וַיִּהְי֤וּ בְנֵֽי־רְאוּבֵן֙ בְּכֹ֣ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל תֹּולְדֹתָ֥ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֑ם בְּמִסְפַּ֤ר שֵׁמֹות֙ לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָ֔ם כָּל־זָכָ֗ר מִבֶּ֨ן עֶשְׂרִ֤ים שָׁנָה֙ וָמַ֔עְלָה כֹּ֖ל יֹצֵ֥א צָבָֽא׃
And the sons of Re’uven, the firstborn of Yisra’el: their generations by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, by their skulls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who could go out to the army.
Morphology
- וַיִּהְי֤וּ (vayyihyu) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural with waw consecutive; Translation: “And they were”; Notes: Refers to the state or presence of the sons of Re’uven.
- בְנֵֽי־ (bnei) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Masculine plural construct noun; Translation: “The sons of”; Notes: Refers to the descendants of Re’uven.
- רְאוּבֵן֙ (Re’uven) – Root: ראה (r-ʾ-h) + בן (b-n); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Re’uven”; Notes: The firstborn son of Yisra’el, meaning “See, a son.”
- בְּכֹ֣ר (bekhor) – Root: בכר (b-kh-r); Form: Masculine singular noun; Translation: “The firstborn”; Notes: Refers to Re’uven’s status as the firstborn of Yisra’el.
- יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (Yisra’el) – Root: ישראל (y-s-r-ʾ-l); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yisra’el”; Notes: Refers to the patriarch Ya’akov and the nation descended from him.
- תֹּולְדֹתָ֥ם (toldotam) – Root: ילד (y-l-d); Form: Feminine plural noun with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “Their generations”; Notes: Refers to the genealogical records of Re’uven’s descendants.
- לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם (le-mishpeḥotam) – Root: משפחה (m-sh-p-ḥ); Form: Feminine plural noun with 3rd person masculine plural suffix and preposition; Translation: “By their families”; Notes: Indicates organization by family units.
- לְבֵ֣ית (le-veit) – Root: בית (b-y-t); Form: Masculine singular construct noun with preposition; Translation: “By the house of”; Notes: Refers to the paternal lineage.
- אֲבֹתָ֑ם (avotam) – Root: אב (‘-v); Form: Masculine plural noun with 3rd person masculine plural suffix; Translation: “Their fathers”; Notes: Refers to their ancestral lineage.
- בְּמִסְפַּ֤ר (be-mispar) – Root: מספר (m-s-p-r); Form: Masculine singular noun with preposition; Translation: “According to the number”; Notes: Refers to the enumeration process.
- שֵׁמֹות֙ (shemot) – Root: שם (sh-m); Form: Masculine plural noun; Translation: “Of names”; Notes: Refers to the names of the individuals recorded.
- לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָ֔ם (le-gulgelotam) – Root: גלגלת (g-l-g-l-t); Form: Feminine plural noun with 3rd person masculine plural suffix and preposition; Translation: “By their skulls”; Notes: Refers to an individual headcount.
- כָּל־זָכָ֗ר (kol-zakhar) – Root: כל (k-l) + זכר (z-kh-r); Form: Noun, construct + masculine singular noun; Translation: “Every male”; Notes: Specifies the gender being counted.
- מִבֶּ֨ן (mi-ben) – Root: בן (b-n); Form: Masculine singular noun with preposition; Translation: “From the age of”; Notes: Indicates the starting age for the census.
- עֶשְׂרִ֤ים (esrim) – Root: עשר (‘-s-r); Form: Masculine plural cardinal number; Translation: “Twenty”; Notes: Specifies the minimum age for inclusion.
- שָׁנָה֙ (shanah) – Root: שנה (sh-n-h); Form: Feminine singular noun; Translation: “Years”; Notes: Refers to years of age.
- וָמַ֔עְלָה (u-ma’lah) – Root: מעל (m-ʿ-l); Form: Conjunction + noun; Translation: “And upward”; Notes: Indicates ages above twenty years.
- כֹּ֖ל (kol) – Root: כל (k-l); Form: Noun; Translation: “All”; Notes: Refers to inclusivity of those able to serve.
- יֹצֵ֥א (yotse) – Root: יצא (y-ts-‘); Form: Qal participle masculine singular; Translation: “Going out”; Notes: Refers to eligibility for military service.
- צָבָֽא׃ (tsava) – Root: צבא (ts-v-‘); Form: Masculine singular noun; Translation: “The army”; Notes: Refers to the military forces of Yisra’el.