Numbers 26:16

Study note

Setting — The narrator records the second tribal census conducted by Moses and Eleazar before Israel enters Canaan. This verse specifically enumerates two clans descending from the tribe of Gad.

The words — The Hebrew מִשְׁפַּחַת (mishpaḥat) translates literally to "clan," indicating a sub-division within a larger tribal group. The proper names הָאָזְנִי (ha’aznî) and הָעֵרִי (ha’ērî) identify these groups as originating from the patriarchs Ozni and Eri.

The thread — This genealogical entry parallels the earlier listing of Gad’s sons in Genesis 46:16, which also records Eri as a descendant of Gad. The repeated clan enumeration functions as a structural marker throughout the census narratives to track tribal lineage and territorial allocation.

Why it lands — The text demands precise recognition of family origins to establish legal inheritance rights and military organization. A reader must acknowledge that tribal identity is defined by documented descent rather than voluntary association.

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.