Numbers 4:22

“Take a census of the Gershonites as well, by their families and clans,

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The LORD speaks to Moses at the moment of organizing Levitical duties for the Tent of Meeting. The words — נָשָׂא (nasa') = "lift up" and רֹאשׁ (rosh) = "head" combine to form the idiom for taking a formal census. The thread — The text directly continues the Gershonite genealogical records in Numbers 3:18, Numbers 3:21, and Numbers 3:24, which previously listed the Libnite and Shimeite clans and named Eliasaph as their family leader. Why it lands — It establishes that sacred service requires documented lineage and systematic accounting before any functional eligibility or age limits are applied.

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

נָשֹׂ֗אna.So'lift up אֶת־'et-<obj.>רֹ֛אשׁrosh[the] head of בְּנֵ֥יbe.Nei[the] descendants of גֵרְשׁ֖וֹןge.re.ShonGershon גַּם־gam-also הֵ֑םHemthey לְבֵ֥יתle./Veitto/ [the] house of אֲבֹתָ֖ם'a.vo.Ta/mancestors/ their לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָֽם׃le./mish.pe.cho.Ta/mto/ clans/ their

King James Version

Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families;

Cross-references

Numbers 3:18 These were the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei.
Numbers 3:21 From Gershon came the Libnite clan and the Shimeite clan; these were the Gershonite clans.
Numbers 3:24 and the leader of the families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael.