Numbers 1:42-52

42 Of the sons of Naphtali, by their generations, after their families, by the houses of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

43 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

44 These are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the twelve princes of Israel, one man for each house of his fathers.

45 So were all those that were numbered of the sons of Israel, by the houses of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel;

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

47 But the Levites according to the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.

48 For the LORD had spoken unto Moses, saying,

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

50 But thou shalt place the Levites in the tabernacle of the testimony and over all the vessels thereof and over all things that belong to it; they shall bear the tabernacle and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister in it and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.

51 And when the tabernacle departs, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up; and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.

52 And the sons of Israel shall pitch their tents, each man by his own camp and each man by his own standard, throughout their hosts.

Numbers 1:42-52 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.