Bible Strands
Numbers 1:32
From the sons of Joseph: From the sons of Ephraim, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses records the tribal census at Sinai, transitioning from Zebulun’s count to Ephraim’s registration. The passage specifies the administrative criteria for military service before stating the tribe’s total.
The words — תּוֹלְדֹתָ֥/ם (tol.do.Ta/m) means their genealogies or records, and לְ/מִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖/ם (le./mish.pe.cho.Ta/m) means to their clans. These terms anchor the census in documented family lines rather than informal rolls.
The thread — Numbers 26:35 restates Ephraim’s clan divisions. Deuteronomy 33:17 applies Ephraim’s strength to a prophetic blessing, and Genesis 30:24 records the naming of Joseph, Ephraim’s patriarch.
Why it lands — The verse sets a strict administrative standard: only males twenty years old and older qualify for service. It requires readers to see how tribal identity and military readiness were systematically organized under divine command.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Of the children of Joseph, namely, of the children of Ephraim, 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;
Cross-references
- Numbers 26:35 These were the descendants of Ephraim by their clans: The Shuthelahite clan from Shuthelah, the Becherite clan from Becher, and the Tahanite clan from Tahan.
- Deuteronomy 33:17 His majesty is like a firstborn bull, and his horns are like those of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations, even to the ends of the earth. Such are the myriads of Ephraim, and such are the thousands of Manasseh.”
- Genesis 30:24 She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”
- Genesis 37:1 Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan.
- Genesis 39:1 Meanwhile, Joseph had been taken down to Egypt, where an Egyptian named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.
- Genesis 46:20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
- Genesis 48:1 Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
- Genesis 49:22 Joseph is a fruitful vine—a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall.
- Numbers 2:18 On the west side, the divisions of Ephraim are to camp under their standard: The leader of the Ephraimites is Elishama son of Ammihud,