The Meaning of Exodus 6:16 Explained

Exodus 6:16

KJV: And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.

YLT: And these are the names of the sons of Levi, as to their births: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi are a hundred and thirty and seven years.

Darby: And these are the names of the sons of Levi, according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were a hundred and thirty-seven years.

ASV: And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were a hundred thirty and seven years.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And these [are] the names  of the sons  of Levi  according to their generations;  Gershon,  and Kohath,  and Merari:  and the years  of the life  of Levi  [were] an hundred  thirty  and seven  years. 

What does Exodus 6:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 6:10-27 - The Line Of Descent Of God's Spokesmen
Here is an inventory of God's jewels, in the day when He counted them up. We are reminded of Malachi 3:17. Before He led forth the flock, the Good Shepherd counted them, that not one might be missing. There is a peculiar emphasis on the mention of Moses and Aaron in Exodus 6:26 : "These are that Moses and Aaron." It was as though we were led to the hole of the pit whence they were digged, and a very poor hole it was, for their parentage and estate were quite humble and ordinary. But by means of them the Almighty wrought the deliverance of His people. It was through such feeble instruments as these that He spake to the greatest monarch of the time, the mighty Pharaoh, whose remains are with us to this day. It is His method to choose the weak and foolish things to bring to naught and confound the strong and wise, that no flesh should glory in His presence. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 6

1  God renews his promise by his name JEHOVAH
9  Moses vainly attempts to encourage the Israelites
10  He and Aaron are again sent to Pharaoh
14  Genealogies of Reuben, Simeon and Levi, of whom came Moses and Aaron
26  The history resumed

What do the individual words in Exodus 6:16 mean?

And these [are] the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations Gershon and Kohath and Merari and the years of the life of Levi [were] seven and thirty and a hundred years
וְאֵ֨לֶּה שְׁמ֤וֹת בְּנֵֽי־ לֵוִי֙ : לְתֹ֣לְדֹתָ֔ם גֵּרְשׁ֕וֹן וּקְהָ֖ת וּמְרָרִ֑י וּשְׁנֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י לֵוִ֔י שֶׁ֧בַע וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֛ים וּמְאַ֖ת שָׁנָֽה

וְאֵ֨לֶּה  And  these 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
שְׁמ֤וֹת  [are]  the  names 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
בְּנֵֽי־  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
לֵוִי֙  of  Levi 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵוִי 
Sense: the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah and progenitor of tribe of Levites.
: לְתֹ֣לְדֹתָ֔ם  according  to  their  generations 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: תֹּולֵדֹות  
Sense: descendants, results, proceedings, generations, genealogies.
גֵּרְשׁ֕וֹן  Gershon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֵּרְשֹׁון  
Sense: firstborn son of Levi born before Jacob’s family went to Egypt.
וּקְהָ֖ת  and  Kohath 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: קְהָת  
Sense: the 2nd of the 3 sons of Levi and progenitor of a family in the tribe of Levi.
וּמְרָרִ֑י  and  Merari 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְרָרִי  
Sense: the 3rd son of Levi and head of a Levitical family.
וּשְׁנֵי֙  and  the  years 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
חַיֵּ֣י  of  the  life 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
לֵוִ֔י  of  Levi  [were] 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵוִי 
Sense: the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah and progenitor of tribe of Levites.
שֶׁ֧בַע  seven 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: שֶׁבַע  
Sense: seven (cardinal number).
וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֛ים  and  thirty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, common plural
Root: שְׁלֹשִׁים  
Sense: thirty, thirtieth.
וּמְאַ֖ת  and  a  hundred 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, feminine singular construct
Root: מֵאָה 
Sense: hundred.
שָׁנָֽה  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.