Numbers 1

1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after their departure from the land of Egypt, saying,

2 Take the sum of the whole assembly of the children of Israel, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, every male, according to their polls;

3 from twenty years and upward, all that go forth to military service in Israel: ye shall number them according to their hosts, thou and Aaron.

4 And with you there shall be a man for every tribe, a man who is the head of his father's house.

5 And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: for Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;

6 for Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;

7 for Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;

8 for Issachar, Nethaneel the son of Zuar;

9 for Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;

10 for the children of Joseph: for Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; for Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur;

11 for Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;

12 for Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;

13 for Asher, Pagiel the son of Ocran;

14 for Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel;

15 for Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.

16 These were those summoned ^[a] of the assembly, princes of the tribes of their fathers, the heads of the thousands of Israel.

17 And Moses and Aaron took these men who are expressed by their names,

18 and gathered the whole assembly together on the first of the second month. And they declared their pedigrees after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, according to their polls.

19 As Jehovah had commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.

20 And the sons of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, their generations, ^[b] after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, according to their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

21 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty-six thousand five hundred.

22 Of the sons of Simeon: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, those that were numbered of them, by the number of the names, according to their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

23 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

24 Of the sons of Gad: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

25 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Gad, were forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

26 Of the sons of Judah: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

27 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Judah, were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

28 Of the sons of Issachar: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

29 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

30 Of the sons of Zebulun: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

31 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

32 Of the sons of Joseph: of the children of Ephraim: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

33 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand five hundred.

34 Of the children of Manasseh: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

35 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

36 Of the sons of Benjamin: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

37 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

38 Of the sons of Dan: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

39 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Dan, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

40 Of the sons of Asher: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

41 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Asher, were forty-one thousand five hundred.

42 Of the sons of Naphtali: their generations, after their families, according to their fathers' houses, by the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service:

43 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

44 These are those that were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, the twelve men: each one was for the house of his fathers.

45 And all those that were numbered of the children of Israel, according to their fathers' houses, from twenty years old and upward, all that went forth to military service in Israel,

46 all they that were numbered were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

47 But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.

48 For Jehovah had spoken to Moses, saying,

49 Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel.

50 But thou, appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all its vessels; and they shall serve it, and round about the tabernacle shall they encamp;

51 and when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle encampeth, the Levites shall set it up; and the stranger that cometh near shall be put to death.

52 And the children of Israel shall encamp every man in his camp, and every man by his own standard, according to their hosts;

53 but the Levites shall encamp round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there come not wrath upon the assembly of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.

54 And the children of Israel did so; according to all that Jehovah had commanded Moses, so did they.

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]. That is, those who were habitually called to undertake the matters of the assembly.
• [b]. As Gen. 2.4, throughout this chapter.

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.