Numbers 3:23 — Word Study
WLCמִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת הַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֑י אַחֲרֵ֧י הַמִּשְׁכָּ֛ן יַחֲנ֖וּ יָֽמָּה׃
BSAThe GershoniteGêrᵉshunnîy [family or clan, descendant of Gershon, a Levite] clansmishpâchâh were to campchânâh▸ [pitch their tents, set up their encampment] on the westyâm [toward the sea, in a western direction] behindʼachar [after, in the rear of] the tabernaclemishkân [a special tent where God met with the Israelites]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| מִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת | [the] clans of | Noun common, feminine plural construct |
| הַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֑י | the Gershonite[s] | Particle, noun gentilic masculine singular absolute |
| אַחֲרֵ֧י | behind | Prep |
| הַמִּשְׁכָּ֛ן | the tabernacle | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| יַחֲנ֖וּ | they will encamp | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| יָֽמָּה׃ | west -ward | Noun common masculine singular absolute, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle, |
| KJV | The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward. |
| ASV | The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward. |
| YLT | The families of the Gershonite, behind the tabernacle, do encamp westward. |
| WEB | The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward. |
| BBE | The tents of the Gershonites are to be placed at the back of the House, to the west. |
Where they part company is יַחֲנ֖וּ — see How Translations Differ.
One main verb with two phrases describing location. This structure clarifies the specific instructions given to the Gershonite clans.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
verbחָנָה
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 3:23
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 Arrangement of the Israelite Campsgenerated
Numbers 3:23 describes how the Gershonite clans, descendants of Gershon, were to camp on the west side of the tabernacle. This arrangement was part of a larger structure for organizing the Israelite community as they traveled through the wilderness, ensuring that each tribe had its designated place and role.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numbers 1:53 | But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the tabernacle of the Testimony.” |
| 2 | Numbers 2:17 | In the middle of the camps, the Tent of Meeting is to travel with the camp of the Levites. They are to set out in the order they encamped, each in his own place under his standard. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת, mish.pe.Chotgenerated
The word מִשְׁפָּחָה (mishpachah) refers to a family or clan, emphasizing the importance of family ties within the Israelite community. It can also denote a tribe or nation, illustrating the interconnectedness of the people of Israel.
As a feminine plural construct, it indicates multiple clans or families, highlighting the collective identity of the Gershonites as part of the larger Levitical tribe.
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 יַחֲנ֖וּ, they will encamp, governs the entire sentence, with a noun phrase as the subject and a series of prepositional phrases providing additional information about location. The structure indicates a clear directive regarding where the Gershonite clans are to set up their tents.
The word order places emphasis on the clans as the subject, followed by their action and the location, which is a common structure in Hebrew that conveys clarity and purpose.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates הַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֑י as γεδσων, indicating a direct connection to the Gershonites and their identity as descendants of Gershon. This choice maintains the familial link present in the Hebrew text.
The translation of אַחֲרֵ֧י as ὀπίσω suggests a spatial relationship similar to the Hebrew, reinforcing the concept of positioning behind the tabernacle.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 3:23 tells us that the Gershonite clans, who are descendants of Gershon, were instructed to camp on the west side of the tabernacle. This shows how the Israelites were organized during their travels in the wilderness, with specific roles for each clan.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies their designated role and place within the Israelite community, ensuring that they were organized in a way that honored God's presence.
The location emphasizes the structure of the Israelite encampment, with the tabernacle at the center, symbolizing God's dwelling among His people.
They were responsible for the care and transport of the tabernacle and its components, as outlined in other passages such as Numbers 3:25.
It illustrates the careful organization and structure God provided for His people as they journeyed, highlighting the importance of community and order.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I see the importance of community and organization in my own life?
- How can I better understand my role within my community, similar to the Gershonite clans?
- What responsibilities do I have that contribute to the well-being of those around me?
- How does knowing God's presence is with us, as symbolized by the tabernacle, affect my daily life?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 3:23 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThe families of the Gershonites,.... The two before mentioned, the Libnites and Shimites: shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward; this was their situation when encamped; they were placed in the
Read John Gill on Numbers 3 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, Number the children of Levi.
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 3 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(23) Behind the tabernacle westward.—As the position of the twelve tribes in respect of the tent of meeting had been already determined, so in this and the following verses the position of the priests and Levites is fixed. On the east side of the tent Moses and Aaron and Aaron’s sons were to encamp, on the south the Kohathites, on the west the Gershonites, on the north the Merarites.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Numbers 3 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges23. behind] The usual expression for ‘westward,’ because the Hebrew faced eastward when thinking of the points of the compass; cf. Exodus 3:1, Deuteronomy 11:30, Judges 18:12, Isaiah 9:12. With the characteristic tautology of the priestly style another word for ‘westward’ is added; cf. Numbers 3:38, Exodus 27:9. The latter denotes literally ‘towards the sea,’ shewing that the narrator was in Palestine when he wrote, the Mediterranean being the sea referred to.
Read Cambridge on Numbers 3 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle,
The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward.
The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle,
The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle toward the west.
Tyndale line
The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward.
The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward.
The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward.
The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward.
The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the Tabernacle westward.
Strictly literal
The families of the Gershonites encamped behind the tabernacle westward.
The families of the Gershonite, behind the tabernacle, do encamp westward.
The families of the Gershonite encamp westward behind the Dwelling Place.
The families of the Gershunites used to encamp behind the tabernacle, westward.
The clans of the Gershonites must camp on the west side of the tabernacle.
From the Latin
These shall pitch behind the tabernacle on the west,
Simplified
The camp of families of Gershon was to the west, behind the Tabernacle.
The tents of the Gershonites are to be placed at the back of the House, to the west.
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 and the Septuagint agree closely, with four of the six words matching. However, the Samaritan Pentateuch differs by using the term גרשׁוני (Gershonite) instead of הַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֑י, indicating a slight variation in the naming of the clans.
מִשְׁפְּחֹ֖ת הַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּ֑י אַחֲרֵ֧י הַמִּשְׁכָּ֛ן יַחֲנ֖וּ יָֽמָּה׃
4 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.
משׁפחת הגרשׁוני אחרי המשׁכן יחנו ימה
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: גרשׁוני (Gershonite)
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 3:23
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.
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…
גֵּרְשֻׁנִּי (Gershunniy) refers to a Gershonite, a descendant of Gershon, the firstborn son of Levi. This term is used to describe members of the Levitical tribe, specifically those related to Gershon, and is linked to the family structure in the Old Testament, particularly in Genesis 46:11.
גֵּרְשֻׁנִּי adj.gent. c. art. as subst. collect.
base
H1649 גֵּרְשֻׁנִּי
1649 Gershunniy gay-resh-oon-nee'
patronymically from 1648; a Gereshonite or descendant of
Gereshon:--Gershonite, sons of Gershon.
see HEBREW for 01648
גֵּרְשֻׁנִּי (ge.re.shun.ni) — Gershonite.
Someone descended from Gershon who was a man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.11;
son of: Levi (H3878);
brother of: Kohath (H6955), Merari (H4847) and Jochebed (H3115);
father of: Libni (H3845) and Shimei (H8096); also called Gershom at 1Ch.6.16,17,20,43,62,71; 15.7;
Group of ge.re.shon (גֵּרְשׁוֹן "Gershon" H1648)
§ Gershonite , of Geshur
a descendant of Gershon, firstborn son of Levi
Art | Ngmsa — Particle · noun gentilic masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ngmsa
The Hebrew word אַחַר (*achar*) primarily denotes the concept of 'after' or 'behind' in both spatial and temporal contexts. It functions as a substantive, adverb, preposition, and conjunction, indicating a following part or time. The related form אַחֲרַי (*acharai*) refers to a person who turns backwards. There is a reference to Proverbs 28:23 in relation to the latter.
אַחַר prop. subst. the hinder or following part
adv.
of place, behind
of time, afterwards
prep.
of place, behind, after
of time, after
conj. after that.
H310a אַחַר prop. subst. the hinder or following part . adv. . of place, behind
. of time, afterwards
. prep. . of place, behind, after
. of time, after
. conj. after that.
H310b אַחֲרַי a man that turneth backwards.
310 'achar akh-ar'
from 309; properly, the hind part; generally used as an
adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses):--after
(that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side),
behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from,
hereafter, hinder end, + out (over) live, + persecute,
posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth),
when, with.
see HEBREW for 0309
אַחַר (a.char) — after.
1) after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time)
1a) as an adverb
1a1) behind (of place)
1a2) afterwards (of time)
1b) as a preposition
1b1) behind, after (of place)
1b2) after (of time)
1b3) besides
1c) as a conjunction
1c) after that
1d) as a substantive
1d1) hinder part
1e) with other prepositions
1e1) from behind
1e2) from following after
אַחֲרַי (a.cha.ray) — backwards.
backwards (of a man that turns backwards)
Prep — PrepHAcmpc
מִשְׁכָּן (mishkan) means 'dwelling-place' or 'tabernacle.' It is derived from a root meaning to dwell and can refer to various types of residences, including the Tabernacle in the Old Testament. The term encompasses both literal and figurative meanings, such as a grave or the Temple.
מִשְׁכָּן 139 n.m. dwelling-place, ‘tabernacle’
base
H4908 מִשְׁכָּן dwelling-place, ‘tabernacle’
4908 mishkan mish-kawn'
from 7931; a residence (including a shepherd's hut, the lair
of animals, figuratively, the grave; also the Temple);
specifically, the Tabernacle (properly, its wooden
walls):--dwelleth, dwelling (place), habitation, tabernacle,
tent.
see HEBREW for 07931
מִשְׁכָּן (mish.kan) — tabernacle.
1) dwelling place, tabernacle
1a) dwelling-place
1b) dwellings
Aramaic equivalent: mish.kan (מִשְׁכַּן "habitation" H4907)
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
tab'-er-na-k'l ('ohel mo`edh "tent of meeting," mishkan, "dwelling"; skene):
A. STRUCTURE AND HISTORY
I. INTRODUCTORY
1. Earlier "Tent of Meeting"
2. A Stage in Revelation
3. The Tabernacle Proper
II. STRUCTURE
1. The Enclosure or Court
2. Structure, Divisions and Furniture of the Tabernacle
(1) Coverings of the Tabernacle (Exodus 26:1-14; 36:8-19)
(a) Tabernacle Covering Proper
(b) Tent Covering
(c) Protective Covering
(2) Framework and Divisions of the Tabernacle (Exodus 26:15-37; 36:20-38)
Arrangement of Coverings
(3) Furniture of the Sanctuary
(a) The Table of Shewbread
(b) The Candlestick (Lampstand)
(c) The Altar of Incense
III. HISTORY
1. Removal from Sinai
2. Sojourn at Kadesh
3. Settlement in Canaan
4. Destruction of Shiloh
5. Delocalization of Worship
6. Nob and Gibeon
7. Restoration of the Ark
Tabernacle
(1.) A house or dwelling-place (Job 5:24; 18:6, etc.).
(2.) A portable shrine (comp. Acts 19:24) containing the image of Moloch (Amos 5:26; marg. and R.V., “Siccuth”).
(3.) The human body (2 Cor. 5:1, 4); a tent, as opposed to a permanent dwelling.
(4.) The sacred tent (Heb. mishkan, “the dwelling-place”); the movable tent-temple which Moses erected for the service of God, according to the “pattern” which God himself showed to him on the mount (Ex. 25:9; Heb. 8:5). It is called “the tabernacle of the congregation,” rather “of meeting”, i.e., where God…
The tabernacle was the tent of Jehovah, called by the same name as the tents of the people in the midst of which it stood. It was also called the sanctuary and the tabernacle of the congregation. The first ordinance given to Moses, after the proclamation of the outline of the law from Sinai, related to the ordering of the tabernacle, its furniture and its service as the type which was to be followed when the people came to their own home and "found a place" for the abode of God. During the forty days of Moses’ first retirement with God in Sinai, an exact pattern of the whole was shown him, and all was made according to it. (Exodus 25:9,40; 26:30; 39:32,42,43; Numbers 8:4; Acts 7:44;
A tent, booth, pavilion, or temporary dwelling. For its general meaning and uses, see TENT. In the Scriptures it is employed more particularly of the tent made by Moses at the command of God, for the place of religious worship of the Hebrews, before the building of the temple. The directions of God, and the account of the execution of them, are contained in Ex 25:1-40, and the following chapters. This is usually called the tabernacle of the congregation, or tent of assembly, and sometimes the tabernacle of the testimony.
The tabernacle was of an oblong rectangular form, thirty cubits long, ten broad, and ten in height, Ex 26.15-30; 36.20-30; that is, about fifty-five feet long, eighteen broad, and eighteen high. The two sides and the western end were formed of boards of shittim wood, overlaid with thin plates of gold, and fixed in…
חָנָה (chanah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to decline, bend down, or encamp. It conveys the idea of inclining or settling, particularly in the context of pitching a tent or establishing a temporary dwelling. The word appears in various forms, including the act of encamping or laying siege. It is associated with the imagery of the evening's slanting rays and the conclusion of a day's journey.
חָנָה 143 vb. decline, bend down, encamp
Qal
decline, of day drawing to its close
encamp (prop. verge toward, incline to, settle at, of goal of day’s march)
base
H2583 חָנָה decline, bend down, encamp
2583 chanah khaw-naw'
a primitive root (compare 2603); properly, to incline; by
implication, to decline (of the slanting rays of evening);
specifically, to pitch a tent; gen. to encamp (for abode or
siege):--abide (in tents), camp, dwell, encamp, grow to an
end, lie, pitch (tent), rest in tent.
see HEBREW for 02603
חָנָה (cha.nah) — to camp.
1) to decline, incline, encamp, bend down, lay siege against
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to decline
1a2) to encamp
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVqi3mp
Encamp
An encampment was the resting-place for a longer or shorter period of an army or company of travellers (Ex. 13:20; 14:19; Josh. 10:5; 11:5).
The manner in which the Israelites encamped during their march through the wilderness is described in Num. 2 and 3. The order of the encampment (see CAMP) was preserved in the march (Num. 2:17), the signal for which was the blast of two silver trumpets. Detailed regulations affecting the camp for sanitary purposes are given (Lev. 4:11, 12; 6:11; 8:17; 10:4, 5; 13:46; 14:3; Num. 12:14, 15; 31:19; Deut. 23:10, 12).
יָם (yam) means 'sea' and refers to various large bodies of water, including the Mediterranean, Red, and Dead Seas, as well as the Sea of Galilee. It can also denote a mighty river like the Nile and has geographical implications, indicating directions such as west or south. The term is derived from a root meaning to roar, suggesting the noise of breaking surf.
יָם 390 n.m. sea
base
H3220 יָם sea
3220 yam yawm
from an unused root meaning to roar; a sea (as breaking in
noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the
article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or
an artifical basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the
south:--sea (X -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern,
side, -ward).
יָם (yam) — sea.
: sea
1) sea
1a) Mediterranean Sea
1b) Red Sea
1c) Dead Sea
1d) Sea of Galilee
1e) sea (general)
1f) mighty river (Nile)
1g) the sea (the great basin in the temple court)
1h) seaward, west, westward
יָם (yam) — sea: west.
: west
1) sea
1a) Mediterranean Sea
1b) Red Sea
1c) Dead Sea
1d) Sea of Galilee
1e) sea (general)
1f) mighty river (Nile)
1g) the sea (the great basin in the temple court)
1h) seaward, west, westward
יָם (yam) — (Mt. Ephron in the) West.
This name means sea, seaward, westward
Another name of eph.ron (עֶפְרוֹן "(Mount )Ephron" H6085H)
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular absolute · suffixHNcmsa/Sd
word: "Ward" and "guard" are two different spellings of the same word, and in consequence no clear line can be drawn between them. English Versions of the Bible, however, has used "guard" only in the sense of "a special body of soldiers" (Ge 37:36, etc.), while "ward" is used, not only in this sense (Jer 37:13; contrast 39:9), but also in a variety of others. So a "ward" may mean "any body of men on special duty," as 1Ch 9:23; the King James Version 1Ch 26:16; Ne 12:24,25 (the Revised Version (British and American) "watch"), or the duty itself, as Isa 21:8;
Ward
A prison (Gen. 40:3, 4); a watch-station (Isa. 21:8); a guard (Neh. 13:30).