Of the sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites: and Machir begat Gilead: of Gilead come the family of the Gileadites.

NUMBERS 26:29KJV
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Numbers 26:29 (KJV)

What does Numbers 26:29 mean?

Numbers 26:29 lists the descendants of Manasseh, focusing on Machir and his son Gilead, and notes that their families became known as the Machirites and Gileadites. This verse is part of a census, showing the family lines within the tribe of Manasseh as Israel prepares to enter the Promised Land.

Moses is speaking to the Israelites as God commands a new census of the people in the wilderness. The verse highlights the importance of family groups (or "clans") for organizing the tribes and dividing the land. By naming Machir and Gilead, Numbers 26:29 traces how specific families within Manasseh grew and became distinct groups, which would matter for inheritance and leadership.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 26:29

  • "sons" (בְּנֵי, bənê): This word means "sons" or "descendants," emphasizing that the list is about family lineage, not just immediate children.
  • "family" (מִשְׁפָּחָה, mishpachah): This term refers to a clan or extended family group, showing that the census is organized by these larger family units, not just individuals.
  • "begat" (יָלַד, yalad): This verb means "to father" or "to give birth to," marking the generational link between Machir and Gilead and highlighting the importance of ancestry in Israelite society.

Why Numbers 26:29 matters

  • Numbers 26:29 clarifies how the tribe of Manasseh was divided into sub-groups, which is important for understanding later passages about land distribution and leadership.
  • The verse shows that Israelite identity was deeply tied to family and ancestry, not just to the twelve tribes as a whole.
  • By tracing the line from Manasseh to Machir to Gilead, the verse connects later biblical stories about the Gileadites and their territory back to their origins.

Where else these words appear

“Gileadites” Hebrew H1569 · used in 11 verses

  • Judges 10:3 And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years.
  • Judges 12:7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.
  • 1 Kings 2:7 But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.

“Machir” Hebrew H4353 · used in 20 verses

  • Genesis 50:23 And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees.
  • Joshua 13:31 And half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were pertaining unto the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, even to the one half of the children of Machir by their families.
  • 2 Samuel 17:27 And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,

“Gilead” Hebrew H1568 · used in 123 verses

  • Genesis 31:21 So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.
  • Judges 10:18 And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
  • 2 Kings 9:4 So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramothgilead.

“Manasseh” Hebrew H4519 · used in 133 verses

  • Genesis 41:51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.
  • Joshua 17:6 Because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons: and the rest of Manasseh's sons had the land of Gilead.
  • 1 Chronicles 5:18 The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war, were four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to the war.