The Meaning of Numbers 1:20 Explained

Numbers 1:20

KJV: And the children of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

YLT: And the sons of Reuben, Israel's first-born -- their births, by their families, by the house of their fathers, in the number of names, by their polls, every male from a son of twenty years and upward, every one going out to the host --

Darby: And the sons of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, according to their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

ASV: And the children of Reuben, Israel's first-born, their generations, by their families, by their fathers houses, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the children  of Reuben,  Israel's  eldest son,  by their generations,  after their families,  by the house  of their fathers,  according to the number  of the names,  by their polls,  every male  from twenty  years  old  and upward,  all that were able to go forth  to war; 

What does Numbers 1:20 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 1:20 mean?

Now the sons of Reuben oldest son of Israel their genealogies by their families by house their fathers' according to the number of names individually every male from old twenty years and above all who [were able to] go to war
וַיִּהְי֤וּ בְנֵֽי־ רְאוּבֵן֙ בְּכֹ֣ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל תּוֹלְדֹתָ֥ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֑ם בְּמִסְפַּ֤ר שֵׁמוֹת֙ לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָ֔ם כָּל־ זָכָ֗ר מִבֶּ֨ן עֶשְׂרִ֤ים שָׁנָה֙ וָמַ֔עְלָה כֹּ֖ל יֹצֵ֥א צָבָֽא

וַיִּהְי֤וּ  Now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בְנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
רְאוּבֵן֙  of  Reuben 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: רְאוּבֵן  
Sense: the eldest son of Jacob by Leah.
בְּכֹ֣ר  oldest  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בְּכֹר  
Sense: firstborn, firstling.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
תּוֹלְדֹתָ֥ם  their  genealogies 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: תֹּולֵדֹות  
Sense: descendants, results, proceedings, generations, genealogies.
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם  by  their  families 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מִשְׁפָּחָה  
Sense: clan, family.
לְבֵ֣ית  by  house 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֲבֹתָ֑ם  their  fathers' 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
בְּמִסְפַּ֤ר  according  to  the  number 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִסְפָּר  
Sense: number, tale.
שֵׁמוֹת֙  of  names 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָ֔ם  individually 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: גֻּלְגֹּלֶת  
Sense: head, poll, skull.
כָּל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
זָכָ֗ר  male 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָכָר  
Sense: male (of humans and animals) adj.
מִבֶּ֨ן  from  old 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עֶשְׂרִ֤ים  twenty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: עֶשְׂרִים  
Sense: twenty, twentieth.
שָׁנָה֙  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
וָמַ֔עְלָה  and  above 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, third person feminine singular
Root: מַעַל 
Sense: higher part, upper part adv.
יֹצֵ֥א  who  [were  able  to]  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
צָבָֽא  to  war 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.