Bamidbar 26

1 6 And it came to pass after the magefah (plague), that Hashem spoke unto Moshe and unto Eleazar Ben Aharon HaKohen, saying,
2 Take the rosh (census) of kol Adat Bnei Yisroel from twenty years old and upward, throughout their bais avot, all that are yotzei tzava (able to go to war) in Yisroel.
3 And Moshe and Eleazar HaKohen spoke with them in the arevot Mo’av (plains of Moav) by Yarden near Yericho, saying,
4 Take the census of the people, from twenty years old and upward, just as Hashem commanded Moshe and the Bnei Yisroel, which went forth out of Eretz Mitzrayim.
5 Reuven, the Bechor Yisroel: the Bnei Reuven; Chanoch, of whom cometh the Mishpakhat HaChanochi; of Pallu, the Mishpakhat HaPallu’i;
6 Of Chetzron, Mishpakhat HaChetzroni; of Carmi, the Mishpakhat HaCaremi.
7 These are the Mishpekhot HaReuveni; and they that were numbered of them were 43,730.
8 And the Bnei Pallu; Eliav.
9 And the Bnei Eliav; Nemuel, and Datan, and Aviram. This is that Datan and Aviram, which were summoned by the edah, who made a contention against Moshe and against Aharon in the adat Korach, when they contended in opposition to Hashem:
10 And ha’aretz opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korach, when that edah died, when the eish devoured 250; and they became as a nes (warning).
11 Notwithstanding, the Bnei Korach died not.
12 The Bnei Shim’on after their mishpekhot: of Nemuel, the Mishpakhat HaNemueli; of Yamin, the Mishpakhat HaYamini; of Yachin, the Mishpakhat HaYachini;
13 Of Zerach, the Mishpakhat HaZarechi; of Shaul, the Mishpakhat HaShauli.
14 These are the Mishpekhot HaShimoni, 22,200.
15 The Bnei Gad after their Mishpekhot; of Tzephon, the Mishpakhat HaTzephoni; of Chaggi, the Mishpakhat HaChaggi; of Shuni, the Mishpakhat HaShuni;
16 Of Ozni, the Mishpakhat HaOzni; of Eri, the Mishpakhat HaEri;
17 Of Arod, the Mishpakhat HaArodi; of Areli, the Mishpakhat HaAreli.
18 These are the Mishpekhot Bnei Gad according to those that were numbered of them, 40,500.
19 The Bnei Yehudah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in Eretz Kena’an.
20 And the Bnei Yehudah after their Mishpekhot were: of Shelah, the Mishpakhat HaShelani; of Pharetz, the Mishpakhat HaPharetzi; of Zerach, the Mishpakhat HaZarechi.
21 And the Bnei Pharetz were: of Chetzron, the Mishpakhat HaChetzeroni; of Chamul, the Mishpakhat HeChamuli.
22 These are the Mishpekhot Yehudah according to those that were numbered of them, 76,500.
23 Of the Bnei Yissakhar after their Mishpekhot: of Tola, the Mishpakhat HaTola’i; of Puvah, the Mishpakhat HaPuni;
24 Of Yashuv, the Mishpakhat HaYashuvi; of Shimron, the Mishpakhat HaShimroni.
25 These are the Mishpekhot of Yissakhar according to those that were numbered of them, 64,300.
26 Of the Bnei Zevulun after their Mishpekhot: of Sered, the Mishpakhat HaSaredi; of Elon, the Mishpakhat HaEloni; of Yachle’el, the Mishpakhat HaYachle’eli.
27 These are the Mishpekhot of the Zevuloni according to those that were numbered of them, 60,500.
28 The Bnei Yosef after their Mishpekhot were Menasheh and Ephrayim.
29 Of the Bnei Menasheh: of Machir, the Mishpakhat HaMachiri; and Machir fathered Gil‘ad; of Gil‘ad come the Mishpakhat HaGile’adi.
30 These are the Bnei Gil‘ad: of I’ezer, the Mishpakhat HaI’ezeri; of Chelek, the Mishpakhat HaCheleki;
31 And of Asriel, the Mishpakhat HaAsri’eli; and of Shechem, the Mishpakhat HaShichmi.
32 And of Shemida, the Mishpakhat HaShemida’i; and of Chepher, the Mishpakhat Chepheri.
33 And Tzelophechad Ben Chepher had no banim, but banot; and the shem banot Tzelophechad were Machlah, No’ah, Choglah, Milcah, and Tirtzah.
34 These are the Mishpekhot of Menasheh, and those that were numbered of them, 52,700.
35 These are the Bnei Ephrayim after their Mishpekhot: of Shutelach, the Mishpakhat HaShutalechi; of Becher, the Mishpakhat HaBacheri; of Tachan, the Mishpakhat HaTachani.
36 And these are the Bnei Shutelach: of Eran, the Mishpakhat HaErani.
37 These are the Mishpekhot Bnei Ephrayim according to those that were numbered of them, 32,500. These are the Bnei Yosef after their Mishpekhot.
38 The Bnei Binyamin after their Mishpekhot: of Bela, the Mishpakhat HaBale’i; of Ashbel, the Mishpakhat HaAshbeli; of Achiram, the Mishpakhat HaAchirami;
39 Of Shefufam, the Mishpakhat HaShufami; of Chupham, the Mishpakhat HaChufami.
40 And the Bnei Bela were Ard and Naaman; of Ard, the Mishpakhat HaAredi; and of Naaman, the Mishpakhat HaNa’ami.
41 These are the Bnei Binyamin after their Mishpekhot; and they were numbered of them 45,600.
42 These are the Bnei Dan after their Mishpekhot: of Shucham, the Mishpakhat HaShuchami. These are the Mishpekhot of Dan after their Mishpekhot.
43 All the Mishpekhot HaShuchami, according to those that were numbered of them, were 64,400.
44 Of the Bnei Asher after their Mishpekhot: of Yimna, the Mishpakhat HaYimnah; of Yishvi, the Mishpakhat HaYishvi; of Beriah, the Mishpakhat HaBeri’i.
45 Of the Bnei Beriah: of Chever, the Mishpakhat HaChevri; of Malki’el, the Mishpakhat HaMalki’eli.
46 And the shem Bat Asher was Sarach.
47 These are the Mishpekhot Bnei Asher according to those that were numbered of them; who were 53,400.
48 Of the Bnei Naphtali after their Mishpekhot: of Yachtze’el, the Mishpakhat HaYachtze’eli; of Guni, the Mishpakhat HaGuni;
49 Of Yetzer, the mishpakhat of the HaYitzeri; of Shillem, the Mishpakhat HaShillemi.
50 These are the Mishpekhot Naphtali according to their Mishpekhot: and they that were numbered of them 45, 400.
51 These were the numbered of the Bnei Yisroel, 601,730.
52 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,
53 Unto these the land shall be allotted for a nachalah according to the mispar (number) of shmot (names).
54 To those large of number thou shalt give the larger nachalah, and to few thou shalt give the smaller nachalah: to every one shall his nachalah be given according to those that were numbered of him.
55 Notwithstanding, HaAretz shall be distributed by goral; according to the Shmot Mattot of their Avot they shall inherit.
56 According to the goral shall nachalah thereof be distributed between many and few.
57 And these are they that were numbered of the Levi’im after their Mishpekhot: of Gershon, the Mishpakhat HaGereshuni; of Kehat, the Mishpakhat HaKehati; of Merari, the Mishpakhat HaMerari.
58 These are the Mishpekhot Levi: the Mishpakhat HaLiveni, the Mishpakhat HaChevroni, the Mishpakhat HaMachli, the Mishpakhat HaMushi, the Mishpakhat HaKorechi. And Kehat fathered Amram.
59 And the shem eshet Amram was Yocheved Bat Levi, who was born to Levi in Mitzrayim: and she bore unto Amram Aharon and Moshe, and Miryam their achot.
60 And unto Aharon was born Nadav, and Avihu, Eleazar, and Itamar.
61 And Nadav and Avihu died, when they offered eish zarah before Hashem.
62 And those that were numbered of them were 23,000, kol zachar from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the Bnei Yisroel, because there was no nachalah given them among the Bnei Yisroel.
63 These are they that were numbered by Moshe and Eleazar HaKohen, who numbered the Bnei Yisroel in the arevot Mo’av (plains of Moav) by Yarden near Yericho.
64 But among these there was not an ish of them whom Moshe and Aharon HaKohen numbered, when they numbered the Bnei Yisroel in the Midbar Sinai.
65 For Hashem had said of them, They shall surely die in the Midbar. And there was not left an ish from them, except Kalev Ben Yephunneh, and Yehoshua Ben Nun.

Bamidbar 26 Commentary

Chapter 26

Numbering of Israel in the plains of Moab. (1-51) The division of the land. (52-56) Number of the Levites. (57-62) None remaining of the first numbering. (63-65)

Verses 1-51 Moses did not number the people but when God commanded him. We have here the families registered, as well as the tribes. The total was nearly the same as when numbered at mount Sinai. Notice is here taken of the children of Korah; they died not, as the children of Dathan and Abiram; they seem not to have joined even their own father in rebellion. If we partake not of the sins of sinners, we shall not partake of their plagues.

Verses 52-56 In distributing these tribes, the general rule of equity is prescribed; that to many should be given more, and to fewer less. Though it seems left to the prudence of their prince, the matter at last must be settled by the providence of God, with which all must be satisfied.

Verses 57-62 Levi was God's tribe; therefore it was not numbered with the rest, but alone. It came not under the sentence, that none of them should enter Canaan excepting Caleb and Joshua.

Verses 63-65 The execution of the sentence passed on the murmurers, chap. 14:29 , is observable. There was not one man numbered now, who was numbered then, but Caleb and Joshua. Here appeared the righteousness of God, and his faithfulness to his threatenings. Especially observe the truth of God, in performing his promise to Caleb and Joshua. Death makes awful havoc of the human species, and causes surprising changes in families and nations; yet all is appointed in perfect wisdom, justice, and truth, by the Lord himself. This should stir us up to think upon the hateful nature of sin, the cause of all these devastations. We should renew our repentance, seek forgiveness, value the salvation of Christ, remember how frail we are, prepare for the summons of death, and fill up our days in serving our generation according to the will of God.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 26

In this chapter an order is given to number the people of Israel a second time, Nu 26:1-4 and the account begins with Reuben, the firstborn, and the families that sprung from him, and the number of them, Nu 26:5-7 and Dathan and Abiram being of this tribe, the affair of them and Korah is afresh related, Nu 26:8-11, then the tribe of Simeon, its families and number, Nu 26:12-14, next the tribe of Gad, and their families and number, Nu 26:15-18, after that the tribe of Judah, its families and number, Nu 26:19-22 then follows the tribe of Issachar, its families and number, Nu 26:23-25, next to that the tribe of Zebulun, its families and number, Nu 26:26,27 then the sons of Joseph, and first Manasseh, his families and number, Nu 26:28-34 and then the tribe of Ephraim, its families and number, Nu 26:35-37, after that the tribe of Benjamin, its families and number, Nu 26:38-41 next the tribe of Dan, its families and number, Nu 26:42,43 and which is followed by the tribe of Asher, its families and number, Nu 26:44-47, and the muster is closed with the tribe of Naphtali, its families and number, Nu 26:48-50, and the sum total of all the numbers is given, Nu 26:51 and then follows another order to divide the land of Canaan by lot, when conquered, to the several tribes, according to their names and number, Nu 26:52-56 and an account is given of the number of the Levites and their families, their number being taken not with the other tribes, but by themselves, and which is summed up, Nu 26:57-62 and the chapter is concluded with observing, that it appeared upon this numbering of the people, that there were but two persons living of those that were first numbered among the children of Israel, Nu 26:63-65.

Bamidbar 26 Commentaries

The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.