Numbers 3:17

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

These were the names of the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיִּֽהְיוּ־אֵ֥לֶּה בְנֵֽי־לֵוִ֖י בִּשְׁמֹתָ֑ם גֵּרְשׁ֕וֹן וּקְהָ֖ת וּמְרָרִֽי׃

Transliteration

wa-yihyû-ʾēlleh bənê-Lēwî bi-šmōtām Gēršôn û-Qəhāt û-Mərārî

Grammar Details

• *wa-yihyû*: conjunction + verb, Qal imperfect consecutive, 3rd common plural - and were
• *ʾēlleh*: demonstrative pronoun, masculine plural - these
• *bənê*: noun, masculine plural construct - sons of
• *Lēwî*: proper noun - Levi
• *bi-šmōtām*: preposition + noun, feminine plural + 3rd masculine plural suffix - by their names
• *Gēršôn*: proper noun, masculine singular - Gershon
• *û-Qəhāt*: conjunction + proper noun, masculine singular - and Kohath
• *û-Mərārî*: conjunction + proper noun, masculine singular - and Merari

Word Meanings

• *bi-šmōtām*: by their names/according to their names/as named

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  And these are ye names of ye childre of Leui: Gerson Cahath and Merari.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And these were the children of Leui with their names: Gerson, Rahath, Merari.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And these are the sonnes of Leui by their names, Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And these were the chyldren of Leui in their names: Gerson, and Caath, and Merari.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And these are sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  These were the sons of Levi by name: Gershon and Kohath and Merari.

• World English Bible (2000)

  These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  The Summary of Families These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Referenced Verses

• Gen 46:11 : 11 The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
• Exod 6:16-19 : 16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years. 17 The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimei by their clans. 18 The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years. 19 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites by their generations.
• Num 15:5-9 : 5 Along with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice of a lamb, you shall prepare a fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering. 6 If the offering is for a ram, you shall prepare a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a third of a hin of oil, 7 and a third of a hin of wine as the drink offering. This will be a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 8 When you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering or a sacrifice, whether to fulfill a vow or as a peace offering to the Lord, 9 you shall present with the young bull a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil. 10 You shall also offer half a hin of wine as a drink offering. It will be an offering by fire, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 11 This is how it will be done for each bull, each ram, each lamb, or goat. 12 Do these instructions according to the number of animals you prepare—one for each. 13 Every native-born Israelite must do these things in this prescribed way when presenting an offering by fire, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 14 When a foreigner resides with you or someone living among you throughout your generations, and they want to present a fire offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord, they must do as you do. 15 The same law applies to the congregation and the foreigner residing among you. It is a perpetual statute for your future generations. You and the foreigner shall be the same before the Lord. 16 The same instructions and the same rulings will apply for both you and the foreigner residing with you. 17 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 18 Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you come into the land to which I am bringing you, 19 and you eat the bread of the land, you shall present an offering to the Lord. 20 You must bring the first portion of your dough as an offering to the Lord, like the contribution from the threshing floor, so you shall offer it. 21 From the first of your dough, you shall give a contribution to the Lord for all your generations. 22 If you unintentionally fail to follow any of these commands that the Lord has instructed to Moses— 23 everything the Lord has commanded you through Moses, from the day the Lord commanded them onward, throughout your generations—
• Num 23:6-9 : 6 He returned to Balak, and there he was, standing beside his burnt offering along with all the officials of Moab. 7 Then Balaam uttered his oracle and said: 'From Aram Balak brought me, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: "Come, curse Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel."' 8 How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those the LORD has not denounced? 9 For from the top of the rocks I see them, from the hills I behold them; they are a people who live apart and do not consider themselves among the nations. 10 Who can count the dust of Jacob or number a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my final end be like theirs! 11 Balak said to Balaam, 'What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!' 12 He answered, 'Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?' 13 Then Balak said to him, 'Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will see only a part of them, not all of them. From there, curse them for me.' 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah. There he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15 Balaam said to Balak, 'Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.' 16 The LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, saying, 'Return to Balak and speak these words.' 17 So Balaam returned to Balak, who was standing beside his burnt offering with the officials of Moab. Balak asked him, 'What did the LORD say?' 18 Then Balaam proclaimed his oracle, saying: 'Stand up, Balak, and listen; hear me, son of Zippor!' 19 'God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?' 20 'Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.' 21 'He has not observed iniquity in Jacob or seen trouble in Israel. The LORD their God is with them; the shout of a king is among them.' 22 'God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox.' 23 'There is no divination against Jacob, no sorcery against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel: "See what God has done!"'
• Num 24:1-9 : 1 When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to seeking omens as he had done before, but he turned his face toward the wilderness. 2 Balaam looked up and saw Israel camped according to their tribes, and the Spirit of God came upon him. 3 He began his oracle, saying: 'The oracle of Balaam, son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened.' 4 'The oracle of one who hears the words of God, who sees visions of the Almighty, who falls down, with eyes uncovered.' 5 How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! 6 Like valleys they stretch out, like gardens along a river, like aloes planted by the LORD, like cedars beside the waters. 7 Water will flow from his buckets; his seed will be by abundant waters. His king will be greater than Agag, and his kingdom will be exalted. 8 God brought him out of Egypt; he has the strength of a wild ox. He will devour hostile nations and crush their bones; with his arrows, he will pierce them. 9 He crouched, he lay down like a lion, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? Those who bless you will be blessed; those who curse you will be cursed. 10 Then Balak's anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. He said to Balaam, 'I summoned you to curse my enemies, but instead, you have blessed them three times!' 11 Now leave and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the LORD has kept you from being rewarded.' 12 Balaam answered Balak, 'Did I not tell your messengers that you sent to me,' 13 'Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go against the command of the LORD, to do anything good or bad of my own will. What the LORD says, that I will speak.' 14 'Now I am going back to my people, but let me warn you what this people will do to your people in the days to come.' 15 Then Balaam began his oracle, saying: 'The oracle of Balaam, son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,' 16 'The oracle of one who hears the words of God and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees visions of the Almighty, who falls down, with eyes uncovered.' 17 I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob, a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab and destroy all the sons of Sheth. 18 Edom will become a possession; Seir, his enemy, will also be a possession. But Israel will grow strong. 19 A ruler will come out of Jacob and will destroy the survivors of the city. 20 Then Balaam saw Amalek and spoke his oracle: 'Amalek was first among the nations, but their end will be utter destruction.' 21 Then he saw the Kenites and spoke his oracle: 'Your dwelling is secure, your nest is set in the rock.' 22 Yet you Kenites will be destroyed when Asshur takes you captive. 23 Then he spoke his oracle: 'Alas! Who can survive when God does this?' 24 Ships will come from the shores of Kittim; they will afflict Asshur and Eber, but they too will come to destruction. 25 Then Balaam got up and returned to his home, and Balak also went on his way.
• Num 26:57-58 : 57 These are the families of the Levites by their clans: The clan of the Gershonites from Gershon, the clan of the Kohathites from Kohath, and the clan of the Merarites from Merari. 58 These are the clans of Levi: the Libnite clan, the Hebronite clan, the Mahlite clan, the Mushite clan, and the Korahite clan. Kohath was the father of Amram.
• Josh 21:1-9 : 1 The heads of the families of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the Israelite tribes. 2 They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, 'The LORD commanded through Moses to give us cities to live in, with pasture lands for our livestock.' 3 So the Israelites gave the Levites, according to the LORD’s command, the following cities and pasture lands from their inheritance. 4 The lot came out for the Kohathite clans. The descendants of Aaron, the priest, who were from the Levites, received, by lot, thirteen cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. 5 The remaining Kohathites received, by lot, ten cities from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and half the tribe of Manasseh. 6 The descendants of Gershon received, by lot, thirteen cities from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. 7 The descendants of Merari, by their families, received twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. 8 So the Israelites gave these cities with their pasture lands to the Levites, as the LORD had commanded through Moses, by lot. 9 From the tribes of Judah and Simeon, they gave the following cities by name. 10 These cities were for the descendants of Aaron, who were from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, for the first lot was for them. 11 They gave them Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, along with its surrounding pasture lands. Arba was the ancestor of the Anakites. 12 However, the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession. 13 To the descendants of Aaron, the priest, they gave Hebron (a city of refuge for one who had killed someone), along with its pasture lands, and Libnah with its pasture lands. 14 Jattir with its pasture lands, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, 15 Holon with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands. 16 Ain with its pasture lands, Juttah with its pasture lands, Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands—nine cities from these two tribes. 17 From the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands, 18 Anathoth with its pasture lands, and Almon with its pasture lands—four cities in total. 19 In total, the descendants of Aaron, the priests, received thirteen cities with their pasture lands. 20 The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites received cities allotted to them from the tribe of Ephraim. 21 They were given Shechem (a city of refuge for one who had killed someone) with its pasture lands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasture lands, 22 Kibzaim with its pasture lands, and Beth-horon with its pasture lands—four cities. 23 From the tribe of Dan: Elteke with its pasture lands, Gibbethon with its pasture lands, 24 Aijalon with its pasture lands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands—four cities. 25 From half the tribe of Manasseh: Taanach with its pasture lands and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands—two cities. 26 In total, the remaining Kohathite clans received ten cities with their pasture lands. 27 To the descendants of Gershon, from the families of the Levites, they gave from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for one who had killed someone) with its pasture lands, and Be-eshterah with its pasture lands—two cities. 28 From the tribe of Issachar: Kishion with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands, 29 Jarmuth with its pasture lands, and En-gannim with its pasture lands—four cities. 30 From the tribe of Asher: Mishal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, 31 Helkath with its pasture lands and Rehob with its pasture lands—four cities. 32 From the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for one who had killed someone) with its pasture lands, Hammoth-dor with its pasture lands, and Kartan with its pasture lands—three cities. 33 In total, the families of the Gershonites received thirteen cities with their pasture lands. 34 To the families of the Merarites, the remaining Levites, they gave from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasture lands, and Kartah with its pasture lands, 35 Dimnah with its pasture lands, and Nahalal with its pasture lands—four cities in total. 36 From the tribe of Reuben: Bezer with its pasture lands, and Jahzah with its pasture lands, 37 Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaath with its pasture lands—four cities in total. 38 From the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one who had killed someone) with its pasture lands, Mahanaim with its pasture lands, 39 Heshbon with its pasture lands, and Jazer with its pasture lands—four cities in total. 40 In total, the families of the Merarites, the remaining Levite families, received twelve cities by lot. 41 In total, the cities of the Levites within the possession of the Israelites numbered forty-eight cities along with their pasture lands. 42 Each of these cities had its surrounding pasture lands. This was true for all these cities. 43 So the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give to their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. 44 The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. Not one of their enemies could stand against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hands. 45 Not one of the good promises the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; they all came to pass.
• 1 Chr 6:1-2 : 1 The sons of Levi are Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. 2 These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei.
• 1 Chr 6:16-19 : 16 These were the men David appointed to lead the singing in the house of the Lord after the ark came to rest. 17 They ministered with music before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting until Solomon built the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. They performed their duties according to the ordinances prescribed for them. 18 These were the men who served, along with their sons. From the Kohathites: Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel. 19 The son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah.
• Neh 11:1-9 : 1 The leaders of the people stayed in Jerusalem, but the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine stayed in the towns. 2 The people praised all those who willingly volunteered to live in Jerusalem. 3 Here are the leaders of the province who settled in Jerusalem. But in the towns of Judah, everyone lived on their own land in their towns—Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants, and descendants of Solomon's servants. 4 Some from the descendants of Judah and the descendants of Benjamin lived in Jerusalem. From the descendants of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalalel, from the family of Perez. 5 And Maaseiah son of Baruch, son of Col-hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, from the family of the Shilonites. 6 The descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem totaled 468 capable men. 7 From the descendants of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah. 8 And after him: Gabbai and Sallai, a total of 928 men. 9 Joel son of Zichri was their officer, and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in command over the city. 10 From the priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib and Jachin. 11 Seraiah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the leader in charge of the house of God. 12 Their associates, who carried out the work for the temple, numbered 822. Also, Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah.