English Standard Version
Numbers 17:2
2"Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathers' house, from all their chiefs according to their fathers' houses, twelve staffs. Write each man's name on his staff,
Numbers 17:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.
- New International Version (NIV)“Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Speak to the children of Israel, and get from them a rod from each father’s house, all their leaders according to their fathers’ houses—twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Tell the people of Israel to bring you twelve wooden staffs, one from each leader of Israel’s ancestral tribes, and inscribe each leader’s name on his staff.
Context of Numbers 17:2
1The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathers' house, from all their chiefs according to their fathers' houses, twelve staffs. Write each man's name on his staff, 3and write Aaron's name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each fathers' house. 4Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.
Read all of Numbers 17Numbers 17:2 word by word
דַּבֵּ֣ר׀ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְקַ֣ח מֵֽאִתָּ֡ם מַטֶּ֣ה מַטֶּה֩ לְבֵ֨ית אָ֜ב מֵאֵ֤ת כָּל־נְשִֽׂיאֵהֶם֙ לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֔ם שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ר מַטּ֑וֹת אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־שְׁמ֔וֹ תִּכְתֹּ֖ב עַל־מַטֵּֽהוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- unto the childrenבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- and takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- of every one of them a rodמַטֶּהmaţţeh maţţâh · tribe: rodH4294
- according to the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
- of all their princesנָשִׂיאnâώîy' nâώi' · leaderH5387
- twelveעָשָׂר‛âώâr · tenH6240
- twelveשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- writeכָּתַבkâthab · to writeH3789
- thou every man’sאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
Cross-references for Numbers 17:2
- Numbers 1:5And these are the names of the men who shall assist you. From Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;
- Numbers 2:3Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the chief of the people of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab,
- Numbers 10:14The standard of the camp of the people of Judah set out first by their companies, and over their company was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
- Genesis 49:10The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
- Exodus 4:2The Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff."
- Psalms 110:2The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies!
- Psalms 125:3For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong.
- Ezekiel 19:14And fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots, has consumed its fruit, so that there remains in it no strong stem, no scepter for ruling. This is a lamentation and has become a lamentation.
- Ezekiel 21:10sharpened for slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! (Or shall we rejoice? You have despised the rod, my son, with everything of wood.)
- Ezekiel 37:16"Son of man, take a stick and write on it, 'For Judah, and the people of Israel associated with him'; then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him.'
- Micah 7:14Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of a garden land; let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old.
Commentaries on Numbers 17:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2And take of every one of them a rod - מטה matteh, the staff or scepter, which the prince or chief of each tribe bore, and which was the sign of office or royalty among almost all the people of the earth.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Compare Ezekiel 37:16 ff.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-5The shepherd's staff was a common item (see Psalm 23:4). Like the scepter, it symbolized authority (see Jeremiah 48:17). This trial was fitting because the Hebrew words for "staffs" and "tribes" sound the same. The Lord's chosen staff would show his chosen tribe.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-132-5. Speak unto the children of Israel--The controversy with Moses and Aaron about the priesthood was of such a nature and magnitude as required a decisive and authoritative settlement. For the removal of all doubts and the silencing of all murmuring in the future regarding the holder of the office, a miracle was wrought of a remarkable character and permanent duration; and in the manner of performing it, all the people were made to have a direct and…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 17:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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Commentaries