Numbers 1:15-25

15 In Naphtaly Ahira the sonne of Enan.
16 These were councelers of the congregacion and lordes in the trybes of their fathers and captaynes ouer thousandes in Israel.
17 And Moses and Aaron toke these men aboue named
18 and gathered all the congregacion together the fyrst daye of the seconde moneth and rekened them after their byrth and kinredes and houses of their fathers by name fro .xx. yere and aboue hed by hed:
19 as the Lorde comaunded Moses eue so he numbred them in ye wildernesse of Sinai.
20 And the childern of Ruben Israels eldest sonne in their generacions kynredes ad houses of their fathers whe they were numbred euery man by name all that were males fro xx. yere and aboue as many as were able to goo forth in warre:
21 were numbred in the trybe off Ruben xlvi. thousande and fyue hundred.
22 Among the childern of Simeon: their generacion in their kynredes and housses of their fathers (when euery mans name was tolde) of all the males from .xx. yeres and aboue whatsoeuer was mete for the warre:
23 were numbred in the trybe of Simeon .lix. thousande and .iij. hundred.
24 Amonge the childern of Gad: their generacion in their kynredes and housholdes of their fathers when thei were tolde by name fro xx. yere and aboue all that were mete for the warre:
25 were numbred in the tribe of Gad .xlv. thousande sixe hundred and fyftie.

Numbers 1:15-25 Meaning and Commentary

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.

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