Numbers 1:12 — Word Study
WLCלְדָ֕ן אֲחִיעֶ֖זֶר בֶּן־ עַמִּֽישַׁדָּֽי׃
BSAfrom DanDân [a tribe of Israel, the son of Jacob] AhiezerʼĂchîyʻezer [my brother is help, a Danite chief] sonbên [a descendant, offspring] of AmmishaddaiʻAmmîyshadday [my kinsman is Almighty, a leader of the Danites]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לְדָ֕ן | for Dan | Preposition, noun proper |
| אֲחִיעֶ֖זֶר | Ahiezer | Noun proper masculine |
| בֶּן־ | [the] son of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| עַמִּֽישַׁדָּֽי׃ | Ammishaddai | Noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai; |
| KJV | Of Dan; Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. |
| ASV | Of Dan: Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. |
| YLT | 'For Dan — Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. |
| WEB | Of Dan: Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. |
| BBE | From Dan, Ahiezer, the son of Ammi-shaddai; |
Where they part company is in the rendering of Ahiezer — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence structure consists of a main clause with two subordinate phrases detailing the source and lineage of the leader.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Cambridge, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Numbers 1:12
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Census of the Israelitesgenerated
Numbers 1:12 identifies Ahiezer as the leader from the tribe of Dan during the census of the Israelites. This census was essential for organizing the tribes as they prepared for their journey in the wilderness. It highlights the importance of leadership within each tribe and the roles these leaders played in the community.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numbers 2:25 | On the north side, the divisions of Dan are to camp under their standard: The leader of the Danites is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, |
| 2 | Numbers 7:66 | On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, the leader of the Danites, drew near. |
| 3 | Numbers 10:25 | Finally, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out under their standard, serving as the rear guard for all units, with Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai in command. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אֲחִיעֶ֖זֶר, 'a.chi.'E.zergenerated
The name אֲחִיעֶ֖זֶר (Ahiezer) is a compound of the words for 'brother' and 'help', indicating a familial bond and a role of assistance. In this context, Ahiezer is noted as a chief of the Danites, showcasing his leadership within the tribe.
Ahiezer appears in the genealogies and narratives of the Old Testament, emphasizing his significance in the history of Israel. His role as a chief suggests that he was responsible for leading his tribe during the Exodus and in the wilderness.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause of the verse is governed by the prepositional phrase לְדָ֕ן, for Dan, followed by the noun phrase אֲחִיעֶ֖זֶר, Ahiezer, and the noun phrase בֶּן־עַמִּֽישַׁדָּֽי, son of Ammishaddai. This structure clearly identifies the tribal leader and his lineage.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the tribe of Dan first, followed by the leader's name, which highlights the importance of tribal identity in the context of the census.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אֲחִיעֶ֖זֶר as αξιεζερ, maintaining the name's form but adapting it to Greek phonetics. This choice shows a direct rendering of the Hebrew name without alteration of meaning.
The Greek translation reflects the same structure as the Hebrew, indicating that the translators aimed to preserve the original relationships and identities of the characters involved.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 1:12 tells us that Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, is the leader from the tribe of Dan. This verse is part of a list that names leaders from each tribe of Israel during their census in the wilderness.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Ahiezer was a chief from the tribe of Dan, mentioned in the context of the census of the Israelites.
Ahiezer means 'my brother is help', reflecting a familial connection and a role of assistance.
The tribe of Dan was one of the twelve tribes of Israel, known for its skills in warfare and its historical role in the nation of Israel.
The census was conducted to organize the tribes of Israel for their journey in the wilderness and to establish leadership roles.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can understanding the lineage of tribal leaders help us appreciate the structure of Israelite society?
- What qualities do you think are important for a leader, as exemplified by Ahiezer?
- In what ways can we support our communities as leaders, similar to how Ahiezer supported his tribe?
- How does the significance of names in the Bible enhance our understanding of the characters involved?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 1:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleOf Dan; Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. [See comments on Numbers 1:5].
Read John Gill on Numbers 1 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryOf Simeon; Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 1 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges1–16. Moses is directed to number the fighting men of Israel with the help of twelve princes.
Read Cambridge on Numbers 1 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleAND MUSTER OF THE ADULT MALES, Numbers 1:1-46.At the close of the third book of Moses the temple in the wilderness — the tabernacle — had been erected, the law of sacrifices instituted, the Aaronic
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 1 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;
Of Dan: Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;
from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;
Tyndale line
Of Dan; Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
Of Dan: Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
Of Dan; Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
Of Dan; Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
Of Dan, Ahiezer, the sonne of Ammishaddai:
Strictly literal
for Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;
'For Dan — Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
for Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;
Of Dan: Achiezer the son of 'Ammishaddai.
from the tribe of Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;
From the Latin
Of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammisaddai.
Simplified
from the tribe of Dan, Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai;
From Dan, Ahiezer, the son of Ammi-shaddai;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text aligns with the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch, confirming the names and structure of the verse. Both the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch match the Hebrew wording exactly, indicating consistency across these ancient texts.
לְדָ֕ן אֲחִיעֶ֖זֶר בֶּן־ עַמִּֽישַׁדָּֽי׃
4 of the 4 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
לדן אחיעזר בן עמישׁדי
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Numbers 1:12
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
דָּן (Dan) means 'judge' and refers to the fifth son of Jacob and Bilhah. It encompasses the tribe descended from him and a city located in northern Israel, significant as a landmark in Palestine. The entries consistently highlight these aspects without notable disagreement.
דָּן n.pr.m. (judge)
son of Jacob and Bilhah
the tribe of Dan
a city on northern frontier of Israel at one of the sources of the Jordan
base
H1835 דָּן judge . son of Jacob and Bilhah
. the tribe of Dan
. a city on northern frontier of Israel at one of the sources of the Jordan
1835 Dan dawn
from 1777; judge; Dan, one of the sons of Jacob; also the
tribe descended from him, and its territory; likewise a place
in Palestine colonized by them:--Dan.
see HEBREW for 01777
דָּן (dan) — Dan.
§ Dan = "a judge"
1) the territory of the tribe of Dan 2) a city in Dan, the most northern landmark of Palestine
דָּן (dan) — Dan.
A man of the tribe of Dan living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.30.6;
son of: Israel (H3478) and Bilhah (H1090A);
brother of: Naphtali (H5321);
half-brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144);
father of: Hushim (H2366B)
§ Dan = "a judge"
1) the 5th son of Jacob, the 1st of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid
2) the tribe descended from Dan, the son of Jacob
3) a city in Dan, the most northern landmark of Palestine
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
Dan
A judge. (1.) The fifth son of Jacob. His mother was Bilhah, Rachel’s maid (Gen. 30:6, “God hath judged me”, Heb. dananni). The blessing pronounced on him by his father was, “Dan shall judge his people” (49:16), probably in allusion to the judgeship of Samson, who was of the tribe of Dan.
The tribe of Dan had their place in the march through the wilderness on the north side of the tabernacle (Num. 2:25, 31; 10:25). It was the last of the tribes to receive a portion in the Land of Promise. Its position and extent are described in Josh. 19:40-48.
The territory of Dan extended from the west of that of Ephraim and Benjamin to the sea. It was a small territory, but was very fertile. It included in it, among others, the…
(a judge). The fifth son of Jacob, and the first of Bilhah, Rachel’s maid. (Genesis 30:6) (B.C. after 1753.) The origin of the name is given in the exclamation of Rachel. The records of Dan are unusually meagre. Only one son is attributed to him, (Genesis 46:23) but his tribe was, with the exception of Judah, the most numerous of all. In the division of the promised land Dan was the last of the tribes to receive his portion, which was the smallest of the twelve. (Joshua 19:48) But notwithstanding its smallness it had eminent natural advantages. On the north and east it was completely embraced by its two brother tribes Ephraim and Benjamin, while on the southeast and south it joined Judah, and was thus surrounded by the three…
A judge,
1. A son of Jacob by Bilhah, Ge 30:3 35:25. The tribe of Dan was second only to that of Judah in numbers before entering Canaan, Nu 1:39 26:43. A portion was assigned to Dan, extending southeast from the seacoast near Joppa. It bordered on the land of the Philistines, with whom the tribe of Dan had much to do, Jud 13:1-16:31. Their territory was fertile, but small, and the natives were powerful. A part of the tribe therefore sought and conquered another home, Jos 19:1-51 Jud 18:1-31
judgment; he that judges
The Hebrew word אֲחִיעֶ֫זֶר (*Achiy'ezer*) means 'my brother is help' and refers to two individuals in the Old Testament. Both were chiefs of the tribe of Dan, one assisting Moses and the other being noted among David's heroes. The name is built from the words for 'brother' and 'help'.
אֲחִיעֶ֫זֶר n.pr.m. (my brother is help)
chief of Dan
one of David’s heroes
base
H295 אֲחִיעֶ֫זֶר
295 'Achiy`ezer akh-ee-eh'-zer
from 251 and 5828; brother of help; Achiezer, the name of two
Israelites:--Ahiezer.
see HEBREW for 0251
see HEBREW for 05828
אֲחִיעֶ֫זֶר (a.chi.e.zer) — Ahiezer.
A man living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Num.1.12;
son of: Ammishaddai (H5996)
§ Ahiezer = "my brother is help"
1) a Danite chief who assisted Moses
2) a Danite chief, one of David's heroes
אֲחִיעֶ֫זֶר (a.chi.e.zer) — Ahiezer.
A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.12.3;
son of: Shemaah (H8094);
brother of: Joash (H3101L)
§ Ahiezer = "my brother is help"
1) a Danite chief who assisted Moses
2) a Danite chief, one of David's heroes
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
Ahiezer
Brother of help; i.e., “helpful.” (1.) The chief of the tribe of Dan at the time of the Exodus (Num. 1:12; 2:25; 10:25).
(2.) The chief of the Benjamite slingers that repaired to David at Ziklag (1 Chr. 12:3).
(brother of help). Son of Ammishaddai, hereditary chieftain of the tribe of Dan. (Numbers 1:12; 2:25; 7:66) (B.C. 1490). The Benjamite chief of a body of archers in the time of David. (1 Chronicles 12:3) (B.C. 1050.)
brother of assistance
בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
son, male child, born of a woman
children (male and female)
youth, young men
the young of animals
of plant shoots
fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
member of a guild, order or class
of animals son of (the) herd
ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
n. relat. of age
base
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
done
H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman
. children (male and female)
. youth, young men
. the young of animals
. of plant shoots
. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
. . member of a guild, order or class
. of animals son of (the) herd
. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
. n. relat. of age
H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son
1121 ben bane
from 1129; a 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 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)
(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,
(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,
bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X
came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of
first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +
kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)
people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +
spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous
one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
see HEBREW for 01129
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 0251
בֵּן (ben) — son: child.
: child/son
בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;
son of: Jaaziah (H3269);
brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)
§ Beno = "his son"
the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)
בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.
: descendant, people, tribe, nation
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : child/son
בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.
: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : descendant
בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.
: rebel/son(Belial)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : people/men/nation/tribe
בֵּן (ben) — son.
: [inheriting]son/heir
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.
: warrior/son(strong)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
עַמִּישַׁדָּ֑י (Ammiyshadday) refers to a personal name meaning 'my kinsman is Almighty.' It is associated with a man from the tribe of Dan, mentioned in Numbers 1:12 as the father of Ahiezer. The name is constructed from elements meaning 'people of' and 'the Almighty,' indicating a familial or tribal connection to divine strength.
עַמִּישַׁדָּ֑י n.pr.m. (my kinsman is Shadday);—a Danite
base
H5996 עַמִּישַׁדָּ֑י, עַמִּישַׁדַּי
5996 `Ammiyshadday am-mee-shad-dah'ee
from 5971 and 7706; people of (the) Almighty; Ammishaddai, an
Israelite:--Ammishaddai.
see HEBREW for 05971
see HEBREW for 07706
עַמִּישַׁדָּ֑י (am.mi.shad.day) — Ammishaddai.
A man living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Num.1.12;
father of: Ahiezer (H0295)
§ Ammishaddai = "my kinsman is Almighty"
father of Ahiezer, prince of the tribe of Dan at the time of the exodus
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
am-i-shad'-i, am-i-shad-a'-i (`ammishadday, "Shaddai is my kinsman"): The father of Ahiezer, a Danite captain or "head of his fathers' house," during the wilderness journey (Nu 1:12; 2:25, etc.).
Ammishaddai
People of the Almighty, the father of Ahiezer, who was chief of the Danites at the time of the Exodus (Num. 1:12; 2:25). This is one of the few names compounded with the name of God, Shaddai, “Almighty.”
the people of the Almighty; the Almighty is with me
→ Father of Ahiezer Nu 1:12