Numbers 11:16
in Numbers 11Then the LORD said to Moses, “Bring Me seventy of the elders of Israel known to you as leaders and officers of the people. Bring them to the Tent of Meeting and have them stand there with you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jehovah said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with thee.
KJV
And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.
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This verse in Numbers 11
Commentary
4 notes on this verseBut the Lord also says to Moses, "Choose for yourself presbyters whom you yourself know to be presbyters." Let us examine very carefully the word of the Lord. What does that addition appear to mean, which says, "Whom you yourself know to be presbyters"? Was it not obvious to the eyes of all that he was a presbyter, that is, old, who was bearing old age in his body?
This site's exposition
Gather unto me seventy men of the elders
on Numbers 11:16-17
Seventy elders had gone up the mountain with Moses at Exodus 24:1 and 24:9, and Jethro had already told him at Exodus 18:17-23 that the work was too heavy for one man to bear. What is new here is the means, that the LORD takes of the spirit which is upon Moses and puts it upon them. Clarke reports the figure Origen and Theodoret used for that, a lamp from which seventy lamps are lit and the first loses none of its own light. Jewish tradition traces the membership of the later Sanhedrin back to this verse, counting the seventy with Moses over them.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
1 ) that went up with Moses to Mount Sinai, but they were distinguished only for that occasion, these for a perpetuity; and, according to this constitution, the Sanhedrim, or great council of the Jews, which in after ages sat at Jerusalem, and was the highest court of judgment among them, consisted of seventy men.
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And the Lord said unto Moses,....
The words behind it
25 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֗ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| אֶסְפָה־ | ʾesfah- | gather ! | H622 → | 200 times |
| לִּ֞י | li | to <the> me | ||
| שִׁבְעִ֣ים | shivim | seventy | H7657 → | 91 times |
| אִישׁ֮ | ʾish | man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מִזִּקְנֵ֣י | miziknei | from [the] elders of | H2205 → | 178 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יָדַ֔עְתָּ | yada'ta | you know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הֵ֛ם | hem | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| זִקְנֵ֥י | ziknei | [are] [the] elders of | H2205 → | 178 times |
| הָעָ֖ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וְשֹׁטְרָ֑יו | veshoterav | and officials its | H7860 → | |
| וְלָקַחְתָּ֤ | velakachta | and you will take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֹתָם֙ | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֹ֣הֶל | ʾohel | [the] tent of | H168 → | 345 times |
| מוֹעֵ֔ד | moed | meeting | H4150 → | 223 times |
| וְהִֽתְיַצְּב֥וּ | vehityatzevu | and they will present themselves | H3320 → | 48 times |
| שָׁ֖ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| עִמָּֽךְ׃ | ʾimakh | with you | H5973 → | 1050 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מֹשֶׁ֗הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
אֶסְפָה־gather !
ʾesfah-H622 →200 times
לִּ֞יto <the> me
li
שִׁבְעִ֣יםseventy
shivimH7657 →91 times
אִישׁ֮man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מִזִּקְנֵ֣יfrom [the] elders of
mizikneiH2205 →178 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֒Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יָדַ֔עְתָּyou know
yada'taH3045 →945 times
כִּי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
הֵ֛םthey
hemH1992 →553 times
זִקְנֵ֥י[are] [the] elders of
zikneiH2205 →178 times
הָעָ֖םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
וְשֹׁטְרָ֑יוand officials its
veshoteravH7860 →
וְלָקַחְתָּ֤and you will take
velakachtaH3947 →966 times
אֹתָם֙<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֹ֣הֶל[the] tent of
ʾohelH168 →345 times
מוֹעֵ֔דmeeting
moedH4150 →223 times
וְהִֽתְיַצְּב֥וּand they will present themselves
vehityatzevuH3320 →48 times
שָׁ֖םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
עִמָּֽךְ׃with you
ʾimakhH5973 →1050 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 10:1After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place He was about to visit.
it leads to
- Mark 6:7–13
Then Jesus called the Twelve to Him and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits.
- Luke 9:52
He sent messengers on ahead, who went into a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him.
- Matthew 10:1–4
And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness.
- Mark 6:7–13
Through
Luke 10:17The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.”
it leads to
- Mark 16:17
And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
- Luke 9:1
Then Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and power to cure diseases.
- Romans 16:20
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
- Luke 10:1
After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place He was about to visit.
- Luke 10:9
Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’
- Mark 16:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Numbers

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 3:3.
