Numbers 1

1 The LORD spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Mitzrayim, saying,

2 "Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Yisra'el, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, every male, one by one;

3 from twenty years old and upward, all who are able to go out to war in Yisra'el. You and Aharon shall number them by their divisions.

4 With you there shall be a man of every tribe; everyone head of his fathers' house.

5 These are the names of the men who shall stand with you: Of Re'uven: Elitzur the son of Shede'ur.

6 Of Shim`on: Shelumi'el the son of Tzurishaddai.

7 Of Yehudah: Nachshon the son of `Amminadav.

8 Of Yissakhar: Netan'el the son of Tzu`ar.

9 Of Zevulun: Eli'av the son of Helon.

10 Of the children of Yosef: Of Efrayim: Elishama the son of `Ammihud. Of Menashsheh: Gamli'el the son of Pedatzur.

11 Of Binyamin: Avidan the son of Gid`oni.

12 Of Dan: Achi`ezer the son of `Ammishaddai.

13 Of Asher: Pag`i'el the son of `Okhran.

14 Of Gad: Elyasaf the son of De`u'el.

15 Of Naftali: Achira the son of `Enan."

16 These are those who were called of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Yisra'el.

17 Moshe and Aharon took these men who are mentioned by name.

18 They assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they declared their ancestry by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, one by one.

19 As the LORD commanded Moshe, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.

20 The children of Re'uven, Yisra'el's firstborn, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

21 those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Re'uven, were forty-six thousand five hundred.

22 Of the children of Shim`on, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, those who were numbered of it, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

23 those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Shim`on, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

24 Of the children of Gad, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

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

26 Of the children of Yehudah, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

27 those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Yehudah, were sixty-four thousand six hundred.

28 Of the children of Yissakhar, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

29 those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Yissakhar, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

30 Of the children of Zevulun, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

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

32 Of the children of Yosef, of the children of Efrayim, their generations, by thir families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

33 those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Efrayim, were forty thousand five hundred.

34 Of the children of Menashsheh, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

35 those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Menashsheh, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

36 Of the children of Binyamin, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war;

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

38 Of the children of Dan, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war;

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

40 Of the children of Asher, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war;

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

42 Of the children of Naftali, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war;

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

44 These are those who were numbered, whom Moshe and Aharon numbered, and the princes of Yisra'el, being twelve men: they were each one for his fathers' house.

45 So all those who were numbered of the children of Yisra'el by their fathers' houses, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war in Yisra'el;

46 even all those who were numbered were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty.

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

48 For the LORD spoke to Moshe, saying,

49 "Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, neither shall you take a census of them among the children of Yisra'el;

50 but appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of the Testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle, and all its furnishings; and they shall take care of it, and shall encamp around it.

51 When the tabernacle is to move, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.

52 The children of Yisra'el shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, according to their divisions.

53 But the Levites shall encamp around the Tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Yisra'el: and the Levites shall be responsible for the Tabernacle of the Testimony."

54 Thus the children of Yisra'el did. According to all that the LORD commanded Moshe, so they did.

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.

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.