Numbers 1:14

Summary

The verse identifies the tribal representative for the tribe of Gad: Eliasaph, son of Deuel. It belongs to a list of clan leaders appointed for a census, each introduced by the preposition marking tribal affiliation followed by the leader's name and patronymic.

Key words

• le ("for", H9005) — preposition prefixed directly to the tribe's name, marking Gad as the group this leader represents; the same structural pattern repeats throughout the census list.
• Gad (H1410G) — proper name of the tribe, functioning here as the object of the preposition le, identifying which tribal group is in view.
• 'el.ya.Saf ("Eliasaph", H0460G) — proper name of the individual leader, standing as the subject of the (implied) identification within the list.
• ben- ("son of", H1121A) — construct-form noun linking the leader's name to his father's name; the construct state creates a direct genitive relationship "son of X" without any additional grammatical marker needed.
• de.'u.'El ("Deuel", H1845) — proper name of the father, completing the patronymic formula that identifies Eliasaph by lineage.

What the text says

The Hebrew clause is minimal and formulaic, consisting entirely of proper names and a construct chain. There is no finite verb in this verse; the sense of appointment or listing is carried by the surrounding context of the census register (established in earlier verses of the chapter) rather than by any verb within this specific line. The structure is: preposition + tribal name (le-Gad), followed by personal name ('el.ya.Saf), followed by the construct phrase ben-de.'u.'El ("son of Deuel"). The construct state of ben- ("son of", H1121A) is the only grammatical device doing syntactic work here — it binds the two proper nouns 'el.ya.Saf and de.'u.'El into a single genitive unit meaning "Eliasaph of Deuel" in the sense of paternity. This economy of grammar is typical of genealogical or administrative lists, where the repeated formula (le + tribe + name + ben + father's name) creates a rhythmic, catalog-like structure across the surrounding verses.

Differences between versions

The Hebrew text gives the father's name as de.'u.'El ("Deuel", H1845), which the Vulgate (VULCLEM) renders as "Duel" and modern versions (RV1909, BSB, SBLIBRE) render as "Deuel" or "Dehuel" — all consistent transliterations of the same Hebrew form. However, the Septuagint (LXXSWETE) renders this name as "Ῥαγουήλ" (Ragouēl), a form that diverges from the Hebrew de.'u.'El in its consonantal structure, showing a different underlying reading or transmission tradition for this proper name at this point in the list.