What Does 1 Chronicles 27:16 Mean in the King James?
Furthermore over the tribes of Israel: the ruler of the Reubenites was Eliezer the son of Zichri: of the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maachah:
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The Hebrew word for “ruler” carries the sense of someone set in front, making leadership visible among the people.
THE MEANING
You stand among a people whose distinct parts remain visible: each tribe has a named ruler and a family line. Leadership is tied to particular people rather than left as a floating title. Even the names gather help and judgment into the shape of responsibility.
THE ROOT
נָגִיד
nāgîd
GROWS FROM
נגד
n-g-d
To be in front or conspicuous; in a causative form, to make known or declare.
The title holds leadership together with visibility: the ruler is set in front of the people. The same root also carries the sense of making something known, so authority here has a public face.
ALSO GROWS
nāgîd: Leader, ruler, or one set in front
נָגִיד
This is the title used for the tribal leader in the verse.
neged: In front of, opposite
נֶגֶד
It makes the spatial sense of being positioned before someone explicit.
higgîd: Declared, told, made known
הִגִּיד
This branch links being out in front with being seen or made known.
אֱלִיעֶזֶר
ʾĔlîʿezer
GROWS FROM
עזר
ʿ-z-r
To help, aid, or support; the name means “My God is help.”
“Eliezer” in this verse is ʾĔlîʿezer. The leader’s name carries help within it: leadership is placed alongside support, not only command. The name makes assistance part of the identity attached to this office.
ALSO GROWS
ʿēzer: Help or aid
עֵזֶר
The noun gives the name’s “help” its concrete form.
ʿāzar: To help or support
עָזַר
The verb shows help as an action carried out for another.
שְׁפַטְיָהוּ
Shĕphaṭyāhû
GROWS FROM
שפט
š-p-ṭ
To judge, decide, or govern; the name means “YHWH has judged” or “YHWH is judge.”
“Shephatiah” in this verse is Shĕphaṭyāhû. The second ruler’s name carries the language of judgment and governance. Beside Eliezer’s name of help, it places discernment and support together in this roster of responsibility.
ALSO GROWS
šōfēṭ: Judge
שֹׁפֵט
The participle names one who carries out the root’s work of judgment.
mišpāṭ: Judgment, decision, or justice
מִשְׁפָּט
This branch shows the decisions and order associated with the same root.
THE PATTERN
Shared life becomes governable through named responsibility distributed among its people.
And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers.Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.THE THREAD
To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.The Hebrew word translated “captain” here is nāgîd, the same word rendered “ruler” in the verse under the lens. Its sense of being set in front makes the roster’s title a visible responsibility among the people.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us