Numbers 4:36 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּהְי֥וּ פְקֻדֵיהֶ֖ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם אַלְפַּ֕יִם שְׁבַ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת וַחֲמִשִּֽׁים׃
BSAAnd thosehâyâh▸ numberedpâqad [counted, reckoned] by their clansmishpâchâh [families, tribes] totaled 2,750ʼeleph [amounted to, were found to be, two thousand seven hundred and fifty, a large company]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּהְי֥וּ | and they were | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| פְקֻדֵיהֶ֖ם | enrolled [men] their | Verb qal participle (passive) masculine plural common, suffix |
| לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם | to clans their | Preposition, noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
| אַלְפַּ֕יִם | two thousand | Adj |
| שְׁבַ֥ע | seven | |
| מֵא֖וֹת | hundred | |
| וַחֲמִשִּֽׁים׃ | and fifty | Conjunction |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | And those numbered by their clans totaled 2,750. |
| KJV | And those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty. |
| ASV | and those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty. |
| YLT | and their numbered ones, by their families, are two thousand seven hundred and fifty. |
| WEB | Those who were counted of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred fifty. |
| BBE | And the number of all these was two thousand, seven hundred and fifty. |
Where they part company is אַלְפַּ֕יִם — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has a main clause followed by a verb phrase that provides the total count, reflecting a straightforward structure.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, AdamClarke, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
verbהָיָה
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 4:36
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 Kohathitesgenerated
Numbers 4:36 presents the total count of the Kohathite clans, highlighting the importance of organization within the Israelite community as they prepare for their duties at the Tent of Meeting. This census reflects the structure of the tribes and their roles, ensuring that each clan is accounted for in the service to God.
Cross References
The Key Word — פְקֻדֵיהֶם, fe.ku.dei.Hemgenerated
The word פָּקַד (paqad) is a passive participle meaning 'enrolled' or 'counted'. It implies oversight, often in the context of military or administrative duties. The parsing indicates that it is a masculine plural form, suggesting that it refers to a group of men who have been counted.
This term is significant in this verse as it denotes the act of counting or reckoning the men by their clans, indicating a structured approach to their organization and responsibilities.
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 two thousand, and so do the KJV, ASV, YLT, and others, maintaining the full count of 2,750.
Where others part company with the BSB they part company over the rendering of אַלְפַּ֕יִם — two thousand seven hundred and fifty (ASV, KJV) versus two thousand (WEB, BBE). This split indicates different approaches to the numerical expression.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb וַיִּהְי֥וּ (vai.yih.Yu) governs the entire sentence, establishing the state of being for the subject. The structure is straightforward, with a subject noun phrase followed by a prepositional phrase and a numeral phrase indicating the total count.
The sentence flows logically, moving from the subject and action to the details of the count, reflecting a clear and organized presentation of information.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates וַיִּהְי֥וּ as ἐγένετο (egeneto), which also conveys the sense of 'it came to pass' or 'it happened'. This choice aligns with the narrative style of the Septuagint, emphasizing the occurrence of the counting.
The use of αὐτῶν for לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם suggests a focus on the clans themselves, maintaining the connection to the Israelite families.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 4:36 tells us that the total number of men counted by their clans was 2,750. This verse is part of the census of the Israelite clans, emphasizing their organization and roles in serving at the Tent of Meeting.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It indicates that the Israelites were organized into families and tribes, each with specific roles in their community and service.
This number represents a large company of men prepared for service, highlighting the importance of organization in the Israelite community.
The census reflects the structure and order that God established for His people as they prepared to enter the Promised Land.
The Kohathites were responsible for carrying the sacred items of the Tabernacle, highlighting their importance in the worship and service of God.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does the organization of the Israelite clans reflect God's order in our lives today?
- What can we learn from the way the Israelites were counted and organized for service?
- In what ways can I contribute to the organization and service of my community?
- How does understanding the roles of different clans help us appreciate the diversity in the body of Christ?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 4:36 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd those that were numbered of them by their families,.... [See comments on Numbers 4:34].
Read John Gill on Numbers 4 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Moses and Aaron and the chief of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites after their families, and after the house of their fathers, Moses and Aaron ... This enumeration was made on
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 4 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 36. Those that were numbered] In Numbers 3:27, c., we have an account of the whole number of the Levites, and here of those only who were able to serve the Lord in the sanctuary. By comparing the two places we find the numbers to stand thus: - KOHATHITES Able men Unable Total 2,750 5,850 ----- 8,600 GERSHONITES 2,630 4,870 ----- 7,500 MERARITES 3,200 3,000 ----- 6,200 Thus we find that the whole number of the Levites amounted to 22,300, of whom 3,580 were fit for service, and 13.720 unfit, being either too old or too young. What an astonishing number of men, all properly eccleslastics all performing some service by which God was glorified, and the congregation at large benefited! See…
Read AdamClarke on Numbers 4 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges34–49. A detailed statement that Moses and Aaron numbered the men between the ages of 30 and 50 in the three Levitical families, as had been commanded.
Read Cambridge on Numbers 4 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleCENSUS OF LEVITES, Numbers 4:34-49.The results of the enumeration of Levites between thirty and fifty years are here tabulated, together with the number of incompetents and the
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 4 →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
And those numbered by their clans totaled 2,750.
Those who were counted of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred fifty.
And those numbered by their clans totaled 2,750.
and those of them numbered by their families were 2,750.
Tyndale line
And those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.
and those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.
and those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.
And those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.
So the nombers of the throughout their families were two thousande, seuen hundreth and fiftie.
Strictly literal
And those that were numbered of them according to their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.
and their numbered ones, by their families, are two thousand seven hundred and fifty.
and their numbered ones, by their families, are two thousand seven hundred and fifty.
And those that were numbered of them after their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.
They counted 2,750 men by their clans.
From the Latin
And they were found two thousand seven hundred and fifty.
Simplified
The total by families was 2,750.
And the number of all these was two thousand, seven hundred and fifty.
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 and the Samaritan Pentateuch differ in one word: the Samaritan uses משׁפחותם (clans) instead of מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם (families). The Septuagint agrees closely with the Masoretic Text, matching five of the seven words.
וַיִּהְי֥וּ פְקֻדֵיהֶ֖ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם אַלְפַּ֕יִם שְׁבַ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת וַחֲמִשִּֽׁים׃
5 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.
ויהיו פקדיהם למשׁפחותם אלפים ושׁבע מאות וחמשׁים
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: משׁפחותם (clan)
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 4:36
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 הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be
Qal
Fall out, happen
occur, take place, come about, come to pass
esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass
וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
Come into being, become
abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
sq. prep.
become
sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
sq. pred. adj.
become like
sq. pred. לְ pers.
sq. לְ pred.
oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.
with עַל and לְ
sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)
exist, be in existence
abide, remain, continue
with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie
as copula, joining subj. & pred.
H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen
. occur, take place, come about, come to pass
. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
. sq. prep.
. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
. sq. pred. adj.
. become like
. sq. pred. + לְ pers.
. sq. לְ pred.
. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.
. with עַל and לְ
. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence
. abide, remain, continue
1961 hayah haw-yaw
a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,
come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or
auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,
committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,
fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit
(one-)self, require, X use.
see HEBREW for 01933
הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.
1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) ---
1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass
1a1b) to come about, come to pass
1a2) to come into being, become
1a2a) to arise, appear, come
1a2b) to become
1a2b1) to become
1a2b2) to become like
1a2b3) to be instituted, be established
1a3) to be
1a3a) to exist, be in existence
1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)
1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)
1a3d) to accompany, be with
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about
1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine pluralHc/Vqw3mp
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.
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
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
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.
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
V-Qal-Inf-c | Suff — Verb qal participle (passive) masculine plural common · suffixHVqsmpc/Sp3mp
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
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
Adj — AdjHAcbda
thou'-zand ('eleph; chilioi).
See NUMBER.
שֶׁ֫בַע (sheba`) means 'seven' and is a cardinal number. It can also imply 'seven times' or refer to a week. The term appears in various contexts, including combinations like 17 or 700. Its Aramaic equivalent is שִׁבְעָה (shiv.ah), also meaning 'seven'.
שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה 394 n.m. et f. seven
base
H7651 שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה seven
7651 sheba` sheh'-bah
or (masculine) shibrah {shib-aw'}; from 7650; a primitive
cardinal number; seven (as the sacred full one); also
(adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by
extension, an indefinite number:--(+ by) seven(-fold),-s,
(-teen, -teenth), -th, times). Compare 7658.
see HEBREW for 07650
see HEBREW for 07658
שֶׁ֫בַע (she.va) — seven.
1) seven (cardinal number)
1a) as ordinal number
1b) in combination-17, 700 etc
Aramaic equivalent: shiv.ah (שִׁבְעָה "seven" H7655)
HAcbsc — HAcbsc
sev'-'-n (shebha`; hepta).
See NUMBER.
Seven
This number occurs frequently in Scripture, and in such connections as lead to the supposition that it has some typical meaning. On the seventh day God rested, and hallowed it (Gen. 2:2, 3). The division of time into weeks of seven days each accounts for many instances of the occurrence of this number. This number has been called the symbol of perfection, and also the symbol of rest. “Jacob’s seven years’ service to Laban; Pharaoh’s seven fat oxen and seven lean ones; the seven branches of the golden candlestick; the seven trumpets and the seven priests who sounded them; the seven days’ siege of Jericho; the seven churches, seven spirits, seven stars, seven seals, seven vials, and many others, sufficiently prove the importance of this sacred number” (see Lev. 25:4;
The frequent recurrence of certain numbers in the sacred literature of the Hebrews is obvious to the most superficial reader, but seven so far surpasses the rest, both in the frequency with which it recurs and in the importance of the objects with which it is associated, that it may fairly be termed the representative symbolic number. The influence of the number seven was not restricted to the Hebrews; it prevailed among the Persians, ancient Indians, Greeks and Romans. The peculiarity of the Hebrew view consists in the special dignity of the seventh, and not simply in that of seen. The Sabbath being the seventh day suggested the adoption of seven as the coefficient, so to say, for their appointment of all sacred periods; and we thus find the 7th month ushered in by the Feast of Trumpets, and signalized by the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Great Day of Atonement; 7…
As from the beginning this was the number of days in the week, so it often has in Scripture a sort of emphasis attached to it, and is very generally used as a round or perfect number. Clean beasts were taken into the ark by sevens, Ge 7:1-24. The years of plenty and famine in Egypt were marked by sevens, Ge 41:1-57. With the Jews, not only was there a seventh day Sabbath, but every seventh year was a Sabbath, and after every seven times seven years came a jubilee. Their great feasts of unleavened bread and of tabernacles were observed for seven days; the number of animals in many of their sacrifices was limited to seven. The golden candlestick had seven branches. Seven priests with seven trumpets went around the walls of Jericho seven days, and seven times on the seventh day. In…
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)
HAcfpa — HAcfpa
hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).
See NUMBER.
חֲמִשִּׁים (chamishshiym) means 'fifty' and is a cardinal number. It can also refer to a multiple of fifty or the ordinal number 'fiftieth.' The entries consistently define it as a numerical term without significant variation.
חֲמִשִּׁים 164 n.pl. (a) fifty
base
H2572 חֲמִשִּׁים (a) fifty
2572 chamishshiym kham-ish-sheem'
multiple of 2568; fifty:--fifty.
see HEBREW for 02568
חֲמִשִּׁים (cha.mish.shim) — fifty.
1) fifty
1a) fifty (cardinal number)
1b) a multiple of fifty (with other numbers)
1c) fiftieth (ordinal number)
HC/Acmpa — ConjunctionHC/Acmpa