The Meaning of Deuteronomy 1:15 Explained

Deuteronomy 1:15

KJV: So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.

YLT: 'And I take the heads of your tribes, men, wise and known, and I appoint them heads over you, princes of thousands, and princes of hundreds, and princes of fifties, and princes of tens, and authorities, for your tribes.

Darby: So I took the chiefs of your tribes, wise men and known, and made them chiefs over you, captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens, and officers for your tribes.

ASV: So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens, and officers, according to your tribes.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

So I took  the chief  of your tribes,  wise  men,  and known,  and made  them heads  over you, captains  over thousands,  and captains  over hundreds,  and captains  over fifties,  and captains  over tens,  and officers  among your tribes. 

What does Deuteronomy 1:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 1:1-18 - Moses Recalls The Start From Horeb
To this new generation Moses spake the holy law of God, since they had not heard it at Sinai. In view of the great Lawgiver's approaching decease, it was necessary to re-edit it. The name of this book means the second giving of the Law.
The Red Sea in Deuteronomy 1:1, a.v., must be replaced by Suph, r.v. Evidently it was somewhere in the neighborhood of Pisgah. It is meet for us on a birthday, or some such anniversary, to review the way that the Lord our God has conducted us. He is the God of our fathers, and of the Covenant. Before us is set the land of our inheritance. God calls us to go in and possess it. He hath "blessed us with all spiritual blessings"¦ in Christ," but we must appropriate and possess by faith. And the faith that claims depends on the obedience that conforms to the divine Law, Ephesians 1:3; 2 Peter 1:3. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 1

1  Moses' speech in the end of the fortieth year
6  briefly rehearsing the history of God's sending them from Horeb
14  of giving them officers
19  of sending the spies to search the land
34  of his anger for their incredulity
41  and disobedience

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 1:15 mean?

So I took - the heads of your tribes men wise and knowledgeable and made them heads over you leaders of thousands and leaders of hundreds of fifty of ten and officers for your tribes
וָאֶקַּ֞ח אֶת־ רָאשֵׁ֣י שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗ם אֲנָשִׁ֤ים חֲכָמִים֙ וִֽידֻעִ֔ים וָאֶתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֛ם רָאשִׁ֖ים עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם שָׂרֵ֨י אֲלָפִ֜ים וְשָׂרֵ֣י מֵא֗וֹת חֲמִשִּׁים֙ עֲשָׂרֹ֔ת וְשֹׁטְרִ֖ים לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶֽם

וָאֶקַּ֞ח  So  I  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
רָאשֵׁ֣י  the  heads 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗ם  of  your  tribes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: שֵׁבֶט  
Sense: rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe.
אֲנָשִׁ֤ים  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
חֲכָמִים֙  wise 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: חָכָם  
Sense: wise, wise (man).
וִֽידֻעִ֔ים  and  knowledgeable 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
וָאֶתֵּ֥ן  and  made 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
רָאשִׁ֖ים  heads 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם  over  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
שָׂרֵ֨י  leaders 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
אֲלָפִ֜ים  of  thousands 
Parse: Number, masculine plural
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
וְשָׂרֵ֣י  and  leaders 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
מֵא֗וֹת  of  hundreds 
Parse: Number, feminine plural
Root: מֵאָה 
Sense: hundred.
חֲמִשִּׁים֙  of  fifty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: חֲמִשִּׁים 
Sense: fifty.
עֲשָׂרֹ֔ת  of  ten 
Parse: Number, masculine plural
Root: עֶשֶׂר 
Sense: ten.
וְשֹׁטְרִ֖ים  and  officers 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁטַר  
Sense: (Qal) official, officer.
לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶֽם  for  your  tribes 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: שֵׁבֶט  
Sense: rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe.