Numbers 1

The Men of Israel Are Counted

1 The LORD spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting. It happened in the Desert of Sinai. The LORD spoke to him on the first day of the second month. It was the second year after the people of Israel came out of Egypt. The LORD said,

2 "Count all of the men of Israel. Make a list of them by their tribes and families. List every man by name. List them one by one.

3 Count all of the men who are able to serve in the army. They must be 20 years old or more. I want you and Aaron to make a list of them company by company.

4 One man from each tribe must help you. Those who help must be the heads of their families.

5 "Here are the names of the men who must help you. "From the tribe of Reuben will come Elizur, the son of Shedeur.

6 From the tribe of Simeon will come Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai.

7 From the tribe of Judah will come Nahshon, the son of Amminadab.

8 From the tribe of Issachar will come Nethanel, the son of Zuar.

9 From the tribe of Zebulun will come Eliab, the son of Helon.

10 From the tribe of Ephraim will come Elishama, the son of Ammihud. From the tribe of Manasseh will come Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur. Ephraim and Manasseh were Joseph's two sons.

11 From the tribe of Benjamin will come Abidan, the son of Gideoni.

12 From the tribe of Dan will come Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai.

13 From the tribe of Asher will come Pagiel, the son of Ocran.

14 From the tribe of Gad will come Eliasaph, the son of Deuel.

15 From the tribe of Naphtali will come Ahira, the son of Enan."

16 Those were the men who were appointed from the community. They were the leaders of the tribes of their people. They were the heads of the major families in Israel.

17 Moses and Aaron went and got the men whose names had been given to them.

18 Then Moses and Aaron gathered all of the men of Israel together. It was the first day of the second month. The men announced the tribe and family they belonged to. Those who were 20 years old or more were listed by name. They were listed one by one.

19 Everything was done just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So Moses counted them in the Desert of Sinai.

20 Here is the number of men from the tribe of Reuben, Israel's oldest son. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed one by one. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families.

21 The number from the tribe of Reuben was 46,500.

22 Here is the number of men from the tribe of Simeon. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed one by one. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families.

23 The number from the tribe of Simeon was 59,300.

24 Here is the number of men from the tribe of Gad. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families.

25 The number from the tribe of Gad was 45,650.

26 Here is the number of men from the tribe of Judah. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families.

27 The number from the tribe of Judah was 74,600.

28 Here is the number of men from the tribe of Issachar. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families.

29 The number from the tribe of Issachar was 54,400.

30 Here is the number of men from the tribe of Zebulun. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families.

31 The number from the tribe of Zebulun was 57,400.

32 Here is the number of men from the tribe of Ephraim, the son of Joseph. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families.

33 The number from the tribe of Ephraim was 40,500.

34 Here is the number of men from the tribe of Manasseh, the son of Joseph. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families.

35 The number from the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200.

36 Here is the number of men from the tribe of Benjamin. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families.

37 The number from the tribe of Benjamin was 35,400.

38 Here is the number of men from the tribe of Dan. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families.

39 The number from the tribe of Dan was 62,700.

40 Here is the number of men from the tribe of Asher. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families.

41 The number from the tribe of Asher was 41,500.

42 Here is the number of men from the tribe of Naphtali. All of the men who were able to serve in the army were counted. They were 20 years old or more. They were listed by name. They were listed in keeping with the records of their tribes and families.

43 The number from the tribe of Naphtali was 53,400.

44 Those were the men Moses and Aaron counted. The 12 leaders of Israel helped them. There was one leader from each tribe.

45 The men who were counted were able to serve in Israel's army. All of them were 20 years old or more. They were counted family by family.

46 The total number was 603,550.

47 But the families of the tribe of Levi were not counted along with the others.

48 The LORD had spoken to Moses. He had said,

49 "You must not count the men from the tribe of Levi. Do not include them when you list the other men of Israel.

50 "Instead, put the Levites in charge of the holy tent. That is where the tablets of the covenant are kept. The Levites will be in charge of everything that belongs to the holy tent. They must carry the tent and everything that belongs to it. They must take care of it. They must set up camp around it.

51 "When the holy tent must be moved, the Levites must take it down. And when the tent must be set up, the Levites must do it. Anyone else who goes near it will be put to death.

52 "The people of Israel must set up their tents by companies. All of them must be in their own camps under their own flags.

53 "But the Levites must set up their tents around the holy tent where the tablets of the covenant are kept. Then my anger will not fall on the community of Israel. The Levites will be held accountable for taking care of the tent."

54 The people of Israel did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

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.