Numbers 1:13

Summary

The verse names the tribal representative for Asher: Pagiel ("Pagiel", H6295), identified as ben ("son of", H1121A) Ocran ("Ocran", H5918). It belongs to a list of tribal leaders appointed for a census, each introduced by the preposition le ("for", H9005) attached to the tribe's name.

Key words

• le ("for", H9005) — prefixed preposition attached to 'Asher, marking the tribe to which the named individual belongs; equivalent to "belonging to" or "from" Asher.
• 'Asher ("Asher", H0836) — proper name of the tribe, functioning here as the head of the list entry, governed by the prefixed le.
• Pagiel ("Pagiel", H6295) — proper name of the individual designated as representative; stands in apposition to the tribal name introduced by le-'Asher.
• ben ("son of", H1121A) — construct-state noun linking Pagiel to his father's name; the construct form requires a following genitive noun to complete its meaning.
• 'Okhran ("Ocran", H5918) — proper name of the father, completing the construct chain ben-'Okhran.

What the text says

The Hebrew clause is minimal, consisting only of proper names linked by grammatical particles, typical of census or list formulas. The prefixed preposition le on 'Asher does not appear as an independent word but is fused directly onto the tribal name, a common feature of Hebrew where prepositions attach to their object. This construction indicates that the following name, Pagiel, is the representative associated with the tribe of Asher, without an explicit verb such as "is" or "was appointed" — the relationship is implied by juxtaposition alone.

The phrase Pagiel ben-'Okhran uses the construct chain ben + proper noun, a standard patronymic formula in Hebrew genealogical and administrative lists. The construct noun ben cannot stand alone grammatically; it requires the following noun 'Okhran to complete the sense "son of Ocran." This structure identifies Pagiel not by tribe-internal lineage details but simply by his father's name, consistent with the pattern used for each tribal leader in this chapter's list.

Differences between versions

The Greek (LXX) renders the tribal preposition differently, using the genitive article construction tōn Asēr ("of the [sons] of Asher"), which supplies an implied plural noun not explicit in the Hebrew le-'Asher. The Vulgate uses de Aser ("from Asher"), matching the Hebrew's prepositional sense of association more directly. The name 'Okhran (H5918) appears in the LXX as Echran, showing minor transliteration variation without change in referent.