God’s Word Translation
Numbers 1:20
20The roster of families and households for the descendants of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn son, listed every man by name who was at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty.
Numbers 1:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
- New International Version (NIV)From the descendants of Reuben the firstborn son of Israel: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The people of Reuben, Israel's firstborn, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now the children of Reuben, Israel’s oldest son, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:
Context of Numbers 1:20
18and assembled the whole community on the first day of the second month. Each man at least 20 years old provided his genealogy by family and household. Then his name was listed. 19So Moses registered the men of Israel in the Desert of Sinai as the Lord had commanded him. The roster of families and households for the descendants of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn son, listed every man by name who was at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty. 21The total for the tribe of Reuben was 46,500. 22The roster of families and households for the descendants of Simeon registered and listed every man by name who was at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty.
Read all of Numbers 1Numbers 1:20 word by word
וַיִּהְי֤וּ בְנֵֽי־רְאוּבֵן֙ בְּכֹ֣ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל תּוֹלְדֹתָ֥ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֑ם בְּמִסְפַּ֤ר שֵׁמוֹת֙ לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָ֔ם כָּל־זָכָ֗ר מִבֶּ֨ן עֶשְׂרִ֤ים שָׁנָה֙ וָמַ֔עְלָה כֹּ֖ל יֹצֵ֥א צָבָֽא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Reubenרְאוּבֵןre'ûbên · ReubenH7205
- Israel’sיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- eldest sonבְּכוֹרbekôr · firstbornH1060
- by their generationsתּוֹלֵדוֹתtôledâh tôledâh · generationH8435
- after their familiesמִשְׁפָּחָהmishpâchâh · familyH4940
- by the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- of their fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
- according to the numberמִסְפָּרmispâr · numberH4557
- of the namesשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- by their pollsגֻּלְגֹּ֫לֶתgûlgôleth · headH1538
- every maleזָכָרzâkâr · maleH2145
- from twentyעֶשְׂרִים‛eώrîym · twentyH6242
- yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
- oldבֵּןbên · son: agedH1121
- and upwardמַ֫עַלma‛al · aboveH4605
- all that were able to go forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: regularH3318
- to warצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · army: warH6635
Cross-references for Numbers 1:20
- Numbers 2:10“On the south side the armies led by Reuben will camp under their flag. The leader for the people of Reuben is Elizur, son of Shedeur.
- Numbers 26:5Reuben was Israel’s firstborn. The descendants of Reuben were the family of Hanoch, the family of Pallu,
- Genesis 29:32Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben [Here’s My Son], because she said, “Certainly, the Lord has seen my misery; now my husband will love me!”
- Genesis 46:9The sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
- Genesis 49:3“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength, the very first son I had, first in majesty and first in power.
- 1 Chronicles 5:1These are the sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn. (Although he was the firstborn, his rights as firstborn were given to his nephews, Joseph’s sons, because he dishonored his father’s bed. However, Joseph couldn’t be listed in the genealogy as the firstborn son.
Commentaries on Numbers 1:20
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20-46Verses 20-46 The enrollment, being taken principally for military purposes (compare Numbers 1:3, Numbers 1:20), would naturally be arranged by hundreds, fifties, etc. (cf. 2 Kings 1:9, 2 Kings 1:11, 2 Kings 1:13). In eleven tribes the number enrolled consists of complete hundreds. The difference, in this respect, observable in the case of the tribe of Gad here Numbers 1:25, and of the tribe of Reuben at the later census Numbers 26:7, is probably to be…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-43The second list of tribes lists Gad with Reuben and Simeon. These two tribes camped with Gad while Israel traveled.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 20-4420-44. These are those that were numbered--In this registration the tribe of Judah appears the most numerous; and accordingly, as the pre-eminence had been assigned to it by Jacob [Ge 49:8-12], it got the precedence in all the encampments of Israel. Of the two half-tribes of Joseph, who is seen to be "a fruitful bough" [Ge 49:22], that of Ephraim was the larger, as had been predicted. The relative increase of all, as in the two just mentioned, was owing…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 1:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 1
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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