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Numbers 4:38 — Word Study

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WLCוּפְקוּדֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י גֵרְשׁ֑וֹן לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָ֖ם וּלְבֵ֥ית אֲבֹתָֽם׃

BSAThen the Gershonitesbên [sons of Gershon, descendants of Levi] were numberedpâqad [reckoned, counted, visited] by their clansmishpâchâh [families, tribes] and familiesʼâb [households, father's houses]

Word
Listen & take awayNumbers 4
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 38 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 ('a.vo.Tam) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Numbers 4:38quick helps
In a sentenceThe Gershonites, descendants of Levi, were counted by their clans and families.
Who is speakingThe narrator, recounting the census of the Israelites.
Where we areIn the context of the organization of the Levites for service in the Tent of Meeting.
The hard wordפָּקַד
Take awayThe counting signifies the importance of organization and structure among the tribes.
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 4:38

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 Levitesgenerated

37These were counted from the Kohathite clans, everyone who could serve at the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron numbered them according to the command of the LORD through Moses.
38Then the Gershonites were numbered by their clans and families,
39everyone from thirty to fifty years old who came to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
40And those numbered by their clans and families totaled 2,630.

Numbers 4:38 describes the counting of the Gershonites, who were one of the clans of the Levites. This counting was part of a larger organization of the Levites for their service in the Tent of Meeting, which was essential for maintaining order and structure among the tribes of Israel. The process of numbering was crucial for the Israelites as they prepared for their journey and worship in the wilderness.


Cross References


The Key Word פָּקַד, u.fe.ku.Deigenerated

The verb פָּקַד (paqad) is a qal participle in the passive voice, meaning 'to reckon' or 'to visit'. It implies oversight or care, often used in contexts of appointing or counting. The passive form suggests that the Gershonites were being counted or enrolled by someone else, emphasizing the act of being recognized and organized.

This word encompasses a range of actions, from friendly oversight to more severe implications like punishment. In this context, it highlights the importance of the census as an act of divine order and structure among the Israelite tribes.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses were numbered to reflect the counting of the Gershonites.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb פָּקַד governs the entire verse, indicating the action of counting. The structure consists of a main clause followed by several noun phrases that specify who was counted and how they were organized.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the Gershonites and their familial structure, highlighting the importance of clans and households in the community.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates פָּקַד as ἐπεσκέπησαν (epeskepēsan), which means 'visited' or 'overseen'. This choice reflects a broader interpretation of the counting process, emphasizing the act of divine oversight rather than merely a numerical tally.

This translation suggests a deeper significance to the act of counting, indicating that it is not just a logistical task but also a matter of divine attention and care for the people.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Numbers 4:38 tells us that the Gershonites, who are descendants of Levi, were counted by their clans and families. This counting was part of a larger organization of the Levites for their service in the Tent of Meeting, which was essential for maintaining order among the tribes of Israel.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to be numbered in this context?

To be numbered means to be counted and recognized as part of a community, in this case, the Levites who served in the Tent of Meeting.

Why is the lineage of the Gershonites important?

The lineage is important because it establishes their role and responsibilities within the Israelite community, particularly in relation to the priesthood and worship.

What role did the Gershonites play among the Levites?

The Gershonites were responsible for certain duties related to the transport and care of the Tabernacle and its furnishings.

How does this verse connect to the overall theme of organization in Numbers?

This verse illustrates the meticulous organization of the Israelite community as they prepared for their journey, emphasizing the importance of structure and order in their worship and service.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What can I learn about the importance of organization and structure in my own life from this passage?
  2. How does understanding the roles of different clans enhance my appreciation for the community of faith?
  3. In what ways can I ensure that I am fulfilling my responsibilities within my own community?
  4. What does this verse teach me about God's care and oversight over His people?

Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Numbers 4:38 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon,.... [See comments on Numbers 4:34].

Read John Gill on Numbers 4 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And 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 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

34–49. 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 Bible

CENSUS 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

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

Then the Gershonites were numbered by their clans and families,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Those who were counted of the sons of Gershon, by their families, and by their fathers’ houses,

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Then the Gershonites were numbered by their clans and families,

NETBNew English Translation2006

Those numbered from the Gershonites, by their families and by their clans,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers,

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, their families, and by their fathers’ houses,

RVARevised Version, American1894

And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, by their families, and by their fathers’ houses,

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers,

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Also the nombers of the sonnes of Gershon throughout their families and houses of their fathers,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, after their families, and according to their fathers' houses,

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And those numbered of the sons of Gershon, by their families, and by the house of their fathers,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And those numbered of the sons of Gershon, by their families, and by the house of their fathers,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, after their families, and after their divisions,

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

The descendants of Gershon were counted in their clans, by their ancestor's families,

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

The sons of Gerson also were numbered by the kindreds and houses of their fathers,

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The families of Gershon were counted, according to their family and father's line,

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And those of the sons of Gershon who were numbered by families,

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וּandclausenoun phrasenoun phraseפְקוּדֵ֖יthe.enrolled.[men]noun phraseבְּנֵ֣יof.the.descendantsגֵרְשׁ֑וֹןof.Gershonprepositional phraseprepositional phraseלְtonoun phraseמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָ֖clansםtheirוּandprepositional phraseלְtonoun phraseבֵ֥יתthe.housenoun phraseאֲבֹתָֽtheir.ancestorsםtheir

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 in their wording, with the Septuagint reflecting the same essential meaning. However, the Samaritan Pentateuch differs slightly, using the word פקדי (miss) and אבותם (father) instead of the corresponding terms in the Masoretic Text.

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

וּפְקוּדֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י גֵרְשׁ֑וֹן לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָ֖ם וּלְבֵ֥ית אֲבֹתָֽם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וּפְקוּדֵ֖יἐπεσκέπησανבְּנֵ֣יυἱοὶגֵרְשׁ֑וֹןγεδσωνלְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָ֖םαὐτῶνוּלְבֵ֥יתοἴκουςאֲבֹתָֽם׃αὐτῶν

6 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.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

ופקדי בני גרשׁון למשׁפחותם לבית אבותם

2 words differ from the Masoretic Text: פקדי (miss), אבותם (father)

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 4:38פָּקַדand [the] eand [the] enrolפָּקַדבֵּן[the] desce[the] descendanבֵּןגֵּרְשׁוֹןGershonGershonגֵּרְשׁוֹןמִשְׁפָּחָהto clans thto clans theirמִשְׁפָּחָהבֵּיתand to [theand to [the] hoבֵּיתאָבancestors tancestors theirאָבבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהגָּרַשׁto drive oto drive out: dגָּרַשׁשָׁפָהbe barebe bareשָׁפָהמִשְׁפָּחָהfamilyfamilyמִשְׁפָּחָהעַמּוֹןAmmonAmmonעַמּוֹןרְאוּבֵןReubenReubenרְאוּבֵןלִבְנִיLibniLibniלִבְנִיקְהָתKohathKohathקְהָתתּוֹלֵדוֹתgenerationgenerationתּוֹלֵדוֹתאוֹצָרtreasuretreasureאוֹצָרקָבַרto buryto buryקָבַראֵםmothermotherאֵם
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 4:38

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.

and [the] enrolled [men] of [the] descendants of Gershon to clans their and to [the] house of ancestors their
וּפְקוּדֵ֖יu.fe.ku.Dei and [the] enrolled [men] of H6485 Conjunction · verb qal participle (passive) masculine plural common
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
reckoned, counted, visited
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
Conj | V-Qal-Inf-c — Conjunction · verb qal participle (passive) masculine plural common
HC/Vqsmpc
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…

and [the] enrolled [men] of [the] descendants of Gershon to clans their and to [the] house of ancestors their
בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei [the] descendants of H1121 Noun common · masculine plural construct
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Amplified meaning
sons of Gershon, descendants of Levi
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
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…

and [the] enrolled [men] of [the] descendants of Gershon to clans their and to [the] house of ancestors their
גֵרְשׁ֑וֹןge.re.Shon Gershon H1648 Noun proper masculine
18× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Gershon was a son of Levi and an ancestor of the tribe of Levi, which played a key role in the priesthood and worship of the Israelites. He is mentioned in books like Genesis and Chronicles, and his name means 'exile'.
Tyndale gloss
Gershon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גֵּרְשׁוֹן (Gershon) refers to the son of Levi, a figure from the Israelite tribes. The name is associated with the meaning 'refugee' or 'exile.' He is first mentioned in Genesis 46:11 and is noted as the brother of Kohath and Merari, and the father of Libni and Shimei. Gershon is also referred to as Gershom in several passages.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גֵּרְשׁוֹן n.pr.m. son of Levi

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1648 גֵּרְשׁוֹן son of Levi

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1648 Gershown gay-resh-one'

or Gershowm {gay-resh-ome'}; from 1644; a refugee; Gereshon

or Gereshom, an Israelite:--Gershon, Gershom.

see HEBREW for 01644

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גֵּרְשׁוֹן (ge.re.shon) — Gershon.

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;

§ Gershon or Gershom = "exile"

firstborn son of Levi born before Jacob's family went to Egypt

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpm — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Gershon

=Ger’shom expulsion, the eldest of Levi’s three sons (Gen. 46:11; Ex. 6:16).

In the wilderness the sons of Gershon had charge of the fabrics of the tabernacle when it was moved from place to place, the curtains, veils, tent-hangings (Num. 3: 21-26). Thirteen Levitical cities fell to the lot of the Gershonites (Josh. 21:27-33).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(exile). The eldest of the three sons of Levi, born before the descent of Jacob’s family into Egypt. (Genesis 46:11; Exodus 6:16) (B.C. before 1706.) But, though the eldest born, the families of Gershon were outstripped in fame by their younger brethren of Kohath, from whom sprang Moses and the priestly line of Aaron.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The eldest son of Levi, and head of one of the three branches of the Levitical tribe, Ge 46:11; Ex 6:16. The Gershonites encamped west of the tabernacle in the wilderness, and carried its curtains and other parts form station to station, Nu 3:17,25; 4:24-28,38- 41; 10:17. Thirteen cities were assigned to them in northern Canaan, Jos 21:6; 1Ch 6:62,71.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

his banishment; the change of pilgrimage

and [the] enrolled [men] of [the] descendants of Gershon to clans their and to [the] house of ancestors their
לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתָ֖םle.mish.pe.cho.Tam to clans their H4940 Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
303× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a family or clan, and can also mean a tribe or nation, such as the people of Israel, emphasizing the importance of family ties.
Amplified meaning
families, tribes
Tyndale gloss
family
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִשְׁפָּחָה 303 n.f. clan

clan

= guild

= species, kind

pl. = aristocrats

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4940 מִשְׁפָּחָה clan . clan

. = guild

. = species, kind

. pl. = aristocrats

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִשְׁפָּחָה (mish.pa.chah) — family.

1) clan, family

1a) clan

1a1) family

1a2) tribe

1a3) people, nation

1b) guild

1c) species, kind

1d) aristocrats

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fp | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp
and [the] enrolled [men] of [the] descendants of Gershon to clans their and to [the] house of ancestors their
וּלְבֵ֥יתu.le.Veit and to [the] house of H1004 Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
2,049× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for house refers to a dwelling place, including a family home, temple, or even the human body. It appears in various contexts, such as the temple in Jerusalem or the household of a family. In the Bible, it is often used to describe a place of worship or a family's living space.
Tyndale gloss
place
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בַּיִת (*bayith*) means 'house' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including dwelling, family, and place. It can refer to physical structures, such as homes and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like the body or household affairs. The word is built from the root related to 'between' and appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between

base

בַּ֫יִת 2034 n.m. house

house

place

receptacle

of house as containing a family

household, family (592 t.)

house, including household affairs

lit. housewards, hence metaph. inwards

מִבַּיִת

adv. on the inside

prep. within

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1004a בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between H1004b בַּ֫יִת house

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1004 bayith bah'-yith

probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest

variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court,

daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as

would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold),

inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet,

temple, web, + within(-out).

see HEBREW for 01129

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית (bet) — place.

nm

place, origin, between

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — house: home.

: home/temple/building

nm

1) house

1a) house, dwelling habitation

1b) shelter or abode of animals

1c) human bodies (fig.)

1d) of Sheol

1e) of abode of light and darkness

1f) of land of Ephraim

2) place

3) receptacle

4) home, house as containing a family

5) household, family

5a) those belonging to the same household

5b) family of descendants, descendants as organized body

6) household affairs

7) inwards (metaph.)

8) (TWOT) temple

adv

9) on the inside

prep

10) within

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(ashbea).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with ash.be.a (אַשְׁבֵּעַ "Ashbea" H0791)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth (Haggan).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with hag (גַּן "Haggan" H1588)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(togarmah).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/R/Ncmsc — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HC/R/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…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and [the] enrolled [men] of [the] descendants of Gershon to clans their and to [the] house of ancestors their
אֲבֹתָֽם׃'a.vo.Tam ancestors their H1 Noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
1,213× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In Hebrew, this word means father, whether literal or figurative. It is used to describe God as the father of his people, as well as human fathers like Abraham. The word is about a paternal relationship or authority.
Amplified meaning
households, father's houses
Tyndale gloss
father
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָב (av) means 'father' and encompasses various roles such as the literal father of an individual, God as the father of His people, and the head of a household or clan. It can also refer to an ancestor, originator of a profession, or a figure of respect and protection. Notably, it can imply a ruler or chief in later contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָב 1101 n.m. father

father of individual

of God as father of his people

head of household, family or clan

ancestor

originator or patron of a class, profession, or art

fig. of producer, generator

fig. of benevolence & protection

term of respect & honor

specif., ruler, chief (late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1 אָב father . father of individual

. of God as father of his people

. head of household, family or clan

. ancestor

. originator or patron of a class, profession, or art

. fig. of producer, generator

. fig. of benevolence & protection

. term of respect & honor

. specif., ruler, chief (late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1 'ab awb

a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or

figurative and remote application):--chief,

(fore-)father(-less), X patrimony, principal. Compare names

in "Abi-".

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָב (av) — father.

1) father of an individual

2) of God as father of his people

3) head or founder of a household, group, family, or clan

4) ancestor

4a) grandfather, forefathers - of person

4b) of people

5) originator or patron of a class, profession, or art

6) of producer, generator (fig.)

7) of benevolence and protection (fig.)

8) term of respect and honour

9) ruler or chief (spec.)

Also means: av (אַב "father" H0002)

אָב (av) — (Huram)-abi.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.7.13; also called Huram-abi (KJV: "Huram my father's") at 2Ch.2.13; 4.16;

Combined with chi.ram (חִירָם "Hiram" H2438H)

אָב (av) — father of.

The father of Gibeon, also known as Abiel - a man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.9.1;

son of: Zeror (H6872C); married to Maacah (H4601N);

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp | Suff — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
HNcfpc/Sp3mp
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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