The Meaning of Numbers 7:2 Explained

Numbers 7:2

KJV: That the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who were the princes of the tribes, and were over them that were numbered, offered:

YLT: and the princes of Israel (heads of the house of their fathers, they are princes of the tribes, they who are standing over those numbered) bring near,

Darby: that the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers' houses, the princes of the tribes, they that were over them that had been numbered, offered;

ASV: that the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers houses, offered. These were the princes of the tribes, these are they that were over them that were numbered:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

That the princes  of Israel,  heads  of the house  of their fathers,  who [were] the princes  of the tribes,  and were over  them that were numbered,  offered: 

What does Numbers 7:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 7:1-11 - 89, Princely Generosity The Voice Of God
This and the two following chapters conclude the account of the stay at Sinai. The transport of the furniture of the Tabernacle was committed to the Levites, and the wagons, enumerated here, made their work much simpler. Two were assigned for hangings and drapery, and four for the more solid and cumbersome portions. The sacred vessels were borne on the shoulders of living men-the Kohathites.
Instead of bulking together these twelve gifts, the divine Spirit lingers lovingly over each. In God's book of remembrance each alabaster box is noted by itself. Note that the vessels were not only costly, but filled! "Both of them full!" Numbers 7:13, etc.
Ponder Numbers 7:89. Would that our ears were opened that we might ever hear that voice speaking from between the cherubim, directing in perplexity, and revealing the deep things of God! [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 7

1  The offering of the princes at the dedication of the tabernacle
10  Their several offerings at the dedication of the altar
89  God speaks to Moses from the mercy seat

What do the individual words in Numbers 7:2 mean?

And made an offering the leaders of Israel the heads of houses their fathers' they [were] of the tribes they who stood over those who were numbered
וַיַּקְרִ֙יבוּ֙ נְשִׂיאֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רָאשֵׁ֖י בֵּ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֑ם הֵ֚ם הַמַּטֹּ֔ת הֵ֥ם הָעֹמְדִ֖ים עַל־ הַפְּקֻדִֽים

וַיַּקְרִ֙יבוּ֙  And  made  an  offering 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קָרַב  
Sense: to come near, approach, enter into, draw near.
נְשִׂיאֵ֣י  the  leaders 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: נָשִׂיא 
Sense: one lifted up, chief, prince, captain, leader.
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.
רָאשֵׁ֖י  the  heads 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
בֵּ֣ית  of  houses 
Parse: 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.
הֵ֚ם  they  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
הַמַּטֹּ֔ת  of  the  tribes 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַטֶּה  
Sense: staff, branch, tribe.
הֵ֥ם  they  who 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
הָעֹמְדִ֖ים  stood 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַפְּקֻדִֽים  those  who  were  numbered 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.