The Meaning of Numbers 3:17 Explained

Numbers 3:17

KJV: And these were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

YLT: And these are sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

Darby: And these are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

ASV: And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And these were the sons  of Levi  by their names;  Gershon,  and Kohath,  and Merari. 

What does Numbers 3:17 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Numbers 3

1  The sons of Aaron
5  The Levites are given to the priests instead of the firstborn
14  Are numbered by their families
21  The families, number, and charge of the Gershonites
27  Of the Kohathites
33  Of the Merarites
38  The place and charge of Moses and Aaron
40  The firstborn are freed by the Levites
44  The balances are refunded

What do the individual words in Numbers 3:17 mean?

And were these the sons of Levi by their names Gershon and Kohath and Merari
וַיִּֽהְיוּ־ אֵ֥לֶּה בְנֵֽי־ לֵוִ֖י : בִּשְׁמֹתָ֑ם גֵּרְשׁ֕וֹן וּקְהָ֖ת וּמְרָרִֽי

וַיִּֽהְיוּ־  And  were 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
אֵ֥לֶּה  these 
Parse: Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
בְנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
לֵוִ֖י  of  Levi 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
: בִּשְׁמֹתָ֑ם  by  their  names 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
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.
וּמְרָרִֽי  and  Merari 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְרָרִי  
Sense: the 3rd son of Levi and head of a Levitical family.