Numbers 1

1 A year after Israel’s departure from Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the Tabernacle in the wilderness of Sinai. On the first day of the second month of that year he said,

2 “From the whole community of Israel, record the names of all the warriors by their clans and families. List all the men

3 twenty years old or older who are able to go to war. You and Aaron must register the troops,

4 and you will be assisted by one family leader from each tribe.

5 “These are the tribes and the names of the leaders who will assist you: Tribe Leader Reuben Elizur son of Shedeur

6 Simeon Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai

7 Judah Nahshon son of Amminadab

8 Issachar Nethanel son of Zuar

9 Zebulun Eliab son of Helon

10 Ephraim son of Joseph Elishama son of Ammihud Manasseh son of Joseph Gamaliel son of Pedahzur

11 Benjamin Abidan son of Gideoni

12 Dan Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai

13 Asher Pagiel son of Ocran

14 Gad Eliasaph son of Deuel

15 Naphtali Ahira son of Enan

16 These are the chosen leaders of the community, the leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel.”

17 So Moses and Aaron called together these chosen leaders,

18 and they assembled the whole community of Israel on that very day. All the people were registered according to their ancestry by their clans and families. The men of Israel who were twenty years old or older were listed one by one,

19 just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So Moses recorded their names in the wilderness of Sinai.

20 This is the number of men twenty years old or older who were able to go to war, as their names were listed in the records of their clans and families :

21

22 Simeon 59,300

23

24 Gad 45,650

25

26 Judah 74,600

27

28 Issachar 54,400

29

30 Zebulun 57,400

31

32 Ephraim son of Joseph 40,500

33

34 Manasseh son of Joseph 32,200

35

36 Benjamin 35,400

37

38 Dan 62,700

39

40 Asher 41,500

41

42 Naphtali 53,400

43

44 These were the men registered by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, all listed according to their ancestral descent.

45 They were registered by families—all the men of Israel who were twenty years old or older and able to go to war.

46 The total number was 603,550.

47 But this total did not include the Levites.

48 For the LORD had said to Moses,

49 “Do not include the tribe of Levi in the registration; do not count them with the rest of the Israelites.

50 Put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Covenant, along with all its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the Tabernacle and all its furnishings as you travel, and they must take care of it and camp around it.

51 Whenever it is time for the Tabernacle to move, the Levites will take it down. And when it is time to stop, they will set it up again. But any unauthorized person who goes too near the Tabernacle must be put to death.

52 Each tribe of Israel will camp in a designated area with its own family banner.

53 But the Levites will camp around the Tabernacle of the Covenant to protect the community of Israel from the LORD ’s anger. The Levites are responsible to stand guard around the Tabernacle.”

54 So the Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Numbers 1 Commentary

Chapter 1

This book is called NUMBERS from the several numberings of the people contained in it. It extends from the giving of the law at Sinai, till their arrival in the plains of Jordan. An account is given of their murmuring and unbelief, for which they were sentenced to wander in the wilderness nearly forty years; also some laws, both, moral and ceremonial. Their trials greatly tended to distinguish the wicked and hypocrites from the faithful and true servants of God, who served him with a pure heart.

The numbering of the Israelites. (1-43) The number of the people. (44-46) The Levites not numbered with the rest. (47-54)

Verses 1-43 The people were numbered to show God's faithfulness in thus increasing the seed of Jacob, that they might be the better trained for the wars and conquest of Canaan, and to ascertain their families in order to the division of the land. It is said of each tribe, that those were numbered who were able to go forth to war; they had wars before them, though now they met with no opposition. Let the believer be prepared to withstand the enemies of his soul, though all may appear to be peace.

Verses 44-46 We have here the sum total. How much was required to maintain all these in the wilderness! They were all provided for by God every day. When we observe the faithfulness of God, however unlikely the performance of his promise may appear, we may take courage as to those which yet remain to be fulfilled to the church of God.

Verses 47-54 Care is here taken to distinguish the tribe of Levi, which, in the matter of the golden calf, had distinguished itself. Singular services shall be recompensed by singular honours. It was to the honour of the Levites, that to them was committed the care of the tabernacle and its treasures, in their camps and in their marches. It was for the honour of the holy things that none should see them, or touch them, but those who were called of God to the service. We all are unfit and unworthy to have fellowship with God, till called by his grace into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and so, being the spiritual seed of that great High Priest, we are made priests to our God. Great care must be taken to prevent sin, for preventing sin is preventing wrath. Being a holy tribe, they were not reckoned among other Israelites. They that minister about holy things, should neither entangle themselves, nor be entangled, in worldly affairs. And let every believer seek to do what the Lord has commanded.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew the Tent of Meeting.
• [b]. This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in April or May.
• [c]. Hebrew on the first day of the second month; see 1:1 .
• [d]. In the Hebrew text, this sentence ( This is the number of men twenty years old or older who were able to go to war, as their names were listed in the records of their clans and families ) is repeated in 1:22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 .
• [e]. Or Tabernacle of the Testimony; also in 1:53 .

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS

This book has its name from the account it gives of the "numbers" of the children of Israel, twice taken particularly; which name it has with this Greeks and Latins, and so with the Syriac and Arabic versions; but with the Jews it is called sometimes "Vajedabber", from the first word of it, "and the Lord spake"; and sometimes "Bemidbar", from the fifth word of the first verse, "in the wilderness", and sometimes "Sepher Pikkudim"; or, as with Origen {a}, "Ammesphkodim", the book of musters or surveys. That it was written by Moses is not to be doubted; and is indeed suggested by our Lord himself, Joh 5:46 compared with Nu 3:14, and the references to it, in the New Testament, fully ascertain to us Christians the authenticity of it, as that of our Lord hinted at, and those of the apostle in 1Co 10:4, Heb 9:13,14. It contains an history of the affairs of the Israelites, and of their travel in the wilderness for the space of thirty eight years; though the principal facts it relates were done in the second year of their coming out of Egypt, and in the last of their being in the wilderness; and it is not merely historical, but gives a particular account of several laws, ceremonial and judicial, to be observed by the people of Israel, as well as has many things in it very instructive, both of a moral and evangelical nature.

\\INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 1\\

In this chapter orders are given to Moses to take the number of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upwards, Nu 1:1-3; and the men that were to assist in this work, one of each tribe are mentioned by name, Nu 1:4-16; all which was accordingly done, Nu 1:17-19; and the particular numbers of each tribe are recorded, as they were taken, Nu 1:20-44; and the sum total is given, Nu 1:45,46; the Levites being excepted, who were employed about the tabernacle, and so not to be employed in military service, Nu 1:47-51; they encamped about that, while the Israelites pitched their tents every man by his own camp and standard, Nu 1:52-54.

{a} Apud Euseb. Hist. Ecclesiast. l. 6. c. 25.