Numbers 1:41-51

41 forty thousand and a thousand and five hundred.

42 Of the sons of Naphtali, by generations, and families, and houses of their kindreds, were numbered, by the names of all, from twenty years and above, all men that might go forth to battles, (The sons of Naphtali 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)

43 three and fifty thousand and four hundred.

44 These men it be, which Moses and Aaron and the twelve princes of Israel numbered, each by their houses and kindreds. (These be the men, whom Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel listed, or registered, each by the house of his kindred.)

45 And all men of the sons of Israel, by their houses, and families, from twenty years and above, that might go forth to battles, (And all the men of the Israelites, by their houses, and families, from twenty years of age and older, who could go forth to battle,)

46 were all together six hundred thousand and three thousand men, and five hundred and fifty. (were altogether six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.)

47 Soothly the deacons in the lineage of their families were not numbered with them. (But the Levites, in the tribe of their families, were not listed with them.)

48 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said, (For the Lord spoke to Moses, and said,)

49 Do not thou number the lineage of Levi, neither set thou the sum of them with the sons of Israel; (Do not thou list, or register, the tribe of Levi, nor take thou the sum of them among the Israelites;)

50 but thou shalt ordain them upon the tabernacle of (the) witnessing, and upon all the vessels thereof, and upon whatever thing pertaineth to [the] ceremonies, either sacrifices. They shall bear the tabernacle, and all the purtenances thereof, and they shall be in the service of it, and they shall set [their] tents by compass of the tabernacle (and they shall pitch their tents around the Tabernacle).

51 When men shall go forth, or be removed, the deacons shall take down the tabernacle; when the tents shall be set (up), they shall set it up (again). Whoever of strangers nigheth (to it), he shall be slain (he shall be put to death).

Numbers 1:41-51 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.