King James Version

Numbers 17:2

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.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Numbers 17:17.

דַּבֵּ֣רdaberspeakדָבַרverb, piel, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “speak”, a commandH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).בְּנֵ֣יbenesonבֵּןnoun, 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, […יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.וְקַ֣חveqachand takeלָקַחconjunction, verb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and take”, a commandH3947to take (in the widest variety of applications)accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.מֵֽאִתָּ֡םmeitamfrom amongאֵתpreposition, preposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “from among”H854properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc.against, among, before, by, for, from, in(-to), (out) of, with. Often with another prepositional prefix.מַטֶּ֣הmatehrodמַטֶּהnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “rod”, the ordinary formH4294a branch (as extending); figuratively, a tribe; also a rod, whether for chastising (figuratively, correction), ruling (a sceptre), throwing (a lance), or walking (a staff; figuratively, a support of life, e.g. bread)rod, staff, tribe.מַטֶּה֩matehrodמַטֶּהnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “rod”, the ordinary formH4294a branch (as extending); figuratively, a tribe; also a rod, whether for chastising (figuratively, correction), ruling (a sceptre), throwing (a lance), or walking (a staff; figuratively, a support of life, e.g. bread)rod, staff, tribe.לְבֵ֨יתleveytto familyבַּיִתpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “to family”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1004a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web,…אָ֜בavfatherאָבnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “father”, the ordinary formH1father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationchief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.מֵאֵ֤תmeetfrom amongאֵתpreposition, preposition — “from among”H854properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc.against, among, before, by, for, from, in(-to), (out) of, with. Often with another prepositional prefix.כָּלkalallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).נְשִֽׂיאֵהֶם֙nesiehemcaptainנָשִׂיאnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “captain”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5387properly, an exalted one, i.e. a king or sheik; also a rising mistcaptain, chief, cloud, governor, prince, ruler, vapour.לְבֵ֣יתleveytto familyבַּיִתpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “to family”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1004a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web,…אֲבֹתָ֔םavotamfatherאָבnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “father”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationchief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.שְׁנֵ֥יםsheneymtwoשְׁנַיִםadjective, cardinal, masculine, dual, absolute — “two”, the ordinary formH8147two; 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).מַטּ֑וֹתmatotrodמַטֶּהnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “rod”, the ordinary formH4294a branch (as extending); figuratively, a tribe; also a rod, whether for chastising (figuratively, correction), ruling (a sceptre), throwing (a lance), or walking (a staff; figuratively, a support of life, e.g. bread)rod, staff, tribe.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…אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).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.תִּכְתֹּ֖בtikhtovdescribeכָּתַבverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “describe”, an unfinished actionH3789to grave, by implication, to write (describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe)describe, record, prescribe, subscribe, write(-ing, -ten).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,…מַטֵּֽהוּmatehvrodמַטֶּהnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “rod”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4294a branch (as extending); figuratively, a tribe; also a rod, whether for chastising (figuratively, correction), ruling (a sceptre), throwing (a lance), or walking (a staff; figuratively, a support of life, e.g. bread)rod, staff, tribe.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(17-17) 'Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of them rods, one for each fathers' house, of all their princes according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods; thou shalt write every man's name upon his rod.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of them rods, one for each fathers’ house, of all their princes according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.

Young’s Literal Translation

'Speak unto the sons of Israel, and take from them each a rod, for a father's house, from all their princes, for the house of their fathers, twelve rods; the name of each thou dost write on his rod,

World English Bible

“Speak to the children of Israel, and take rods from them, one for each fathers’ house, of all their princes according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod.

Darby Translation

Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of them a staff, a staff for each father's house, of all their princes according to the houses of their fathers, twelve staves: thou shalt write each one's name upon his staff.

Douay-Rheims

Speak to the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod by their kindreds, of all the princes of the tribes, twelve rods, and write the name of every man upon his rod.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Speak to the children of Israel, and take rods of them, according to the houses of their families, a rod from all their princes, according to the houses of their families, twelve rods, and write the name of each on his rod.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

λάλησον τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ λάβε παρʼ αὐτῶν ῥάβδον, ῥάβδον κατʼ οἴκους πατριῶν παρὰ πάντων τῶν ἀρχόντων αὐτῶν, κατʼ οἴκους πατριῶν αὐτῶν, δώδεκα ῥάβδους, καὶ ἑκάστου τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶγραψον ἐπὶ τῆς ῥάβδου.