The Meaning of Numbers 26:20 Explained

Numbers 26:20

KJV: And the sons of Judah after their families were; of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites: of Pharez, the family of the Pharzites: of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.

YLT: And sons of Judah, by their families, are: of Shelah the family of the Shelanite; of Pharez the family of the Pharzite; of Zerah the family of the Zarhite;

Darby: And the sons of Judah, after their families: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Pherez, the family of the Pharzites; of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.

ASV: And the sons of Judah after their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the sons  of Judah  after their families  were; of Shelah,  the family  of the Shelanites:  of Pharez,  the family  of the Pharzites:  of Zerah,  the family  of the Zarhites. 

What does Numbers 26:20 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Numbers 26

1  The sum of all Israel is taken in the plains of Moab
52  The law of dividing among them the inheritance of the land
57  The families and number of the Levites
63  None but Caleb and Joshua was left of those who were numbered at Sinai

What do the individual words in Numbers 26:20 mean?

And were the sons of Judah according to their families [of] Shelah the family of the Shelanite [of] Perez the family of the Parzites [of] Zerah of the Zerahites
וַיִּהְי֣וּ בְנֵי־ יְהוּדָה֮ לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם֒ לְשֵׁלָ֗ה מִשְׁפַּ֙חַת֙ הַשֵּׁ֣לָנִ֔י לְפֶ֕רֶץ מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַפַּרְצִ֑י לְזֶ֕רַח הַזַּרְחִֽי

וַיִּהְי֣וּ  And  were 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בְנֵי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יְהוּדָה֮  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם֒  according  to  their  families 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מִשְׁפָּחָה  
Sense: clan, family.
לְשֵׁלָ֗ה  [of]  Shelah 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁלָה 
Sense: the youngest son of Judah slain by God for refusing to obey the law for levirate marriage with Tamar.
מִשְׁפַּ֙חַת֙  the  family 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁפָּחָה  
Sense: clan, family.
הַשֵּׁ֣לָנִ֔י  of  the  Shelanite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁלָנִי  
Sense: a descendant of Shelah.
לְפֶ֕רֶץ  [of]  Perez 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: פֶּרֶץ  
Sense: twin son with Zarah of Judah by Tamar and ancestor of two families of Judah, the Hezronites and Hamulites; from the Hezronites came the royal line of David and Christ.
מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת  the  family 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁפָּחָה  
Sense: clan, family.
הַפַּרְצִ֑י  of  the  Parzites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּרְצִי  
Sense: the descendants of Pharez, the son of Judah by Tamar.
לְזֶ֕רַח  [of]  Zerah 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: זֶרַח  
Sense: a son of Reuel and grandson of Esau, one of the dukes of the Edomites.
הַזַּרְחִֽי  of  the  Zerahites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: זַרְחִי  
Sense: descendants of Zerah.