These were the ones chosen from the community, leaders of their ancestral tribes. They were the heads of the thousands of Israel.

“But if they blow with one trumpet, then the leaders, the heads of the thousands of Israel, must come to you.

Then the heads of the family groups of the Gileadites, the descendant of Machir, the descendant of Manasseh, who were from the Josephite families, approached and spoke before Moses and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families.

Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of their clans, made an offering. They were the leaders of the tribes; they were the ones who had been supervising the numbering.

So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran at the command of the Lord. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.

Moses told the leaders of the tribes concerning the Israelites, “This is what the Lord has commanded:

So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of the Israelite tribes.

The Lord said to Moses, “Arrest all the leaders of the people, and hang them up before the Lord in broad daylight, so that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.”