Numbers 26:6

Summary

The verse continues the census list of the tribe of Reuben, naming two clan divisions descended from the ancestors Hezron and Carmi. It records the standard formula pairing a personal name with the corresponding gentilic clan designation.

Key words

• chetzRon ("Hezron", H2696G) — proper name of a person, here functioning as the ancestor from whom a clan takes its name.
• mishPachat ("clan of", H4940) — feminine singular noun in construct state, meaning it must be joined to the following word to form the phrase "clan of the X-ite."
• ha- ("the", H9009) — definite article prefixed to the gentilic noun, marking it as a specific, known group ("the Hezronite" rather than a generic Hezronite).
• chetzroNi ("Hezronite", H2697) — gentilic noun, masculine singular, derived from the personal name Hezron; it designates the collective descendants as a named clan.
• karMi ("Carmi", H3756G) — proper name of a person, the second ancestor listed, structurally parallel to Hezron.

What the text says

The verse is built on a repeated formula: le- ("of/belonging to") + personal name, followed by mishPachat ha- + gentilic noun. This pattern appears twice, once for Hezron and once for Carmi. The preposition le (H9005) attaches to each proper name to indicate possession or origin — the clan "belongs to" or "derives from" that ancestor. The noun mishPachat is in construct form, which in Hebrew grammar means it cannot stand alone; it requires a following noun to complete its meaning, here supplied by the definite gentilic (ha-chetzroNi, ha-karmi). The definite article on the gentilic nouns signals that these are not general categories but specific, recognized clan names within the tribal genealogy.

The structure is elliptical and formulaic, typical of the genealogical lists in this chapter: no verb is present, only a chain of noun phrases. The repetition of mishPachat ha- + gentilic for each name creates a rhythmic, list-like effect that mirrors the census format found throughout Numbers 26.

Differences between versions

The LXX renders chetzroNi and karmi using Greek transliterations (Ασρωνεί, Χαρμεί) rather than translating the gentilic form, and uses δῆμος ("people, district") for mishPachat. The Vulgate similarly transliterates the names (Hesronitarum, Charmitarum) and uses familia ("family") for mishPachat, paralleling the Hebrew construct sense more directly than the LXX's δῆμος.