Numbers 3:18

Summary

The verse lists the names of the two clan-founders descended from Gershon: Libni and Shimei. It functions as a genealogical/administrative notice, grouping Levite lineages by clan (mishpachah, H4940).

Key words

• 'Elleh ("these", H0428) — demonstrative particle introducing the list; points forward to the names that follow.
• shemot ("names of", H8034) — feminine plural noun in construct state, linking directly to "sons of Gershon"; construct form means it cannot stand alone but requires a following noun to complete its meaning.
• benei ("sons of", H1121A) — masculine plural construct of "son," here functioning genealogically as "descendants of."
• mishpechotam ("their clans", H4940 + H9028) — plural construct noun with 3rd person masculine plural suffix "their," attached via the preposition le ("to/for", H9005), indicating organization "according to their clans."
• Livni ("Libni", H3845G) and Shim'i ("Shimei", H8096G) — proper names of Gershon's two sons, the actual content the construct chain has been building toward.

What the text says

The Hebrew sentence opens with the conjunction ve ("and", H9002) attached to the demonstrative 'Elleh ("these", H0428), a common formula in Numbers for introducing genealogical lists. This is followed by a chain of construct nouns: shemot ("names of", H8034) governs benei-Gershon ("sons of Gershon", H1121A + H1648), which in turn is qualified by the prepositional phrase le-mishpechotam ("to/according to their clans", H9005 + H4940 + H9028). This construct chain builds anticipation, delaying the actual names until the final two words of the verse: Livni ("Libni", H3845G) and ve-Shim'i ("and Shimei", H9002 + H8096G).

The grammatical structure emphasizes classification: the text is not merely naming individuals but organizing them within a clan system (mishpachah, H4940), a term used elsewhere in Numbers 3 for Levite subdivisions. The suffix -am ("their", H9028) on mishpechotam ties the clan designation specifically back to the "sons of Gershon," reinforcing that these are Gershon's own family divisions.

Differences between versions

The LXX renders the Hebrew Gershon (H1648) as Γεδσὼν (Gedson), a transliteration variant. The Hebrew le-mishpechotam ("according to their clans") is rendered in the LXX as κατὰ δήμους αὐτῶν ("according to their peoples/districts"), using δῆμος rather than a term specific to kinship clans. The Vulgate omits any equivalent for 'Elleh shemot ("these are the names") and le-mishpechotam ("according to their clans"), presenting simply "Filii Gerson: Lebni et Semei" — a condensed form lacking the introductory demonstrative and the clan-classification phrase found in the Hebrew and LXX.