The Meaning of Numbers 1:2 Explained

Numbers 1:2

KJV: Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls;

YLT: Take ye up the sum of all the company of the sons of Israel by their families, by the house of their fathers, in the number of names -- every male by their polls;

Darby: Take the sum of the whole assembly of the children of Israel, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, every male, according to their polls;

ASV: Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers houses, according to the number of the names, every male, by their polls;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Take  ye the sum  of all the congregation  of the children  of Israel,  after their families,  by the house  of their fathers,  with the number  of [their] names,  every male  by their polls; 

What does Numbers 1:2 Mean?

Study Notes

second month
i.e. May; also Numbers 1:18 .

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 1:2 mean?

take - a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel by their families by houses their fathers' according to the number of names every male individually
שְׂא֗וּ אֶת־ רֹאשׁ֙ כָּל־ עֲדַ֣ת בְּנֵֽי־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹתָ֑ם בְּמִסְפַּ֣ר שֵׁמ֔וֹת כָּל־ זָכָ֖ר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָֽם

שְׂא֗וּ  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
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.
רֹאשׁ֙  a  census 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
כָּל־  of  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עֲדַ֣ת  the  congregation 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עֵדָה  
Sense: congregation, gathering.
בְּנֵֽי־  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  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.
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם  by  their  families 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מִשְׁפָּחָה  
Sense: clan, family.
לְבֵ֣ית  by  houses 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֲבֹתָ֑ם  their  fathers' 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
בְּמִסְפַּ֣ר  according  to  the  number 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִסְפָּר  
Sense: number, tale.
שֵׁמ֔וֹת  of  names 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
כָּל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
זָכָ֖ר  male 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָכָר  
Sense: male (of humans and animals) adj.
לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָֽם  individually 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: גֻּלְגֹּלֶת  
Sense: head, poll, skull.