King James Version

Exodus 28:21

And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

וְ֠הָאֲבָנִיםvehaavanimand the stoneאֶבֶןconjunction, definite article, noun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “and the stone”, the ordinary formH68a stone[phrase] carbuncle, [phrase] mason, [phrase] plummet, (chalk-, hail-, head-, sling-) stone(-ny), (divers) weight(-s).תִּֽהְיֶ֜יןָtihyeynabeהָיָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, plural — “be”, an unfinished actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…שְׁמֹ֧תshemotfameשֵׁםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “fame”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8034an appellation, as amark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character[phrase] base, (in-) fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.בְּנֵֽיbenesonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […יִשְׂרָאֵ֛לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.שְׁתֵּ֥יםsheteymtwoשְׁנַיִםadjective, cardinal, feminine, dual, absolute — “two”, the ordinary formH8147two; also (as ordinal) twofoldboth, couple, double, second, twain, [phrase] twelfth, [phrase] twelve, [phrase] twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.עֶשְׂרֵ֖הesrehteenעָשָׂרadjective, cardinal, feminine, singular, absolute — “teen”, the ordinary formH6240ten (only in combination), i.e. -teen; also (ordinal) -teenth(eigh-, fif-, four-, nine-, seven-, six-, thir-) teen(-th), [phrase] eleven(-th), [phrase] sixscore thousand, [phrase] twelve(-th).עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…שְׁמֹתָ֑םshemotamfameשֵׁםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “fame”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8034an appellation, as amark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character[phrase] base, (in-) fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.פִּתּוּחֵ֤יpituchecarved graveפִּתּוּחַnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “carved grave”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6603sculpture (in low or high relief or even intaglio)carved (work) (are, en-) grave(-ing, -n).חוֹתָם֙chotamsealחוֹתָםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “seal”, the ordinary formH2368a signature-ringseal, signet.אִ֣ישׁisha certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…שְׁמ֔וֹshemvofameשֵׁםnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “fame”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8034an appellation, as amark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character[phrase] base, (in-) fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.תִּֽהְיֶ֕יןָtihyeynabeהָיָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, plural — “be”, an unfinished actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.לִשְׁנֵ֥יlishneto twoשְׁנַיִםpreposition, adjective, cardinal, masculine, dual, construct — “to two”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8147two; also (as ordinal) twofoldboth, couple, double, second, twain, [phrase] twelfth, [phrase] twelve, [phrase] twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.עָשָׂ֖רasarteenעָשָׂרadjective, cardinal, masculine, singular, absolute — “teen”, the ordinary formH6240ten (only in combination), i.e. -teen; also (ordinal) -teenth(eigh-, fif-, four-, nine-, seven-, six-, thir-) teen(-th), [phrase] eleven(-th), [phrase] sixscore thousand, [phrase] twelve(-th).שָֽׁבֶטshavetdartשֵׁבֶטnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “dart”, the ordinary formH7626a scion, i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan[idiom] correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, every one according to his name, they shall be for the twelve tribes.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Young’s Literal Translation

and the stones are according to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, according to their names, openings of a signet, each by his name are they for the twelve tribes.

World English Bible

The stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, everyone according to his name, they shall be for the twelve tribes.

Darby Translation

And the stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, engraved as a seal: every one according to his name shall they be for the twelve tribes.

Douay-Rheims

And they shall have the names of the children of Israel: with twelve names shall they be engraved, each stone with the name of one according to the twelve tribes.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And let the stones of the names of the children of Israel be twelve according to their names, engravings as of seals: let them be for the twelve tribes each according to the name.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ οἱ λίθοι ἔστωσαν ἐκ τῶν ὀνομάτων τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ δεκαδύο κατὰ τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν· γλυφαὶ σφραγίδων, ἕκαστος κατὰ τὸ ὄνομα ἔστωσαν εἰς δεκαδύο φυλάς.