^1:4And to help you²¹ there is to be a man from each²² tribe, each man²³ the head²⁴ of his family.²⁵^1:5Now these are the names of the men who are to help²⁶ you:

from²⁷ Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;

^1:6from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;²⁸

^1:7from Judah, Nahshon²⁹ son of Amminadab;

^1:8from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;

^1:9from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon;

^1:10from the sons of Joseph:

from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud;

from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;

^1:11from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;

^1:12from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;

^1:13from Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran;

^1:14from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;³⁰

^1:15from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.”

The Census of the Tribes

^1:16These were the ones chosen³¹ from the community, leaders³² of their ancestral tribes.³³ They were the heads of the thousands³⁴ of Israel.

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Footnotes

21 Heb “and with you.”
22 The construction uses the noun in a distributive sense: “a man, a man for a tribe,” meaning a man for each tribe.
23 The clause expresses a distributive function, “a man” means “each man.”
24 See J. R. Bartlett, “The Use of the Word ראשׁ as a Title in the Old Testament,” 19 (1969): 1–10.
25 Heb “the house of his fathers.”
26 The verb is עָמַד (’amad, “to stand”). It literally then is, “who will stand with you.” They will help in the count, but they will also serve as leaders as the camp moves from place to place.
27 The preposition lamed (ל) prefixed to the name could be taken in the sense of “from,” but could also be “with regard to” (specification).
28 This name and the name Ammishaddai below have the theophoric element (שַׁדַּי, shadday, “the Almighty”). It would mean “the Almighty is my rock”; the later name means “the Almighty is my kinsman.” Other theophoric elements in the passage are “father,” “brother,” and “God.”
29 Nahshon was an ancestor of Boaz and David, and therefore of Christ (Luke 3:32–33).
30 There is a textual difficulty with this verb. The Greek form uses r and not d, giving the name Ra‘oul. There is even some variation in the Hebrew traditions, but (following the Leningrad codex of a.d. 1008) has preferred the name Deuel.
31 The form has a Kethib-Qere problem, but the sentence calls for the Qere, the passive participle in the construct—“the called of.…” These men were God’s choice, and not Moses’, or their own choice. He announced who they would be, and then named them. So they were truly “called” (קָרָא, qara’). The other reading is probably due to a copyist’s error.
32 The word is נָשִׂיא (nasi’, “exalted one, prince, leader”). Cf. , , “princes.” These were men apparently revered or respected in their tribes, and so the clear choice to assist Moses with the leadership. See further, E. A. Speiser, “Background and Function of the Biblical nāsÃþʾ,” 25 (1963): 111–17.
33 Heb “exalted ones of the tribes of their fathers.” The earlier group of elders was chosen by Moses at the advice of his father-in-law. This group represents the few leaders of the tribes that were chosen by God, a more literate group apparently, who were the forerunners of the שֹׁטְּרִים (shottérim).
34 The Hebrew text has אַלְפֵי (’alfey, “thousands of”). There is some question over this reading in the , however. The community groups that have these leaders were larger tribes, but there is little certainty about the size of the divisions.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers. And these are the names of the men who shall assist you. From Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur; from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab; from Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar; from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon; from the sons of Joseph, from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud, and from Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; from Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni; from Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai; from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran; from Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel; from Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.” These were the ones chosen from the congregation, the chiefs of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

One man from each tribe, each of them the head of his family, is to help you. These are the names of the men who are to assist you:

from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;

from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;

from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;

from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;

from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon;

from the sons of Joseph:

from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud;

from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;

from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;

from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;

from Asher, Pagiel son of Okran;

from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;

from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.”

These were the men appointed from the community, the leaders of their ancestral tribes. They were the heads of the clans of Israel.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

A man from each tribe is to be with you, each one the head of his ancestral family. These are the names of the men who are to assist you:

Elizur son of Shedeur from Reuben;

Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai from Simeon;

Nahshon son of Amminadab from Judah;

Nethanel son of Zuar from Issachar;

Eliab son of Helon from Zebulun;

from the sons of Joseph:

Elishama son of Ammihud from Ephraim,

Gamaliel son of Pedahzur from Manasseh;

Abidan son of Gideoni from Benjamin;

Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai from Dan;

Pagiel son of Ochran from Asher;

Eliasaph son of Deuel from Gad;

Ahira son of Enan from Naphtali.

These are the men called from the community; they are leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of Israel’s clans.”

NLTNew Living Translation

and you will be assisted by one family leader from each tribe.

“These are the tribes and the names of the leaders who will assist you:

Reuben

Elizur son of Shedeur

Simeon

Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai

Judah

Nahshon son of Amminadab

Issachar

Nethanel son of Zuar

Zebulun

Eliab son of Helon

Ephraim son of Joseph

Elishama son of Ammihud

Manasseh son of Joseph

Gamaliel son of Pedahzur

Benjamin

Abidan son of Gideoni

Dan

Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai

Asher

Pagiel son of Ocran

Gad

Eliasaph son of Deuel

Naphtali

Ahira son of Enan

These are the chosen leaders of the community, the leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

A man from each tribe will be with you, each man the head of his family. And these are the names of the men who will assist you: from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur; from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai; from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab; from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar; from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon. From the descendants of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. From Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni; from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai; from Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran; from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel; and from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.” These are the ones summoned from the community, the leaders of their ancestors’ tribes; they are the heads of Israel’s clans.

KJV 1900King James Version

And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers.

And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben; Elizur the son of Shedeur. Of Simeon; Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. Of Judah; Nahshon the son of Amminadab. Of Issachar; Nethaneel the son of Zuar. Of Zebulun; Eliab the son of Helon. Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim; Elishama the son of Ammihud: of Manasseh; Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. Of Benjamin; Abidan the son of Gideoni. Of Dan; Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. Of Asher; Pagiel the son of Ocran. Of Gad; Eliasaph the son of Deuel. Of Naphtali; Ahira the son of Enan. These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel.

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