King James Version

Numbers 3:12

And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;

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Hebrew

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וַאֲנִ֞יvaaniand mineאֲנִיconjunction, pronoun, personal, 1st person, common, singular — “and mine”H589II, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, [idiom] which, [idiom] who.הִנֵּ֧הhinehloהִנֵּהparticle, demonstrative — “lo”H2009lo!behold, lo, see.לָקַ֣חְתִּיlaqachtitakeלָקַחverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “take”, a completed actionH3947to 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.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).הַלְוִיִּ֗םhalviyimthe Leviiteלֵוִיִּיdefinite article, noun, gentilic, masculine, plural, absolute — “the Leviite”, the ordinary formH3881a Levite or descendant of LeviLeviite.מִתּוֹךְ֙mitokhefrom amongתָּוֶךְpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “from 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).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, […יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.תַּ֧חַתtachatwithתַּחַתpreposition — “with”H8478the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc.as, beneath, [idiom] flat, in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead of, under, [idiom] unto, [idiom] when...was mine, whereas, (where-) fore, with.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).בְּכ֛וֹרbekhorfirstbornבְּכוֹרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “firstborn”, the ordinary formH1060firstborn; hence, chiefeldest (son), firstborn(-ling).פֶּ֥טֶרpeterfirstlingפֶּטֶרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “firstling”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6363a fissure, i.e. (concretely) firstling (as opening the matrix)firstling, openeth, such as open.רֶ֖חֶםrechemwombרֶחֶםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “womb”, the ordinary formH7358the wombmatrix, womb.מִבְּנֵ֣יmibnefrom sonבֵּןpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “from 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, […יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.וְהָ֥יוּvehayvand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “and be”, a completed action in a sequenceH1961to 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.לִ֖יlitoלִ֖יpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “to”toהַלְוִיִּֽםhalviyimthe Leviiteלֵוִיִּיdefinite article, noun, gentilic, masculine, plural, absolute — “the Leviite”, the ordinary formH3881a Levite or descendant of LeviLeviite.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

'And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every first-born that openeth the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be Mine;

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the first-born that openeth the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine:

Young’s Literal Translation

'And I, lo, I have taken the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel instead of every first-born opening a womb among the sons of Israel, and the Levites have been Mine;

World English Bible

“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine,

Darby Translation

And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn that breaketh open the womb among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine;

Douay-Rheims

I have taken the Levites from the children of Israel, for every firstborn that openeth the womb among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

'And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every first-born that openeth the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be Mine;

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Behold, I have taken the Levites from the midst of the children of Israel, instead of every male that opens the womb from among the children of Israel: they shall be their ransom, and the Levites shall be mine.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ εἴληφα τοὺς Λευίτας ἐκ μέσου τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἀντὶ παντὸς πρωτοτόκου διανοίγοντος μήτραν παρὰ τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ· λύτρα αὐτῶν ἔσονται, καὶ ἔσονται ἐμοὶ οἱ Λευῖται.