New International Version
Numbers 1:20
20From 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.
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;
- 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:
- New Living Translation (NLT)This is the number of men twenty years old or older who were able to go to war, as their names were listed in the records of their clans and families: Reuben (Jacob’soldest son) 46,500
Context of Numbers 1:20
18and they called the whole community together on the first day of the second month. The people registered their ancestry by their clans and families, and the men twenty years old or more were listed by name, one by one, 19as the Lord commanded Moses. And so he counted them in the Desert of Sinai: 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. 21The number from the tribe of Reuben was 46,500. 22From the descendants of Simeon: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were counted and listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families.
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 2:10On the south will be the divisions of the camp of Reuben under their standard. The leader of the people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur.
- Numbers 26:5The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel, were: through Hanok, the Hanokite clan; through Pallu, the Palluite clan;
- Genesis 29:32Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”
- Genesis 46:9The sons of Reuben: Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi.
- Genesis 49:3“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power.
- 1 Chronicles 5:1The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s marriage bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel; so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright,
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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