Of the children of Dan, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

NUMBERS 1:38KJV
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Numbers 1:38 (KJV)

What does Numbers 1:38 mean?

Numbers 1:38 records that the tribe of Dan was counted by their family lines, according to their fathers’ houses, listing the names of all men twenty years old and above who were able to serve in the army. This verse is part of a census, focusing on those eligible for military service among the people of Dan.

In the book of Numbers, God instructs Moses to count the Israelite men who can fight, tribe by tribe. Here, Moses is recording the details for the tribe of Dan, using a careful process that organizes people by generations, families, and households. The verse highlights the importance of order and structure in the community, especially for organizing defense and responsibilities.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 1:38

  • "children" (בְּנֵי, b’nei): This word means "sons" or "descendants," emphasizing that the count is specifically of male descendants in the tribe of Dan.
  • "generations" (תּוֹלְדֹת, toledot): This term refers to family histories or genealogies, showing that the census is organized by lineage, not just by headcount.
  • "number" (מִסְפָּר, mispar): This word means "count" or "total," underlining that the census was a precise, organized listing, not an estimate.
  • "war" (צָבָא, tsava): This word means "army" or "military service," clarifying that only those able to serve as soldiers were included in this count.

Why Numbers 1:38 matters

  • Numbers 1:38 shows that the census was not just about population but about preparing for defense and leadership, focusing on those able to serve in the army.
  • The verse highlights the careful organization of Israelite society, with attention to family lines and tribal identity, which was crucial for their sense of belonging and order.
  • By listing each tribe separately, Numbers 1:38 helps the reader see the equal importance of every group within the larger community, reinforcing the unity and structure of the nation as they prepared to enter the Promised Land.

Where else these words appear

“generations” Hebrew H8435 · used in 39 verses

  • Genesis 2:4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
  • Genesis 37:2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
  • Numbers 1:40 Of the children of Asher, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

“Dan” Hebrew H1835 · used in 64 verses

  • Genesis 14:14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
  • Deuteronomy 33:22 And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.
  • 2 Samuel 17:11 Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.

“number” Hebrew H4557 · used in 129 verses

  • Genesis 34:30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
  • Deuteronomy 33:6 Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.
  • Ezra 3:4 They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required;

“upward” Hebrew H4605 · used in 134 verses

  • Genesis 6:16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
  • Numbers 4:35 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation:
  • 2 Chronicles 16:12 And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.