Bamidbar 1:16

16 These were the called men of the Edah, nasiim of the tribes of their avot, rashei alfei Yisroel (head-men of the clans of Yisroel).

Bamidbar 1:16 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 1:16

These [were] the renowned of the congregation
The most famous and eminent among the people, for their birth and pedigree, or for their excellent qualities of wisdom, courage, and the like; or "the called of the congregation" ^F4, whom God had called by name and selected from the rest of the congregation to the above service, whereby great honour was done them: Aben Ezra says, the sense is, that the congregation did nothing until they had called them; with which agrees the note of Jarchi,

``who were called to every business of importance in the congregation:''

princes of the tribes of their fathers;
as Elizur was prince of the children of Reuben, ( Numbers 7:30 ) ; the same is there said of the rest in their respective tribes:

heads of thousands in Israel;
the congregation of Israel being divided into thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, by the advice of Jethro, ( Exodus 18:21 ) ; each of these divisions had a ruler over them, and thousands being the highest number, these princes were chiliarchs, rulers or heads of thousands.

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 (hdeh yayrq) "convocati coetus", Montanus, Drusius; "convocati e coetu", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Bamidbar 1:16 In-Context

14 Of Gad, Elyasaph ben Deuel;

15 Of Naphtali, Achira ben Enan.

16 These were the called men of the Edah, nasiim of the tribes of their avot, rashei alfei Yisroel (head-men of the clans of Yisroel).

17 And Moshe and Aharon took these men which had been designated by their names;

18 And they assembled kol HaEdah together on the first yom of the second month, and they declared their family after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, one by one.