Numbers 17:2

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"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,
• 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.

Context of Numbers 17:2

1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, and obtain from them a staff for each father’s household: twelve staffs, from all their leaders for their fathers’ households. You shall write each man’s name on his staff, 3and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi; for there is to be one staff for the head of each of their fathers’ households. 4You shall then leave them in the tent of meeting in front of the testimony, where I meet with you.

Numbers 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

• Speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• to the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• and obtainלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• from them a staffמַטֶּהmaţţeh maţţâh · tribe: rodH4294
• for each father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
• householdבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• twelveשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• twelveעָשָׂר‛âώâr · tenH6240
• from allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• their leadersנָשִׂיאnâώîy' nâώi' · leaderH5387
• You shall writeכָּתַבkâthab · to writeH3789
• eachאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034

Cross-references for Numbers 17:2

• Numbers 1:5These then are the names of the men who shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;
• Numbers 2:3Now those who camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the flag of the camp of Judah, by their armies; and the leader of the sons of Judah: Nahshon the son of Amminadab,
• Numbers 10:14The flag of the camp of the sons of Judah, by their armies, set out first, with Nahshon the son of Amminadab, over its army,
• Genesis 49:10The scepter will not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
• Exodus 4:2The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.”
• Psalms 110:2The Lord will stretch out Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of Your enemies.”
• Psalms 125:3For the scepter of wickedness will not rest upon the land of the righteous, So that the righteous will not extend their hands to do wrong.
• Ezekiel 19:14And fire has gone out from its stem; It has consumed its shoots and fruit, So that there is no strong stem in it, A scepter to rule.’” This is a song of mourning, and has become a song of mourning.
• Ezekiel 21:10Sharpened to make a slaughter, Polished to flash like lightning!’ Or shall we rejoice, the rod of My son despising every tree?
• Ezekiel 37:16“Now you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.’
• Micah 7:14Shepherd Your people with Your scepter, The flock of Your possession Which lives by itself in the woodland, In the midst of a fruitful field. Let them feed 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

• Government
• Levites
• Miracles

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Children of Israel
• Aaron
• Exodus
• Prince
• Rebel
• Aaron's Rod
• Abiram

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