Numbers 26

1 It happened after the plague, that the LORD spoke to Moshe and to El`azar the son of Aharon the Kohen, saying,
2 Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Yisra'el, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers' houses, all who are able to go forth to war in Yisra'el.
3 Moshe and El`azar the Kohen spoke with them in the plains of Mo'av by the Yarden at Yericho, saying,
4 [Take the sum of the people], from twenty years old and upward; as the LORD commanded Moshe and the children of Yisra'el, that came forth out of the land of Mitzrayim.
5 Re'uven, the firstborn of Yisra'el; the sons of Re'uven: [of] Hanokh, the family of the Hanokhi; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;
6 of Hetzron, the family of the Hetzroni; of Karmi, the family of the Karmi.
7 These are the families of the Re'uveni; and those who were numbered of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred thirty.
8 The sons of Pallu: Eli'av.
9 The sons of Eli'av: Nemu'el, and Datan, and Aviram. These are that Datan and Aviram, who were called of the congregation, who strove against Moshe and against Aharon in the company of Korach, when they strove against the LORD,
10 and the eretz opened its mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korach, when that company died; what time the fire devoured two hundred fifty men, and they became a sign.
11 Notwithstanding, the sons of Korach didn't die.
12 The sons of Shim`on after their families: of Nemu'el, the family of the Nemu'eli; of Yamin, the family of the Yamini; of Yakhin, the family of the Yakhini;
13 of Zerach, the family of the Zarchi; of Sha'ul, the family of the Sha'uli.
14 These are the families of the Shim`oni, twenty-two thousand two hundred.
15 The sons of Gad after their families: of Tzefon, the family of the Tzefoni; of Haggi, the family of the Haggi; of Shuni, the family of the Shuni;
16 of Ozni, the family of the Ozni; of `Eri, the family of the `Eri;
17 of Arod, the family of the Arodi; of Ar'eli, the family of the Ar'eli.
18 These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred.
19 The sons of Yehudah: `Er and Onan; and `Er and Onan died in the land of Kana`an.
20 The sons of Yehudah after their families were: of Shelach, the family of the Shelani; of Peretz, the family of the Partzi; of Zerach, the family of the Zarchi.
21 The sons of Peretz were: of Hetzron, the family of the Hetzroni; of Hamul, the family of the Hamuli.
22 These are the families of Yehudah according to those who were numbered of them, seventy-six thousand five hundred.
23 The sons of Yissakhar after their families: [of] Tola, the family of the Tola`i; of Puvah, the family of the Puni;
24 of Yashuv, the family of the Yashuvi; of Shimron, the family of the Shimroni.
25 These are the families of Yissakhar according to those who were numbered of them, sixty-four thousand three hundred.
26 The sons of Zevulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Sardi; of Elon, the family of the Eloni; of Yachle'el, the family of the Yachle'eli.
27 These are the families of the Zevuloni according to those who were numbered of them, sixty thousand five hundred.
28 The sons of Yosef after their families: Menashsheh and Efrayim.
29 The sons of Menashsheh: of Makhir, the family of the Makhiri; and Makhir became the father of Gil`ad; of Gil`ad, the family of the Gil`adi.
30 These are the sons of Gil`ad: [of] I`ezer, the family of the I`ezri; of Helek, the family of the Helki;
31 and [of] Asri'el, the family of the Asri'eli; and [of] Shekhem, the family of the Shikhmi;
32 and [of] Shemida, the family of the Shemida`i; and [of] Hefer, the family of the Hefri.
33 Tzelohchad the son of Hefer had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Tzelohchad were Mahlach, and No`ah, Hoglah, Milkah, and Tirtzah.
34 These are the families of Menashsheh; and those who were numbered of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.
35 These are the sons of Efrayim after their families: of Shutelach, the family of the Shutelchi; of Bekher, the family of the Bakhri; of Tachan, the family of the Tachani.
36 These are the sons of Shutelach: of `Eran, the family of the `Erani.
37 These are the families of the sons of Efrayim according to those who were numbered of them, thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Yosef after their families.
38 The sons of Binyamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Bal`i; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbeli; of Achiram, the family of the Achirami;
39 of Shefufam, the family of the Shufami; of Hufam, the family of the Hufami.
40 The sons of Bela were Ard and Na`aman: [of Ard], the family of the Ardi; of Na`aman, the family of the Na`ami.
41 These are the sons of Binyamin after their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand six hundred.
42 These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shucham, the family of the Shuchami. These are the families of Dan after their families.
43 All the families of the Shuchami, according to those who were numbered of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.
44 The sons of Asher after their families: of Yimna, the family of the Yimni; of Yishvi, the family of the Yishvi; of Beri`ah, the family of the Beri`i.
45 Of the sons of Beri`ah: of Hever, the family of the Hevri; of Malki'el, the family of the Malki'eli.
46 The name of the daughter of Asher was Serach.
47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them, fifty-three thousand and four hundred.
48 The sons of Naftali after their families: of Yachtze'el, the family of the Yachtze'eli; of Guni, the family of the Guni;
49 of Yetzer, the family of the Yitzri; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemi.
50 These are the families of Naftali according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand four hundred.
51 These are those who were numbered of the children of Yisra'el, six hundred one thousand seven hundred thirty.
52 The LORD spoke to Moshe, saying,
53 To these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.
54 To the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance: to everyone according to those who were numbered of him shall his inheritance be given.
55 Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
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 Commentary

Chapter 26

Numbering of Israel in the plains of Moab. (1-51) The division of the land. (52-56) Number of the Levites. (57-62) None remaining of the first numbering. (63-65)

Verses 1-51 Moses did not number the people but when God commanded him. We have here the families registered, as well as the tribes. The total was nearly the same as when numbered at mount Sinai. Notice is here taken of the children of Korah; they died not, as the children of Dathan and Abiram; they seem not to have joined even their own father in rebellion. If we partake not of the sins of sinners, we shall not partake of their plagues.

Verses 52-56 In distributing these tribes, the general rule of equity is prescribed; that to many should be given more, and to fewer less. Though it seems left to the prudence of their prince, the matter at last must be settled by the providence of God, with which all must be satisfied.

Verses 57-62 Levi was God's tribe; therefore it was not numbered with the rest, but alone. It came not under the sentence, that none of them should enter Canaan excepting Caleb and Joshua.

Verses 63-65 The execution of the sentence passed on the murmurers, chap. 14:29 , is observable. There was not one man numbered now, who was numbered then, but Caleb and Joshua. Here appeared the righteousness of God, and his faithfulness to his threatenings. Especially observe the truth of God, in performing his promise to Caleb and Joshua. Death makes awful havoc of the human species, and causes surprising changes in families and nations; yet all is appointed in perfect wisdom, justice, and truth, by the Lord himself. This should stir us up to think upon the hateful nature of sin, the cause of all these devastations. We should renew our repentance, seek forgiveness, value the salvation of Christ, remember how frail we are, prepare for the summons of death, and fill up our days in serving our generation according to the will of God.

Chapter Summary

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.

Numbers 26 Commentaries

The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.