King James Version

Numbers 17:6

And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Numbers 17:21.

וַיְדַבֵּ֨רvaydaberand speakדָבַרconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and speak”, the next action in the storyH1696perhaps 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.מֹשֶׁ֜הmoshehMosesמֹשֶׁהnoun, proper name — “Moses”H4872Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiverMoses.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.וַיִּתְּנ֣וּvayitnvand giveנָתַןconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and give”, the next action in the storyH5414to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] wi…אֵלָ֣יוelayvamongאֵלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “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).כָּֽלkalallכֹּלnoun, 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).נְשִֽׂיאֵיהֶ֡םnesieyhemcaptainנָשִׂיאnoun, 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.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.לְנָשִׂ֨יאlenasito captainנָשִׂיאpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “to captain”, the ordinary formH5387properly, an exalted one, i.e. a king or sheik; also a rising mistcaptain, chief, cloud, governor, prince, ruler, vapour.אֶחָ֜דechadfirstאֶחָדadjective, cardinal, masculine, singular, absolute — “first”, the ordinary formH259properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) firsta, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,מַטֶּ֨הmatehrodמַטֶּהnoun, 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.לְנָשִׂ֤יאlenasito captainנָשִׂיאpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “to captain”, the ordinary formH5387properly, an exalted one, i.e. a king or sheik; also a rising mistcaptain, chief, cloud, governor, prince, ruler, vapour.אֶחָד֙echadfirstאֶחָדadjective, cardinal, masculine, singular, absolute — “first”, the ordinary formH259properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) firsta, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,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.וּמַטֵּ֥הumatehand rodמַטֶּהconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “and 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.אַהֲרֹ֖ןaharonAaronאַהֲרוֹןnoun, proper name — “Aaron”H175Aharon, the brother of MosesAaron.בְּת֥וֹךְbetokhein amongתָּוֶךְpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in among”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8432a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centreamong(-st), [idiom] between, half, [idiom] (there-, where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among), [idiom] out (of), [idiom] through, [idiom] with(-in).מַטּוֹתָֽםmatotamrodמַטֶּהnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “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)

(17-21) And Moses spoke unto the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

And Moses spake unto the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

Young’s Literal Translation

And Moses speaketh unto the sons of Israel, and all their princes give unto him one rod for a prince, one rod for a prince, for their fathers' house, twelve rods, and the rod of Aaron [is] in the midst of their rods;

World English Bible

Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, a total of twelve rods. Aaron’s rod was among their rods.

Darby Translation

And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and all their princes gave him a staff, one staff for each prince according to their fathers' houses, twelve staves, and the staff of Aaron was among their staves.

Douay-Rheims

And Moses spoke to the children of Israel: and all the princes gave him rods one for every tribe: and there were twelve rods besides the rod of Aaron.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and all their chiefs gave him a rod each , for one chief a rod, according to the house of their families, twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron was in the midst of the rods.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐλάλησε Μωυσῆς τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ· καὶ ἔδωκαν αὐτῷ πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες αὐτῶν ῥάβδον· τῷ ἄρχοντι τῷ ἑνὶ ῥάβδον κατʼ ἄρχοντα, κατʼ οἴκους πατριῶν αὐτῶν, δώδεκα ῥάβδους· καὶ ἡ ῥάβδος Ἀαρὼν ἀναμέσον τῶν ῥάβδων αὐτῶν.