Bamidbar 1

1 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe in the midbar of Sinai, in the Ohel Mo’ed, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of Eretz Mitzrayim, saying,

2 Take ye the rosh (top amount, census) of kol Adat Bnei Yisroel after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, with the number of their shmot, every zachar by their head count;

3 From twenty years old and upward, all that are ablebodied to serve in tzava b’Yisroel (army in Yisroel); thou and Aharon shall number them by their tzva’ot (legions).

4 And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one Rosh of the bais of his Avot.

5 And these are the shemot haanashim that shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuven, Elitzur ben Shedeur;

6 Of Shim’on, Shelumiel ben Tzurishaddai;

7 Of Yehudah, Nachshon ben Amminadav;

8 Of Yissakhar, Netanel ben Tzuar;

9 Of Zevulun, Eliav ben Chelon;

10 Of the bnei Yosef: of Ephrayim, Elishama ben Ammihud; of Menasheh, Gamli’el ben Pedahtzur;

11 Of Binyamin, Avidan ben Gideoni;

12 Of Dan, Achiezer ben Ammishaddai;

13 Of Asher, Pagiel ben Ochran;

14 Of Gad, Elyasaph ben Deuel;

15 Of Naphtali, Achira ben Enan.

16 These were the called men of the Edah, nasiim of the tribes of their avot, rashei alfei Yisroel (head-men of the clans of Yisroel).

17 And Moshe and Aharon took these men which had been designated by their names;

18 And they assembled kol HaEdah together on the first yom of the second month, and they declared their family after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, one by one.

19 As Hashem commanded Moshe, so he counted them in the midbar of Sinai.

20 And the bnei Reuven, Yisroel’s bechor, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, one by one, every zakhar from twenty years old and upward, all that are ablebodied to serve in tzava;

21 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Reuven, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.

22 Of the bnei Shim’on, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the shmot, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

23 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Shim’on, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred.

24 Of the bnei Gad, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava;

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

26 Of the bnei Yehudah, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

27 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Yehudah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred.

28 Of the bnei Yissakhar, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

29 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Yissakhar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.

30 Of the bnei Zevulun, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

31 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Zevulun, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred.

32 Of the bnei Yosef, namely, of the bnei Ephrayim, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

33 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Ephrayim, were forty thousand and five hundred.

34 Of the bnei Menasheh, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

35 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Menasheh, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred.

36 Of the bnei Binyamin, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

37 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Binyamin, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred.

38 Of the bnei Dan, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

39 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Dan, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred.

40 Of the bnei Asher, by their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

41 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Asher, were forty and one thousand and five hundred.

42 Of the bnei Naphtali, throughout their toldot, after their mishpekhot, by the bais of their avot, according to the number of the shmot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava (army);

43 Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.

44 These are those that were numbered, which Moshe and Aharon numbered, and the nasiim (princes, rulers, exalted) of Yisroel, being shneym asar (twelve) men, each one representing the bais of his avot.

45 So were all those that were numbered of the Bnei Yisroel, by the bais of their avot, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able-bodied to serve in tzava b’Yisroel (army in Yisroel);

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

47 But the Levi’im after the tribe of their avot were not numbered among them.

48 For Hashem had spoken unto Moshe saying,

49 Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the Bnei Yisroel;

50 But thou shalt appoint the Levi’im over the Mishkan HaEdut and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it; they shall bear the Mishkan, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall take care of it, and shall encamp round about the Mishkan.

51 And when the Mishkan setteth forward, the Levi’im shall take it down; and when the Mishkan is to be pitched, the Levi’im shall set it up; and the zar (stranger, outsider, unauthorized party) that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

52 And the Bnei Yisroel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own machaneh (camp), and every man by his own degel (standard, banner), throughout their tzva’ot (hosts).

53 But the Levi’im shall encamp around the Mishkan HaEdut, that there be no ketzef (wrath) fall upon the Adat Bnei Yisroel; and the Levi’im shall be shomer mishmeret (watch the watch, attend to, keep the charge, the reverence) of the Mishkan HaEdut.

54 And the Bnei Yisroel did according to all that Hashem commanded Moshe, so did they.

Bamidbar 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.