Numbers 1:16-26

16 These were the noblest princes of the multitude, by their lineages, and kindreds, and the heads of the host(s) of Israel, (These were the noblest leaders of the multitude, by their tribes, and kindreds, and the heads of the armies of Israel,)

17 the which princes Moses and Aaron took, with all the multitude of the common people. (which leaders Moses and Aaron took, along with all the multitude of the common people.)

18 And they gathered (them together) in the first day of the second month, and they told them, (or they totalled them,) by kindreds, and houses, and families, and heads, and names of each by themselves, from the twentieth year and above, (And they gathered them together on the first day of the second month, and they listed, or they registered, them by their kindreds, and houses, and families, and heads, and their names, from twenty years of age and older,)

19 as the Lord commanded to Moses, (and so he numbered them there in the Sinai Desert).

20 And of Reuben, the first begotten of Israel, were numbered, in the desert of Sinai, by their generations, and families, and houses, and by the names of all the heads, all thing that is of male kind, from twenty years and above, of men going forth to battle, (And so the sons of Reuben, the first-born of Israel, were listed by their generations, and families, and houses of their kindreds, with the names of all who were twenty years of age and older, and all the men who could go forth to battle numbered)

21 six and forty thousand and five hundred.

22 Of the sons of Simeon, by their generations, and families, and houses of their kindreds, were numbered, by the names and heads of all, all that is of male kind, from twenty years and above, of men going forth to battle, (The sons of Simeon were listed by their generations, and families, and houses of their kindreds, with the names of all who were twenty years of age and older, and all the men who could go forth to battle numbered)

23 nine and fifty thousand and three hundred.

24 Of the sons of Gad, by generations, and families, and houses of their kindreds, were numbered, by the names of all, from twenty years and above, all men that went forth to battle, (The sons of Gad were listed by their generations, and families, and houses of their kindreds, with the names of all who were twenty years of age and older, and all the men who could go forth to battle numbered)

25 five and forty thousand (and) six hundred and fifty.

26 Of the sons of Judah, by generations, and families, and houses of their kindreds, by the names of all, from twenty years and above, all men that might go [forth] to battles, (The sons of Judah were listed by their generations, and families, and houses of their kindreds, with the names of all who were twenty years of age and older, and all the men who could go forth to battle numbered)

Numbers 1:16-26 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.