Numbers 26:14 — Word Study
WLCאֵ֖לֶּה מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת הַשִּׁמְעֹנִ֑י שְׁנַ֧יִם וְעֶשְׂרִ֛ים אֶ֖לֶף וּמָאתָֽיִם׃ ס
BSATheseʼêl-leh [specific, particular] were the clansmishpâchâh [families, tribes] of SimeonShimʻônîy [the Simeonite tribe] [and there were] 22,200shᵉnayim [numbered, counted, twenty-two thousand and two hundred, two and twenty thousand] men.mêʼâh [individuals, people]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אֵ֖לֶּה | these | Particle |
| מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת | [were] [the] clans of | Noun common, feminine plural construct |
| הַשִּׁמְעֹנִ֑י | the Simeonite[s] | Particle, noun gentilic masculine singular absolute |
| שְׁנַ֧יִם | two | Adj |
| וְעֶשְׂרִ֛ים | and twenty | Conjunction |
| אֶ֖לֶף | thousand | |
| וּמָאתָֽיִם׃ ס | and two hundred | Conjunction |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | These were the clans of Simeon, and there were 22,200 men. |
| KJV | These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred. |
| ASV | These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred. |
| YLT | These [are] families of the Simeonite, two and twenty thousand and two hundred. |
| WEB | These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand two hundred. |
| BBE | These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand, two hundred. |
Where they part company is שְׁנַ֧יִם — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence consists of a main clause identifying the clans followed by a subordinate clause providing the total count of men.
5 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Poole, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
subjectאֵלֶּה
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 — Numbers 26:14
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 Clans of Simeongenerated
Numbers 26:14 is part of a larger census of the Israelite tribes, where the descendants of Jacob are counted. This specific verse focuses on the tribe of Simeon, detailing their clans and the total number of men, which reflects the organization of the Israelite community as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. This census is significant for establishing the tribal identities and responsibilities within Israel.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numbers 1:22–23 | From 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, |
| 2 | Numbers 2:12–13 | The tribe of Simeon will camp next to it. The leader of the Simeonites is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אֵלֶּה, 'E.lehgenerated
The word אֵלֶּה ('E.leh) means 'these' and is used to specify particular items or people. It indicates a direct reference to the clans being discussed, emphasizing their importance in the context of the census.
This particle is often used in apposition to a noun, reinforcing the identity of the subject. Its frequent occurrence in the Hebrew Bible highlights its role in pointing out specific groups or individuals, as seen in various contexts throughout the text.
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. The BSB has these, and so do the KJV and ASV: all three maintain the specificity of אֵלֶּה.
Where others part company with the BSB they part company over the rendering of שְׁנַ֧יִם — two (ASV, KJV) versus numbered (FBV, ULB) and two and twenty thousand (YLT). The variations reflect different emphases on the counting aspect of the number.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause is governed by the subject אֵ֖לֶּה, these, followed by a predicate that identifies the clans of Simeon. The structure highlights the enumeration of the clans and the total count of men, emphasizing the importance of these numbers in the context of the Israelite community.
The sentence flows from the identification of the clans to the numerical detail, showcasing the Hebrew tendency to present information in a straightforward, declarative manner.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אֵלֶּה as οὗτοι (houtoi), meaning 'these'. This choice maintains the specificity of the Hebrew term, indicating a direct reference to the clans.
The Greek word δῆμοι for מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת suggests a broader interpretation, as it can mean 'people' or 'communities', which may reflect the translators' understanding of the clans as distinct groups within the larger Israelite community.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 26:14 tells us about the clans of Simeon and states that there were a total of 22,200 men. This verse is part of a census that counts the descendants of the tribes of Israel as they prepare to enter the Promised Land.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The number 22,200 represents the total count of men from the clans of Simeon during the census recorded in Numbers.
The census is important for establishing the tribal identities and responsibilities within Israel as they prepare to enter the Promised Land.
The term 'clans' refers to the extended families or tribes within the larger tribe of Simeon, emphasizing their social structure.
This verse connects to other census accounts in the Bible, such as in Numbers 1:22-23, where the tribes of Israel are counted for organization and preparation.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does this census tell us about the organization of the Israelite tribes?
- How can we understand the significance of family and clan in our own communities?
- In what ways does this verse reflect God's plan for His people?
- How do the numbers in this verse help us appreciate the scale of the Israelite community?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 26:14 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThese are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred. No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 26 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleWhereas there were 35,400 in . It is thought the example of Zimri, one of their princes, Numbers 25, and some others among them, did infect the generality of the tribe, and so caused this great diminution in their numbers.
Read Matthew Poole on Numbers 26 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(14) Twenty and two thousand and two hundred.—This shows a decrease of 37,100 in the tribe of Simeon. Zimri, the chief offender in the matter of Baal-peor, belonged to this tribe, and, as in the case of the Reubenites, it is probable that he had led astray many of his tribe with him. It is remarkable that this is the only tribe on which, according to the present Hebrew text,[127] no blessing was pronounced by Moses (Deuteronomy 33), and that in the allotment of the land of Canaan the inheritance of Simeon was only the remnant of that which was assigned to Judah (Joshua 19:9). [127] The “Codex Alexandrinus” inserts a clause: “Let Simeon be many in number.”
Read Charles John Ellicott on Numbers 26 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges5–51. The twelve secular tribes are numbered, the sacred tribe of Levi being omitted. The names are based upon Genesis 46:8-27, but with the addition of Ephraim and Manasseh, who, having been born in Egypt, could not be reckoned in Gen. among those who went down into Egypt. The total number at the first census, thirty-eight years before (ch. 1) was 603,550; now it Isaiah 601,730. The order of the tribes is the same, except that Manasseh (Numbers 26:29-34) precedes Ephraim (Numbers 26:35-37). Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Ephraim and Naphtali have decreased in numbers, while the other seven have increased. The impossibility of the figures is shewn in note on Numbers 1:46.
Read Cambridge on Numbers 26 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible14. Twenty and two thousand — A decrease of thirty-seven thousand one hundred must be ascribed to some remarkable cause.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 26 →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
These were the clans of Simeon, and there were 22,200 men.
These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand two hundred.
These were the clans of Simeon, and there were 22,200 men.
These were the families of the Simeonites, 22,200.
Tyndale line
These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred.
These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred.
These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred.
These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred.
These are the families of the Simeonites: two and twentie thousand and two hundreth.
Strictly literal
These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand two hundred.
These [are] families of the Simeonite, two and twenty thousand and two hundred.
These [are] families of the Simeonite—twenty-two thousand and two hundred.
These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred.
These were the clans of Simeon's descendants, who numbered 22,200 men.
From the Latin
These are the families of the stock of Simeon, of which the whole number was twenty-two thousand two hundred.
Simplified
These were the families descended from Simeon and they numbered 22,200.
These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand, two hundred.
Word by word, the decisions they made
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 Septuagint, which matches all seven words in the verse. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs in two words, using משׁפחות for clans and שׁמעוני for Simeonite, while the Dead Sea Scrolls show partial restoration but generally align with the Masoretic Text.
אֵ֖לֶּה מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת הַשִּׁמְעֹנִ֑י שְׁנַ֧יִם וְעֶשְׂרִ֛ים אֶ֖לֶף וּמָאתָֽיִם׃ ס
7 of the 7 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.
אלה משׁפחות השׁמעוני שׁנים ועשׂרים אלף ומאתים
2 words differ from the Masoretic Text: משׁפחות (clan), שׁמעוני (Simeonite)
אלה משפחות השמעוני [לפקודי׳הם] [שנים] [ועשרים] [אלף] [ומאתים]
2 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 5 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 Numbers 26:14
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.
אֵ֫לֶּה (el-leh) means 'these' and is used in various grammatical contexts, often in apposition to a noun with a pronoun suffix. It can appear with or without the definite article and is sometimes paired with other terms like וְאֵלֶּה (and these). The word conveys a sense of proximity or specification, referring to particular items or people.
אֵ֫לֶּה pr.pl.m. & f. these
in appos. to a subst. with a pron. suff. (always without the article)
repeated, אלה … ואלה, these … those
with the art. (but only after a subst. determined likewise by the art.)
with preps.
base
H428 אֵ֫לֶּה these . in appos. to a subst. with a pron. suff. (always without the article)
. repeated, אלה … ואלה, these … those
. with the art. (but only after a subst. determined likewise by the art.)
. with preps.
428 'el-leh ale'-leh
prolonged from 411; these or those:--an- (the) other; one
sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those,
thus, which, who(-m).
see HEBREW for 0411
אֵ֫לֶּה (el.leh) — these.
1) these
1a) used before antecedent
1b) used following antecedent
Aramaic equivalent: el.leh (אֵלֶּה "these" H0429)
Pron — ParticleHTm
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
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural constructHNcfpc
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…
שִׁמְעוֹנִי (shim`oniy) refers to a descendant of Simeon, one of the tribes of Israel. It is derived from the root word for Simeon, indicating a connection to the tribe or its members. The term appears in the context of genealogies and tribal identities, particularly in relation to Simeon's family, as noted in Genesis 29:33.
שִׁמְעוֹנִי adj.gent. c. art. as n.coll.
base
H8099 שִׁמְעוֹנִי, שִׁמְעֹנִי
8099 Shim`oniy shim-o-nee'
patronymically from 8095; a Shimonite (collectively) or
descendants of Shimon:--tribe of Simeon, Simeonites.
see HEBREW for 08095
שִׁמְעֹנִי (shim.o.ni) — Simeon.
Someone from the tribe of Simeon living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.33;
son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812);
brother of: Reuben (H7205), 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); married to Canaanite_woman (H3669);
father of: Jemuel (H3223), Jamin (H3226), Ohad (H0161), Jachin (H3199), Zerah (H2226L) and Shaul (H7586H)
Another name of shim.on (שִׁמְעוֹן "Simeon" H8095G)
§ Simeonites, of Simeon "harkening"
descendants of Simeon
Art | Ngmsa — Particle · noun gentilic masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ngmsa
שְׁנַ֫יִם (shnayim) means 'two' and serves as both a cardinal and ordinal number. It can denote 'both,' 'double,' or 'twice,' and is used in various combinations with other numbers. The word is derived as a dual form of שָׁנָה (shanah), which relates to the concept of pairs.
שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם 768 n.m. et f. du. two
base
H8147 שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם two
8147 shnayim shen-ah'-yim
dual of 8145; feminine shttayim {shet-tah'-yim}; two; also
(as ordinal) twofold:--both, couple, double, second, twain, +
twelfth, + twelve, + twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.
see HEBREW for 08145
שְׁנַ֫יִם (she.na.yim) — two.
1) two
1a) two (the cardinal number)
1a1) two, both, double, twice
1b) second (the ordinal number)
1c) in combination with other numbers
1d) both (a dual number)
Adj — AdjHAcbda
too.
See NUMBER.
עֶשְׂרִים (esriym) means 'twenty' and can also refer to the ordinal 'twentieth.' It is derived from the root word for 'ten' and has an Aramaic equivalent, עֶשְׂרִין (es.rin). The entries consistently define the term without significant disagreement.
עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
base
H6242 עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
6242 `esriym es-reem'
from 6235; twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth:--(six-)score,
twenty(-ieth).
see HEBREW for 06235
עֶשְׂרִים (es.rim) — twenty.
twenty, twentieth
Aramaic equivalent: es.rin (עֶשְׂרִין "twenty" H6243)
HC/Acmpa — ConjunctionHC/Acmpa
twen'-ti.
See NUMBER.
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.
אֶ֫לֶף n.m. thousand
base
H505 אֶ֫לֶף thousand
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
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
HAcbsa — HAcbsa
thou'-zand ('eleph; chilioi).
See NUMBER.
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.
מֵאָה 583 n.f. hundred
as simple number
as part of larger number
a hundredth part
base
H3967 מֵאָה hundred . as simple number
. as part of larger number
. a hundredth part
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.
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)
Conj | Adj — ConjunctionHC/Acfda
hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).
See NUMBER.