Numbers 3:17

World English Bible (2000)

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

Referenced Verses

• Gen 46:11 : 11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
• Exod 6:16-19 : 16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred thirty-seven years. 17 The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their families. 18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel; and the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred thirty-three years. 19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations.
• Num 15:5-9 : 5 and wine for the drink offering, the fourth part of a hin, you shall prepare with the burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, for each lamb. 6 "'Or for a ram, you shall prepare for a meal offering two tenth parts [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with the third part of a hin of oil: 7 and for the drink offering you shall offer the third part of a hin of wine, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 8 When you prepare a bull for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or for peace offerings to Yahweh; 9 then shall he offer with the bull a meal offering of three tenth parts [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil: 10 and you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 11 Thus shall it be done for each bull, or for each ram, or for each of the male lambs, or of the young goats. 12 According to the number that you shall prepare, so you shall do to everyone according to their number. 13 "'All who are native-born shall do these things in this way, in offering an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 14 If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you, or whoever may be among you throughout your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh; as you do, so he shall do. 15 For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you, and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner [with you], a statute forever throughout your generations: as you are, so shall the foreigner be before Yahweh. 16 One law and one ordinance shall be for you, and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner with you.'" 17 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 18 "Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'When you come into the land where I bring you, 19 then it shall be that when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall offer up a wave offering to Yahweh. 20 Of the first of your dough you shall offer up a cake for a wave offering: as the wave offering of the threshing floor, so you shall heave it. 21 Of the first of your dough you shall give to Yahweh a wave offering throughout your generations. 22 "'When you shall err, and not observe all these commandments, which Yahweh has spoken to Moses, 23 even all that Yahweh has commanded you by Moses, from the day that Yahweh gave commandment, and onward throughout your generations;
• Num 23:6-9 : 6 He returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7 He took up his parable, and said, "From Aram has Balak brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. Come, curse Jacob for me. Come, defy Israel. 8 How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom Yahweh has not defied? 9 For from the top of the rocks I see him. From the hills I see him. Behold, it is a people that dwells alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. 10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous! Let my last end be like his!" 11 Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether." 12 He answered and said, "Must I not take heed to speak that which Yahweh puts in my mouth?" 13 Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place, where you may see them; you shall see but the utmost part of them, and shall not see them all: and curse me them from there." 14 He took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar. 15 He said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet [Yahweh] yonder." 16 Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and say this." 17 He came to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. Balak said to him, "What has Yahweh spoken?" 18 He took up his parable, and said, "Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, you son of Zippor. 19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor the son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good? 20 Behold, I have received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I can't reverse it. 21 He has not seen iniquity in Jacob. Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel. Yahweh his God is with him. The shout of a king is among them. 22 God brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. 23 Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; Neither is there any divination with Israel. Now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has God done!
• Num 24:1-9 : 1 When Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless Israel, he didn't go, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him. 3 He took up his parable, and said, "Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eye was closed says; 4 he says, who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, and having his eyes open: 5 How goodly are your tents, Jacob, and your tents, Israel! 6 As valleys they are spread forth, as gardens by the riverside, as aloes which Yahweh has planted, as cedar trees beside the waters. 7 Water shall flow from his buckets. His seed shall be in many waters. His king shall be higher than Agag. His kingdom shall be exalted. 8 God brings him out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. He shall eat up the nations his adversaries, shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them with his arrows. 9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Everyone who blesses you is blessed. Everyone who curses you is cursed." 10 Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times. 11 Therefore now flee you to your place! I thought to promote you to great honor; but, behold, Yahweh has kept you back from honor." 12 Balaam said to Balak, "Didn't I also tell your messengers who you sent to me, saying, 13 'If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can't go beyond the word of Yahweh, to do either good or bad of my own mind. I will say what Yahweh says'? 14 Now, behold, I go to my people: come, [and] I will inform you what this people shall do to your people in the latter days." 15 He took up his parable, and said, "Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eye was closed says; 16 he says, who hears the words of God, knows the knowledge of the Most High, and who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, and having his eyes open: 17 I see him, but not now. I see him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob. A scepter will rise out of Israel, and shall strike through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of Sheth. 18 Edom shall be a possession. Seir, his enemies, also shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly. 19 Out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city." 20 He looked at Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, "Amalek was the first of the nations, But his latter end shall come to destruction." 21 He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, "Your dwelling place is strong. Your nest is set in the rock. 22 Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted, until Asshur carries you away captive." 23 He took up his parable, and said, "Alas, who shall live when God does this? 24 But ships [shall come] from the coast of Kittim. They shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber. He also shall come to destruction." 25 Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.
• Num 26:57-58 : 57 These are those who were numbered of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites. 58 These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites. Kohath became the father of Amram.
• Josh 21:1-9 : 1 Then the heads of fathers' houses of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of fathers' houses of the tribes of the children of Israel. 2 They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, "Yahweh commanded Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for our livestock." 3 The children of Israel gave to the Levites out of their inheritance, according to the commandment of Yahweh, these cities with their suburbs. 4 The lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. The children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had thirteen cities by lot out of the tribe of Judah, out of the tribe of the Simeonites, and out of the tribe of Benjamin. 5 The rest of the children of Kohath had ten cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh. 6 The children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, out of the tribe of Asher, out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. 7 The children of Merari according to their families had twelve cities out of the tribe of Reuben, out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun. 8 The children of Israel gave these cities with their suburbs by lot to the Levites, as Yahweh commanded by Moses. 9 They gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are mentioned by name: 10 and they were for the children of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi; for theirs was the first lot. 11 They gave them Kiriath Arba, named after the father of Anak (the same is Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, with its suburbs around it. 12 But they gave the fields of the city and its villages to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession. 13 To the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Libnah with its suburbs, 14 Jattir with its suburbs, Eshtemoa with its suburbs, 15 Holon with its suburbs, Debir with its suburbs, 16 Ain with its suburbs, Juttah with its suburbs, and Beth Shemesh with its suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes. 17 Out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its suburbs, Geba with its suburbs, 18 Anathoth with its suburbs, and Almon with its suburbs; four cities. 19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs. 20 The families of the children of Kohath, the Levites, even the rest of the children of Kohath, had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim. 21 They gave them Shechem with its suburbs in the hill country of Ephraim, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Gezer with its suburbs, 22 Kibzaim with its suburbs, and Beth Horon with its suburbs; four cities. 23 Out of the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its suburbs, Gibbethon with its suburbs, 24 Aijalon with its suburbs, Gath Rimmon with its suburbs; four cities. 25 Out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its suburbs, and Gath Rimmon with its suburbs; two cities. 26 All the cities of the families of the rest of the children of Kohath were ten with their suburbs. 27 They gave to the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the half-tribe of Manasseh Golan in Bashan with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Be Eshterah with its suburbs; two cities. 28 Out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its suburbs, Daberath with its suburbs, 29 Jarmuth with its suburbs, En Gannim with its suburbs; four cities. 30 Out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its suburbs, Abdon with its suburbs, 31 Helkath with its suburbs, and Rehob with its suburbs; four cities. 32 Out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Hammothdor with its suburbs, and Kartan with its suburbs; three cities. 33 All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs. 34 To the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its suburbs, Kartah with its suburbs, 35 Dimnah with its suburbs, and Nahalal with its suburbs; four cities. 36 Out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its suburbs, Jahaz with its suburbs, 37 Kedemoth with its suburbs, and Mephaath with its suburbs; four cities. 38 Out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Mahanaim with its suburbs, 39 Heshbon with its suburbs, Jazer with its suburbs; four cities in all. 40 All these were the cities of the children of Merari according to their families, even the rest of the families of the Levites. Their lot was twelve cities. 41 All the cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the children of Israel were forty-eight cities with their suburbs. 42 Each of these cities included their suburbs around them. It was this way with all these cities. 43 So Yahweh gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their fathers. They possessed it, and lived in it. 44 Yahweh gave them rest all around, according to all that he swore to their fathers. Not a man of all their enemies stood before them. Yahweh delivered all their enemies into their hand. 45 Nothing failed of any good thing which Yahweh had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.
• 1 Chr 6:1-2 : 1 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 2 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.
• 1 Chr 6:16-19 : 16 The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. 17 These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei. 18 The sons of Kohath were Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. 19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers' [houses].
• Neh 11:1-9 : 1 The princes of the people lived in Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts in the [other] cities. 2 The people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell in Jerusalem. 3 Now these are the chiefs of the province who lived in Jerusalem: but in the cities of Judah lived everyone in his possession in their cities, [to wit], Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the Nethinim, and the children of Solomon's servants. 4 In Jerusalem lived certain of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin. Of the children of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of the children of Perez; 5 and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Colhozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of the Shilonite. 6 All the sons of Perez who lived in Jerusalem were four hundred sixty-eight valiant men. 7 These are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah. 8 After him Gabbai, Sallai, nine hundred twenty-eight. 9 Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer; and Judah the son of Hassenuah was second over the city. 10 Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin, 11 Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God, 12 and their brothers who did the work of the house, eight hundred twenty-two; and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah,