Numbers 1:45-54

45 And all the numbres of the childern of Israel in the housses of their fathers from twentye yere and aboue what soeuer was mete for the warre in Israell

46 drewe vnto the summe of syxe hundred thousande fyue hundred and .l.

47 But the leuites in the tribe off their fathers were not numbred amonge them.

48 And the Lorde spake vnto Moses sayenge:

49 only se that thou numbre not the trybe of Leui nether take the summe of them amonge the childern of Israel.

50 But thou shalt appoynte the leuites vnto the habitacio of witnesse and to all the apparell thereof and vnto all that longeth thereto. For they shall bere the tabernacle and all the ordinaunce thereof and they shall ministre it and shall pitche their tentes rounde aboute it.

51 And when the tabernacle goeth forth the leuites shall take it doune: and when the tabernacle is pitched they shall sett it vpp: for yf any straunger come nere he shall dye.

52 And the childern of Israel shall pitch their tentes euery man in his owne companye and euery ma by his awne standert thorow out all their hostes.

53 But the leuites shall pitche rounde aboute the habitacion of witnesse that there fall no wrath vpon the congregacion of the childre of Israel and the leuites shall wayte apon the habitacion of witnesse.

54 And the childern of Israel dyd acordinge to all that the Lord commaunded Moses.

Numbers 1:45-54 Meaning and Commentary

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.