands of people. It represents a large number or a company of people under one leader, like an army or a group of soldiers.
Tyndale gloss
thousand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶ֫לֶף (eleph) means 'thousand' in Hebrew. It can refer to the numeral itself or denote a company or clan, particularly a group of men under one leader. The word is built from the concept of a thousand, and it is associated with the ox's head, which is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫לֶף n.m. thousand

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H505 אֶ֫לֶף thousand

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

505 'eleph eh'-lef

prop, the same as 504; hence (the ox's head being the first

letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral)

a thousand:--thousand.

see HEBREW for 0504

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand.

: thousand

1) a thousand

1a) as numeral

2) a thousand, company

2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops

אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand: clan.

: clan

1) a thousand

1a) as numeral

2) a thousand, company

2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HAcbsa
HAcbsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

thou'-zand ('eleph; chilioi).

See NUMBER.

enrolled [men] their of [the] tribe of Reuben [were] six and forty thousand and five hundred
וַחֲמֵ֥שׁva.cha.Mesh and five H2568 Conjunction
343× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word simply means the number five. It is used throughout the Bible to describe quantities of five, such as five loaves of bread in Matthew 14:17. It can also mean a multiple of five.
Tyndale gloss
five
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חָמֵשׁ (chamesh) means 'five' in Hebrew. It serves as both a cardinal number and can indicate a multiple of five when combined with another number. The word also has an ordinal form, 'fifth.' The entries consistently define this numeral without any noted disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָמֵשׁ, חֲמִשָּׁה 342 n.m. and f. five

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2568 חָמֵשׁ, חֲמִשָּׁה five

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2568 chamesh khaw-maysh'

masculine chamishshah {kham-ish-shaw}; a primitive numeral;

five:--fif(-teen), fifth, five (X apiece).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָמֵשׁ (cha.mesh) — five.

1) five

1a) five (cardinal number)

1b) a multiple of five (with another number)

1c) fifth (ordinal number)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Acbsc — Conjunction
HC/Acbsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fiv (chamesh; pente).

See NUMBER.

enrolled [men] their of [the] tribe of Reuben [were] six and forty thousand and five hundred
מֵאֽוֹת׃ פme.'ot hundred H3967
581× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means a hundred, used as a simple number or part of a larger number in the Bible. It appears in various forms, including fractions like one one-hundredth. Found in books like Genesis and Psalms.
Tyndale gloss
hundred
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מֵאָה (me'ah) means 'hundred' in Hebrew. It can refer to a simple number, a component of a larger number, or a fraction representing one one-hundredth. The entries consistently describe its use as a numeral without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֵאָה 583 n.f. hundred

as simple number

as part of larger number

a hundredth part

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3967 מֵאָה hundred . as simple number

. as part of larger number

. a hundredth part

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3967 me'ah may-aw'

or metyah {may-yaw'}; properly, a primitive numeral; a

hundred; also as a multiplicative and a

fraction:--hundred((-fold), -th), + sixscore.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֵאָה (me.ah) — hundred.

1) hundred

1a) as simple number

1b) as part of larger number

1c) as a fraction-one one-hundredth (1/100)

Aramaic equivalent: me.ah (מְאָה "hundred" H3969)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HAcfpa
HAcfpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).

See NUMBER.

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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