Mínshùjì 1

1 Yǐsèliè rén chū Āijí dì hòu , dì èr nián èr yuè chū yī rì , Yēhéhuá zaì Xīnǎi de kuàngyĕ , huì mù zhōng xiǎoyù Móxī shuō ,

2 Nǐ yào àn Yǐsèliè quánhuì zhòng de jia shì , zōngzú , rén míng de shùmù , jìsuàn suǒyǒude nán dīng .

3 Fán Yǐsèliè zhōng , cóng èr shí suì yǐwaì , néng chū qù dǎzhàng de , nǐ hé Yàlún yào zhào tāmende jūnduì shǔ diǎn .

4 Mĕi zhīpaì zhōng , bì yǒu yī rén zuò bĕn zhīpaì de zúzhǎng , bāngzhu nǐmen .

5 Tāmende míngzi , shǔ Liúbiàn de , yǒu shì diū Ěr de érzi Yǐlì xu .

6 Shǔ Xīmiǎn de , yǒu sū lì shā daì de érzi shì lù miè .

7 Shǔ Yóudà de , yǒu Yàmǐnádá de érzi Náshùn .

8 Shǔ Yǐsàjiā de , yǒu sū yē de érzi Nátǎnyè .

9 Shǔ Xībùlún de , yǒu xī lún de érzi Yǐlì yē .

10 Yūesè zǐsūn , shǔ Yǐfǎlián de , yǒu Yàmǐ hū de érzi Yǐlìshā mǎ . shǔ Mǎnáxī de , yǒu bǐ dà xu de érzi jiā mǎ liè .

11 Shǔ Biànyǎmǐn de , yǒu jī duō ní de érzi yà bǐ dàn .

12 Shǔ dàn de , yǒu yà Mǐshā daì de érzi yà xī Yǐxiè .

13 Shǔ Yàshè de , yǒu é lán de érzi pà jié .

14 Shǔ Jiādé de , yǒu diū Ěr de érzi Yǐlìyǎ sà .

15 Shǔ Náfútālì de , yǒu yǐ nán de érzi yà Xīlā .

16 Zhè dōu shì cóng huì zhōng xuǎn zhào de , gè zuò bĕn zhīpaì de shǒulǐng , dōu shì Yǐsèliè jūn zhōng de Tǒng lǐng .

17 Yúshì , Móxī , Yàlún daì zhe zhèxie àn míng zhǐ déng de rén ,

18 Dàng èr yuè chū yī rì zhāo jù quánhuì zhòng . huì zhòng jiù zhào tāmende jia shì , zōngzú , rén míng de shùmù , cóng èr shí suì yǐwaì de , dōu shùshuō zìjǐ de jiāpǔ .

19 Yēhéhuá zĕnyàng fēnfu Móxī , tā jiù zĕnyàng zaì Xīnǎi de kuàngyĕ shǔ diǎn tāmen .

20 Yǐsèliè de zhǎngzǐ , Liúbiàn zǐsūn de hòudaì , zhào zhe jia shì , zōngzú , rén míng de shùmù , cóng èr shí suì yǐwaì , fán néng chū qù dǎzhàng , beì shǔ de nán dīng , gōng yǒu sì wàn liù qiā wǔ bǎi míng .

21 #

22 Xīmiǎn zǐsūn de hòudaì , zhào zhe jia shì , zōngzú , rén míng de shùmù , cóng èr shí suì yǐwaì , fán néng chū qù dǎzhàng , beì shǔ de nán dīng , gōng yǒu wǔ wàn jiǔ qiā sān bǎi míng .

23 #

24 Jiādé zǐsūn de hòudaì , zhào zhe jia shì , zōngzú , rén míng de shùmù , cóng èr shí suì yǐwaì , fán néng chū qù dǎzhàng , beì shǔ de , gōng yǒu sì wàn wǔ qiā liù bǎi wǔ shí míng .

25 #

26 Yóudà zǐsūn de hòudaì , zhào zhe jia shì , zōngzú , rén míng de shùmù , cóng èr shí suì yǐwaì , fán néng chū qù dǎzhàng , beì shǔ de , gōng yǒu qī wàn sì qiā liù bǎi míng .

27 #

28 Yǐsàjiā zǐsūn de hòudaì , zhào zhe jia shì , zōngzú , rén míng de shùmù , cóng èr shí suì yǐwaì , fán néng chū qù dǎzhàng , beì shǔ de , gòng yǒu wǔ wàn sì qiā sì bǎi míng .

29 #

30 Xībùlún zǐsūn de hòudaì , zhào zhe jia shì , zōngzú , rén míng de shùmù , cóng èr shí suì yǐwaì , fán néng chū qù dǎzhàng , beì shǔ de , gōng yǒu wǔ wàn qī qiā sì bǎi míng .

31 #

32 Yūesè zǐsūn , shǔ Yǐfǎlián zǐsūn de hòudaì , zhào zhe jia shì , zōngzú , rén míng de shùmù , cóng èr shí suì yǐwaì , fán néng chū qù dǎzhàng , beì shǔ de , gōng yǒu sì wàn líng wǔ bǎi míng .

33 #

34 Mǎnáxī zǐsūn de hòudaì , zhào zhe jia shì , zōngzú , rén míng de shùmù , cóng èr shí suì yǐwaì , fán néng chū qù dǎzhàng , beì shǔ de , gōng yǒu sān wàn èr qiā èr bǎi míng .

35 #

36 Biànyǎmǐn zǐsūn de hòudaì , zhào zhe jia shì , zōngzú , rén míng de shùmù , cóng èr shí suì yǐwaì , fán néng chū qù dǎzhàng , beì shǔ de , gōng yǒu sān wàn wǔ qiā sì bǎi míng .

37 #

38 Dàn zǐsūn de hòudaì , zhào zhe jia shì , zōngzú , rén míng de shùmù , cóng èr shí suì yǐwaì , fán néng chū qù dǎzhàng , beì shǔ de , gōng yǒu liù wàn èr qiā qī bǎi míng .

39 #

40 Yàshè zǐsūn de hòudaì , zhào zhe jia shì , zōngzú , rén míng de shùmù , cóng èr shí suì yǐwaì , fán néng chū qù dǎzhàng , beì shǔ de , gōng yǒu sì wàn yī qiā wǔ bǎi míng .

41 #

42 Náfútālì zǐsūn de hòudaì , zhào zhe jia shì , zōngzú , rén míng de shùmù , cóng èr shí suì yǐwaì , fán néng chū qù dǎzhàng , beì shǔ de , gōng yǒu wǔ wàn sān qiā sì bǎi míng .

43 #

44 Zhèxie jiù shì beì shǔ diǎn de , shì Móxī , Yàlún , hé Yǐsèliè zhōng shí èr gè shǒulǐng suǒ shǔ diǎn de . zhè shí èr gèrén gè zuò gè zōngzú de daìbiǎo .

45 Zhèyàng fán Yǐsèliè rén zhōng beì shǔ de , zhào zhe zōngzú cóng èr shí suì yǐwaì , néng chū qù dǎzhàng , beì shǔ de , gōng yǒu liù shí wàn líng sān qiā wǔ bǎi wǔ shí míng .

46 #

47 Lìwèi rén què méiyǒu àn zhe zhīpaì shǔ zaì qízhōng ,

48 Yīnwei Yēhéhuá xiǎoyù Móxī shuō ,

49 Wéidú Lìwèi zhīpaì nǐ bùkĕ shǔ diǎn , yĕ bùkĕ zaì Yǐsèliè rén zhōng jìsuàn tāmende zǒng shǔ .

50 Zhǐyào paì Lìwèi rén guǎn fǎ jǔ de zhàngmù hé qízhōng de qìjù , bìng shǔ hū zhàngmù de . tāmen yào tái ( tái huò zuò bān yùn ) zhàngmù hé qízhōng de qìjù , bìng yào bànlǐ zhàngmù de shì , zaì zhàngmù de sìwéi ān yíng .

51 Zhàngmù jiàng wǎng qián xíng de shíhou , Lìwèi rén yào chāi xiè . jiàng zhī dā de shíhou , Lìwèi rén yào shù qǐ . jìn qián lái de waìrén bì beì zhìsǐ .

52 Yǐsèliè rén zhī dā zhàngpéng , yào zhào tāmende jūnduì , gè guī bĕn yíng , gè guī bĕn dào .

53 Dàn Lìwèi rén yào zaì fǎ jǔ zhàngmù de sìwéi ān yíng , miǎndé fèn nù líndào Yǐsèliè huì zhòng . Lìwèi rén bìng yào jǐn shǒu fǎ jǔ de zhàngmù .

54 Yǐsèliè rén jiù zhèyàng xíng . fán Yēhéhuá suǒ fēnfu Móxī de , tāmen jiù zhàoyàng xíng le .

Mínshùjì 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.

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.