Numbers 26:56-65

56 According to the lot shall their inheritance be divided between the more and the fewer.

57 These are those who were numbered of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershoni; of Kehat, the family of the Kehati; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.

58 These are the families of Levi: the family of the Livni, the family of the Hevroni, the family of the Machli, the family of the Mushi, the family of the Korchi. Kehat became the father of `Amram.

59 The name of `Amram's wife was Yokheved, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Mitzrayim: and she bore to `Amram Aharon and Moshe, and Miryam their sister.

60 To Aharon were born Nadav and Avihu, El`azar and Itamar.

61 Nadav and Avihu died, when they offered strange fire before the LORD.

62 Those who were numbered of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the children of Yisra'el, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Yisra'el.

63 These are those who were numbered by Moshe and El`azar the Kohen, who numbered the children of Yisra'el in the plains of Mo'av by the Yarden at Yericho.

64 But among these there was not a man of them who were numbered by Moshe and Aharon the Kohen, who numbered the children of Yisra'el in the wilderness of Sinai.

65 For the LORD had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. There was not left a man of them, save Kalev the son of Yefunneh, and Yehoshua the son of Nun.

Numbers 26:56-65 Meaning and Commentary

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.