The Meaning of Numbers 1:16 Explained

Numbers 1:16

KJV: These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel.

YLT: These are those called of the company, princes of the tribes of their fathers; they are heads of the thousands of Israel.

Darby: These were those summoned of the assembly, princes of the tribes of their fathers, the heads of the thousands of Israel.

ASV: These are they that were called of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

These [were]  the renowned  of the congregation,  princes  of the tribes  of their fathers,  heads  of thousands  in  Israel. 

What does Numbers 1:16 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Numbers 1

1  God commands Moses to number the people
5  The princes of the tribes
17  The number of every tribe
47  The Levites are exempted for the service of the Lord

What do the individual words in Numbers 1:16 mean?

These - chosen from the congregation leaders of tribes their fathers' heads of the divisions in Israel were
אֵ֚לֶּה [קריאי] (קְרוּאֵ֣י) הָעֵדָ֔ה נְשִׂיאֵ֖י מַטּ֣וֹת אֲבוֹתָ֑ם רָאשֵׁ֛י אַלְפֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הֵֽם

אֵ֚לֶּה  These 
Parse: Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
[קריאי]  - 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct
(קְרוּאֵ֣י)  chosen  from 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural construct
Root: קָרִיא  
Sense: called, summoned, called one.
הָעֵדָ֔ה  the  congregation 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵדָה  
Sense: congregation, gathering.
נְשִׂיאֵ֖י  leaders 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: נָשִׂיא 
Sense: one lifted up, chief, prince, captain, leader.
מַטּ֣וֹת  of  tribes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַטֶּה  
Sense: staff, branch, tribe.
אֲבוֹתָ֑ם  their  fathers' 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
רָאשֵׁ֛י  heads 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
אַלְפֵ֥י  of  the  divisions 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  in  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.