‘The sons of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites; of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites; of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites. These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those that were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred.'
The sons of Gad are the same as in Genesis 46:16, except that Ozni ('zn) is there called Ezbon ('zbn). Word play with names was common practise.
The tribe of Gad was listed by its seven sub-tribes, the Zephonites, the Haggites, the Shunites, the Oznites, the Erites, the Arodites and the Arelites. As we have seen earlier this ‘numbering' could signify forty leaders/champions, and five ‘hundreds'. (Or forty wider families).
‘The sons of Judah: Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Judah after their families were; of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites. And the sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites. These are the families of Judah according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and sixteen thousand and five hundred.'
The tribe of Judah was listed by its three sub-tribes, including two prominent clans; the Shelanites, the Perezites, split into the Hezronites and the Hamulites, and the Zerahites. As we have seen this ‘numbering' could signify seventy six leaders/champions, and five ‘hundreds'. (Or seventy six wider families).
The mention of Er and Onan again calls to mind an incident which was to the detriment of Israel (as with the previous mention of Dathan and Abiram for Reuben).
‘The sons of Issachar after their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the family of the Punites; of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites. These are the families of Issachar according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and four thousand and three hundred.'
The tribe of Issachar was listed by its four sub-tribes, the Tolaites, the Punites, the Jashubites, and the Shimronites. As we have seen this ‘numbering' could signify sixty four leaders/champions, and three ‘hundreds'. (Or sixty four wider families).
The families of Issachar correspond in name with the sons mentioned in Genesis 46:13 with the exception that the name Job occurs there instead of Jashub. The two names have the same significance, as Job is derived from an Arabic word which signifies ‘to return' while Jashub means ‘to return'.