8
Now these are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.
Berean Standard Bible · CC0
Hebrew — tap a word ↓
wə·’êl·leh šə·mō·wṯ bə·nê- yiś·rā·’êl ya·‘ă·qōḇ ū·ḇā·nāw hab·bā·’îm miṣ·ray·māh rə·’ū·ḇên ya·‘ă·qōḇ bə·ḵōr
Word by word11 · parsed
√ ʼêl-leh — these or thoseConjunctive wawPronouncommon plural
wə’êlleh (H428) — conjunctive waw + plural demonstrative; the standard heading that ties this register to the descent just narrated and forward to its re-citations in Exodus and Numbers.
√ shêm — an appellation, as amark or memorial of individualityNounmasculine plural construct
šəmōwṯ (H8034) — “names,” from šēm, a “memorial of individuality.” The very title of the second book of the Torah (Shemoth) is taken from this word at Exodus 1:1, where the same list resumes; the genealogy is the hinge between Genesis and Exodus.
√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine plural construct
bənê (H1121, construct of bēn) — “sons of.” Strong’s stresses the word’s reach: not children only but, by extension, grandsons, descendants, a whole people. That breadth is the engine of the whole chapter.
√ Yisrâʼêl — Jisrael, a symbolical name of JacobNounpropermasculine singular
yiśrā’êl (H3478) — “Israel,” the covenant name given at Peniel (Genesis 32:28). The list is headed by the wrestling-name, not “Jacob,” because what descends to Egypt is no longer one man but the seed of a nation.
√ Yaʻăqôb — Jaakob, the Israelitish patriarchNounpropermasculine singular
ya‘ăqōḇ (H3290) — “Jacob,” the birth-name, set immediately beside “Israel”; the appositive “Jacob and his sons” is the editorial key Keil notes — the patriarch himself is counted among those who come down.
√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcConjunctive wawNounmasculine plural constructthird person masculine singular
ūḇānāw (H1121) — “and his sons,” with 3ms suffix; the phrase that, by Barnes’ reading, “perceive[s] the progenitor is to be included with the sons among those who descended to Egypt.”
√ bôwʼ — to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)ArticleVerbQalParticiplemasculine plural
habbā’îm (H935) — articular Qal participle, “the ones entering.” The Pulpit Commentary warns the phrase “must obviously be construed with some considerable latitude,” since the seventy include Joseph (already there), and Hezron, Hamul, and others born in Egypt.
√ Mitsrayim — Mitsrajim, iNounproperfeminine singularthird person feminine singular
miṣraymāh (H4714) — “to Egypt,” with the directional he (“Egypt-ward”). The destination is named at the head of the list: this is the roll of the migration that begins the bondage and the exodus.
√ Rᵉʼûwbên — Reuben, a son of JacobNounpropermasculine singular
rə’ūḇên (H7205) — “Reuben,” heading the sons of Leah. He stands first by birth but, as Barnes and 1 Chronicles 5:1–2 note, not by right: he forfeited the birthright, which split toward Joseph and Judah.
√ Yaʻăqôb — Jaakob, the Israelitish patriarchNounpropermasculine singular
ya‘ăqōḇ (H3290) — “Jacob’s,” in construct with the next word; the patriarch named again to anchor the line of succession.
√ bᵉkôwr — firstbornNounmasculine singular construct
bəḵōr (H1060) — “firstborn.” The word that opens the question the whole book of Genesis keeps asking: who carries the blessing? Here it is recorded of Reuben “in the order of nature” (Barnes), even as the narrative has already begun to redirect it.