Numbers 2:6 — Word Study
WLCוּצְבָא֖וֹ וּפְקֻדָ֑יו אַרְבָּעָ֧ה וַחֲמִשִּׁ֛ים אֶ֖לֶף וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵאֽוֹת׃ ס
BSAand his divisiontsâbâʼ [army, large group of people] numberspâqad [to reckon, counted individually] 54,400ʼarbaʻ
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וּצְבָא֖וֹ | and military group his | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וּפְקֻדָ֑יו | and enrolled [men] his | Conjunction, verb qal participle (passive) masculine plural common, suffix |
| אַרְבָּעָ֧ה | [were] four | Adj |
| וַחֲמִשִּׁ֛ים | and fifty | Conjunction |
| אֶ֖לֶף | thousand | |
| וְאַרְבַּ֥ע | and four | Conjunction |
| מֵאֽוֹת׃ ס | hundred |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | and his division numbers 54,400. |
| KJV | And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred. |
| ASV | And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred. |
| YLT | and his host, and its numbered ones, [are] four and fifty thousand and four hundred. |
| WEB | His division, and those who were counted of it, were fifty-four thousand four hundred. |
| BBE | The number of his army was fifty-four thousand, four hundred. |
Where they part company is in the rendering of פָּקַד — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured with a main clause followed by a subject and a numeral phrase, clearly presenting the count.
3 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Cambridge & 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 2:6
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 Israel's Tribesgenerated
Numbers 2:6 is part of a larger section that organizes the Israelite tribes as they prepare for their journey. Each tribe's military division is counted, emphasizing their readiness and structure as a community. This verse specifically notes the number of troops in the tribe of Issachar, illustrating the importance of military organization in ancient Israel.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numbers 1:29 | those registered to the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400. |
| 2 | Numbers 26:25 | These were the clans of Issachar, and their registration numbered 64,300. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — צָבָא, tzeva'generated
The word צָבָא (*tzeva'*) is a noun that refers to an army or military group. It highlights the collective nature of people organized for battle or service. The parsing indicates it is a masculine singular noun with a construct form, showing possession — in this case, Issachar's military group.
This term can also refer to the divine hosts, emphasizing God's authority and power over armies. It is used frequently throughout the Hebrew Bible to denote both human and celestial armies, indicating its significance in the context of warfare and divine intervention.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the verse uses numbers to indicate the total count of the division.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb וּצְבָא֖וֹ governs the main clause, indicating the subject's action of numbering. The structure includes noun phrases for the subject and predicate, followed by a numeral phrase detailing the count.
The Hebrew word order emphasizes the military group first, followed by its count, which serves to highlight the importance of the number in the context of the division's readiness.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates צָבָא as αὐτοῦ, suggesting a focus on the group belonging to Issachar. This choice reflects a more personal connection to the military unit rather than a general term for an army.
The translation of פָּקַד as ἐπεσκεμμένοι indicates a focus on the act of overseeing or counting, aligning with the Hebrew's emphasis on organization and structure.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 2:6 tells us that the division of the tribe of Issachar consists of 54,400 men. This verse is part of a census that organizes the Israelite tribes for their journey, showing how many troops each tribe has.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The number 54,400 represents the total count of the military division of the tribe of Issachar, indicating their readiness for battle.
The organization of tribes into military divisions was crucial for the Israelites as they prepared for their journey and potential conflicts in the wilderness.
This verse connects with other census accounts, such as in Numbers 1:29 and Numbers 26:25, which also detail the military strength of the tribes.
The military played a significant role in the life of the Israelites, serving as a means of protection, defense, and organization as they journeyed through the wilderness.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does understanding the military organization of the Israelites help us grasp their journey better?
- What can we learn from the way the Israelites counted and organized their people?
- In what ways does this verse reflect God's provision for His people?
- How might we apply the concept of organization and readiness in our own communities today?
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 2:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd his host,.... The host of Issachar; and those that were numbered thereof, [were] fifty and four thousand and four hundred. 54,400 men.
Read John Gill on Numbers 2 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred. No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 2 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges5, 7. Issachar is said to ‘pitch next unto’ Judah, and similarly in the other three cases. The important tribe thus appears to be placed in the centre, between the other two.
Read Cambridge on Numbers 2 →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
and his division numbers 54,400.
His division, and those who were counted of it, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.
and his division numbers 54,400.
Those numbered in his division are 54,400.
Tyndale line
And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.
And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.
and his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred:
And his host, and those that were numbered of it, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.
And his hoste, and the nomber thereof were foure and fiftie thousand, and foure hundreth.
Strictly literal
and his host, even those that were numbered thereof, fifty-four thousand four hundred.
and his host, and its numbered ones, [are] four and fifty thousand and four hundred.
and his host, and its numbered ones, [are] fifty-four thousand and four hundred.
And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.
The number in his division is 54,400 men.
From the Latin
And the whole number of his fighting men were fifty-four thousand four hundred.
Simplified
and he has 54,400 men.
The number of his army was fifty-four thousand, four hundred.
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 is supported by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word with the Hebrew. The Septuagint matches the Hebrew closely in a word-by-word correspondence, indicating consistency across these ancient texts.
וּצְבָא֖וֹ וּפְקֻדָ֑יו אַרְבָּעָ֧ה וַחֲמִשִּׁ֛ים אֶ֖לֶף וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵאֽוֹת׃ ס
7 of the 7 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.
וצבאו ופקדיו ארבעה וחמשׁים אלף וארבע מאות
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 2:6
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.
The Hebrew word צָבָא (*tsaba'*) primarily means 'army' or 'warfare,' encompassing organized groups for battle, divine hosts, and even celestial bodies. It can also refer to service or duty in a military context. The term appears in various forms, including צְבָאוֹת (*tsaba'ot*), which denotes the 'hosts' of the Lord, particularly in relation to God's role in warfare.
צָבָא 485 n.m. army, war, warfare
army, host
war, warfare, service
service
צְבָאוֹת, in name of י׳ as God of war, prob. first in time of warlike David (some connect with sacred ark, but ark older)
base
H6635a צָבָא army, war, warfare . army, host
. war, warfare, service
. service
H6635b צְבָאוֹת army, war, warfare . army, host
. war, warfare, service
. service
. צְבָאוֹת, in name of י׳ as God of war, prob. first in time of warlike David (some connect with sacred ark, but ark older)
6635 tsaba' tsaw-baw'
or (feminine) tsbadah {tseb-aw-aw'}; from 6633; a mass of
persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized
for war (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or
figuratively (specifically, hardship, worship):--appointed
time, (+) army, (+) battle, company, host, service, soldiers,
waiting upon, war(-fare).
see HEBREW for 06633
צָבָא (tsa.va) — army.
: army
1) that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host
1a) army, host
1a1) host (of organised army)
1a2) host (of angels)
1a3) of sun, moon, and stars
1a4) of whole creation
1b) war, warfare, service, go out to war
1c) service
צָבָא (tsa.va) — Hosts.
The Hosts (of the Lord)
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
צָבָא (tsa.va) — army: war.
: war
1) that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host
1a) army, host
1a1) host (of organised army)
1a2) host (of angels)
1a3) of sun, moon, and stars
1a4) of whole creation
1b) war, warfare, service, go out to war
1c) service
צָבָא (tsa.va) — army: duty.
: duty
1) that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host
1a) army, host
1a1) host (of organised army)
1a2) host (of angels)
1a3) of sun, moon, and stars
1a4) of whole creation
1b) war, warfare, service, go out to war
1c) service
Conj | N-cs | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms
פָּקַד (paqad) is a Hebrew verb that encompasses a range of meanings including to attend to, visit, muster, appoint, and punish. It can imply oversight or care, as well as the act of seeking or lacking something. The word can also be used in various grammatical forms, indicating actions such as being appointed or being visited upon. The plural form פְּקוּדִים refers to musterings or expenses.
פָּקַד 303 vb. attend to, visit, muster, appoint
Qal
pay attention to, observe (with care, practical interest)
attend to, in act, see to
seek (with interest, desire)
seek in vain, need, miss, lack
specif. visit, c. acc., for different purposes
c. עַל pers., visit upon
pass in review, muster (nearly = number), c. acc.
appoint
Niph.
be (sought, i.e. needed) missed, lacking
be visited (graciously)
be visited upon, עַל pers.
be appointed
Pi. (intens.) muster a host
Pu. be passed in review; be caused to miss, deprived
Hithp. be mustered
Hothp. id.
Hiph.
c. acc. pers. set (over), make overseer
c. acc. rei (implic.)
commit, entrust
deposit
Hoph.
be visited in punishment
be deposited
be made overseer
base
[פְּקוּדִים] n.pl.[m.] abstr. musterings, i.e. expenses;—cstr. Ex 38:21
ref
H6485a פָּקַד attend to, visit, muster, appoint .. . . pay attention to, observe (with care, practical interest)
. attend to, in act, see to
. seek (with interest, desire)
. seek in vain, need, miss, lack
. specif. visit, c. acc., for different purposes
. c. עַל pers., visit upon
. pass in review, muster (nearly = number), c. acc.
. appoint
. . be (sought, i.e. needed) missed, lacking
. be visited (graciously)
. be visited upon, עַל pers.
. be appointed
. (intens.) muster a host
. be passed in review; be caused to miss, deprived
. be mustered
. id.
. . c. acc. pers. set (over), make overseer
. c. acc. rei (implic.) . commit, entrust
. deposit
. . be visited in punishment
. be deposited
. be made overseer
H6485b פְּקוּדִים n. pl. [m.] abstr. musterings, i.e. expenses
6485 paqad paw-kad'
a primitive root; to visit (with friendly or hostile intent);
by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss,
deposit, etc.:--appoint, X at all, avenge, bestow, (appoint
to have the, give a) charge, commit, count, deliver to keep,
be empty, enjoin, go see, hurt, do judgment, lack, lay up,
look, make, X by any means, miss, number, officer, (make)
overseer, have (the) oversight, punish, reckon, (call to)
remember(-brance), set (over), sum, X surely, visit, want.
פָּקַד (pa.qad) — to reckon: list.
: list/count
1) to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to pay attention to, observe
1a2) to attend to
1a3) to seek, look about for
1a4) to seek in vain, need, miss, lack
1a5) to visit
1a6) to visit upon, punish
1a7) to pass in review, muster, number
1a8) to appoint, assign, lay upon as a charge, deposit
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be sought, be needed, be missed, be lacking
1b2) to be visited
1b3) to be visited upon
1b4) to be appointed
1b5) to be watched over
1c) (Piel) to muster, call up
1d) (Pual) to be passed in review, be caused to miss, be called, be called to account
1e) (Hiphil)
1e1) to set over, make overseer, appoint an overseer
1e2) to commit, entrust, commit for care, deposit
1f) (Hophal)
1f1) to be visited
1f2) to be deposited
1f3) to be made overseer, be entrusted
1g) (Hithpael) numbered
Conj | V-Qal-Inf-c | Suff — Conjunction · verb qal participle (passive) masculine plural common · suffixHC/Vqsmpc/Sp3ms
אַרְבַּע (arba) means 'four' in Hebrew. It is a masculine noun derived from the root associated with the number four. The entries consistently affirm this meaning without any significant disagreement among lexicons.
אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
base
H702 אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
702 'arba` ar-bah'
masculine oarbaah {ar-baw-aw'}; from 7251; four:--four.
see HEBREW for 07251
אַרְבַּע (ar.ba) — four.
four
Adj — AdjHAcbsa
for ('arba`; tessares): "Four" (cardinal number) was a sacred and complete number with the Hebrews, as well as with several other peoples. It occurs very frequently in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
(1) It indicates completeness. We have the four rivers of Paradise (Ge 2:10); the four winds of heaven (Eze 37:9; Da 7:2; 8:8; 11:4; Zec 6:5, the Revised Version, margin "spirits"; /APC 2Esdras 13:5); "the four winds" (Mt 24:31; Mr 13:27); "the four corners of the earth" (Isa 11:12;
חֲמִשִּׁים (chamishshiym) means 'fifty' and is a cardinal number. It can also refer to a multiple of fifty or the ordinal number 'fiftieth.' The entries consistently define it as a numerical term without significant variation.
חֲמִשִּׁים 164 n.pl. (a) fifty
base
H2572 חֲמִשִּׁים (a) fifty
2572 chamishshiym kham-ish-sheem'
multiple of 2568; fifty:--fifty.
see HEBREW for 02568
חֲמִשִּׁים (cha.mish.shim) — fifty.
1) fifty
1a) fifty (cardinal number)
1b) a multiple of fifty (with other numbers)
1c) fiftieth (ordinal number)
HC/Acmpa — ConjunctionHC/Acmpa
אֶ֫לֶף (eleph) means 'thousand' in Hebrew. It can refer to the numeral itself or denote a company or clan, particularly a group of men under one leader. The word is built from the concept of a thousand, and it is associated with the ox's head, which is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
אֶ֫לֶף n.m. thousand
base
H505 אֶ֫לֶף thousand
505 'eleph eh'-lef
prop, the same as 504; hence (the ox's head being the first
letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral)
a thousand:--thousand.
see HEBREW for 0504
אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand.
: thousand
1) a thousand
1a) as numeral
2) a thousand, company
2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops
אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand: clan.
: clan
1) a thousand
1a) as numeral
2) a thousand, company
2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops
HAcbsa — HAcbsa
thou'-zand ('eleph; chilioi).
See NUMBER.
אַרְבַּע (arba) means 'four' in Hebrew. It is a masculine noun derived from the root associated with the number four. The entries consistently affirm this meaning without any significant disagreement among lexicons.
אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
base
H702 אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
702 'arba` ar-bah'
masculine oarbaah {ar-baw-aw'}; from 7251; four:--four.
see HEBREW for 07251
אַרְבַּע (ar.ba) — four.
four
HC/Acbsc — ConjunctionHC/Acbsc
for ('arba`; tessares): "Four" (cardinal number) was a sacred and complete number with the Hebrews, as well as with several other peoples. It occurs very frequently in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
(1) It indicates completeness. We have the four rivers of Paradise (Ge 2:10); the four winds of heaven (Eze 37:9; Da 7:2; 8:8; 11:4; Zec 6:5, the Revised Version, margin "spirits"; /APC 2Esdras 13:5); "the four winds" (Mt 24:31; Mr 13:27); "the four corners of the earth" (Isa 11:12;
מֵאָה (me'ah) means 'hundred' in Hebrew. It can refer to a simple number, a component of a larger number, or a fraction representing one one-hundredth. The entries consistently describe its use as a numeral without significant disagreement.
מֵאָה 583 n.f. hundred
as simple number
as part of larger number
a hundredth part
base
H3967 מֵאָה hundred . as simple number
. as part of larger number
. a hundredth part
3967 me'ah may-aw'
or metyah {may-yaw'}; properly, a primitive numeral; a
hundred; also as a multiplicative and a
fraction:--hundred((-fold), -th), + sixscore.
מֵאָה (me.ah) — hundred.
1) hundred
1a) as simple number
1b) as part of larger number
1c) as a fraction-one one-hundredth (1/100)
Aramaic equivalent: me.ah (מְאָה "hundred" H3969)
HAcfpa — HAcfpa
hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).
See NUMBER.