The Meaning of Numbers 1:1 Explained

Numbers 1:1

KJV: And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

YLT: And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year of their going out of the land of Egypt, saying:

Darby: And Jehovah spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after their departure from the land of Egypt, saying,

ASV: And Jehovah spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  spake  unto Moses  in the wilderness  of Sinai,  in the tabernacle  of the congregation,  on the first  [day] of the second  month,  in the second  year  after they were come out  of the land  of Egypt,  saying, 

What does Numbers 1:1 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Numbers 1

1  God commands Moses to number the people
5  The princes of the tribes
17  The number of every tribe
47  The Levites are exempted for the service of the Lord

What do the individual words in Numbers 1:1 mean?

And spoke Yahweh to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai in the tabernacle of meeting on first the day of the month second in the year second after they had come out of the land of Egypt saying
וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה אֶל־ מֹשֶׁ֛ה בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינַ֖י בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד בְּאֶחָד֩ לַחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִ֜י בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשֵּׁנִ֗ית לְצֵאתָ֛ם מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לֵאמֹֽר

וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר  And  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
יְהוָ֧ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מֹשֶׁ֛ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר  in  the  Wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
סִינַ֖י  of  Sinai 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: סִינַי  
Sense: the mountain where Moses received the Law from Jehovah; located at the southern end of the Sinai peninsula between the horns of the Red Sea; exact site unknown.
בְּאֹ֣הֶל  in  the  tabernacle 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.
מוֹעֵ֑ד  of  meeting 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹועֵד  
Sense: appointed place, appointed time, meeting.
בְּאֶחָד֩  on  first 
Parse: Preposition-b, Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
לַחֹ֨דֶשׁ  the  day  of  the  month 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: the new moon, month, monthly.
הַשֵּׁנִ֜י  second 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal masculine singular
Root: שֵׁנִי  
Sense: second.
בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה  in  the  year 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
הַשֵּׁנִ֗ית  second 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal feminine singular
Root: שֵׁנִי  
Sense: second.
לְצֵאתָ֛ם  after  they  had  come  out 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
מֵאֶ֥רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרַ֖יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
לֵאמֹֽר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.