Numbers 1 · Verse 4

Numbers 1:4

And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers.
Numbers 1:4, King James Version

Numbers 1:4 in other translations

BSBAnd one man from each tribe, the head of each family, must be there with you.
WEBWith you there shall be a man of every tribe, each one head of his fathers’ house.
ASVAnd with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of his fathers’ house.
YLTand with you there is a man for a tribe, each is a head to the house of his fathers.
DARBYAnd with you there shall be a man for every tribe, a man who is the head of his father's house.
BBEAnd to give you help, take one man from every tribe, the head of his father's house.
WebsterAnd with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers.

What does Numbers 1:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 1:4-18
4-16. with you there shall be a man of every tribe, &c.--The social condition of the Israelites in the wilderness bore a close resemblance to that of the nomad tribes of the East in the present day. The head of the tribe was a hereditary dignity, vested in the oldest son or some other to whom the right of primogeniture was transferred, and under whom were other inferior heads, also hereditary, among the different branches of the tribe. The Israelites being divided into twelve tribes, there were twelve chiefs appointed to assist in taking the census of the people.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 1:1-43

The people were numbered to show God's faithfulness in thus increasing the seed of Jacob, that they might be the better trained for the wars and conquest of Canaan, and to ascertain their families in order to the division of the land. It is said of each tribe, that those were numbered who were able to go forth to war; they had wars before them, though now they met with no opposition. Let the believer be prepared to…

Read the full comment on Numbers 1:1-43 →

Numbers 1:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְאִתְּכֶ֣םve.'i.te.Khemand with youH854
יִהְי֔וּyih.Yuthey will beH1961
אִ֥ישׁ'isha manH376
אִ֖ישׁ'isha manH376
לַמַּטֶּ֑הla.ma.Tehto the tribeH4294
אִ֛ישׁ'isha manH376
רֹ֥אשׁrosh[is the] headH7218
לְבֵית\־le.veit-of [the] house ofH1004
אֲבֹתָ֖יו'a.vo.Tavancestors hisH1
הֽוּא\׃Hu'heH1931

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Numbers 1:4

  • Numbers 1:16

    These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel.

  • Exodus 18:25

    And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

  • Numbers 25:4

    And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.

  • Numbers 2:3-31

    And on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies: and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of the children of Judah. And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred. And those that do pitch next unto him shall be the tribe of Issachar: and Nethaneel the son of Zuar shall be captain of the children of Issachar. And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred. …

  • Numbers 7:10-83

    And the princes offered for dedicating of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes offered their offering before the altar. And the Lord said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of the altar. And he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah: And his offering was one silver charger, the weight thereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them were full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering: …

  • Joshua 22:14

    And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was an head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.

  • Numbers 13:2-15

    Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them. And Moses by the commandment of the Lord sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel. And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur. Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori. …

  • Deuteronomy 1:15

    So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.

  • Numbers 17:3

    And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.

  • Numbers 34:18-28

    And ye shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land by inheritance. And the names of the men are these: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud. Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. …

  • Exodus 18:21

    Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

  • Numbers 25:14

    Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
16; 2:3-31; 7:10-83; 10:14-27; 13:2-15; 17:3; 25:4,14; 34:18-28
Ex 18:25; Jos 22:14; 1Ch 27:1-22

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Numbers 1:3

    From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.

  • Numbers 1:4

    And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers.

  • Numbers 1:5

    And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben; Elizur the son of Shedeur.

Read all of Numbers 1

Numbers 1:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y estará con vosotros un varón de cada tribu, cada uno cabeza de la casa de sus padres.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et, avec vous, il y aura un homme par tribu, un homme chef de sa maison de pères.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und je ein Mann für den Stamm soll bei euch sein, ein Mann, der das Haupt von seinem Vaterhause ist.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Eruntque vobiscum principes tribuum ac domorum in cognationibus suis,