Numbers 26:6

Study note

Setting — Moses records the second census of Israel at the plains of Moab, detailing the specific clans descending from Reuben before the tribes cross the Jordan. This listing occurs immediately after the count of Reuben’s firstborn line and before the total registration of his descendants is tallied.

The words — מִשְׁפַּחַת (mishpaḥat) translates literally to “clan” or “family group,” and הַחֶצְרוֹנִי (haḥetzroni) means “the Hezronite.” These terms anchor the verse in the administrative practice of grouping descendants by patriarchal names.

The thread — The verse continues the Numbers 26 census pattern of naming clans after their founding ancestors to establish tribal boundaries and inheritance rights. This genealogical structure runs throughout the chapter, culminating in the total headcount that determines military and territorial allocations.

Why it lands — It requires the reader to recognize that tribal identity is recorded through precise lineage, not abstract affiliation. The text demands attention to how each family name functions as a legal marker for future land distribution and civic organization.

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.