Bible Strands
Numbers 3:21
From Gershon came the Libnite clan and the Shimeite clan; these were the Gershonite clans.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses records the Levitical census and sanctuary assignments for the Israelites encamped in the wilderness. The passage clarifies the organizational structure of Levi as the tribe prepares to manage the tabernacle’s transport.
The words — מִשְׁפַּחַת (mishpaḥat) translates to clan or extended family, and הֵם (hem) functions as a demonstrative pronoun meaning these or they. The text uses these terms to formally identify and group the Gershonite branches.
The thread — This clan enumeration pattern repeats in Numbers 3:20 and 3:22 for the Merari and Kohathite families. The same structural formula appears throughout Numbers 3–4 as the sanctuary duties are distributed.
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to recognize that sacred service was organized by lineage rather than individual qualification. It establishes a clear administrative framework for handling the tabernacle’s components without ambiguity.
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 Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites.