Numbers 26:1-7

1 After that the blood of (the) guilty men was shed out, the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar, the priest, [the] son of Aaron,

2 Reckon ye all the number of the sons of Israel, from twenty years and above (from twenty years of age and older), by their houses, and their kindreds, (yea,) all (the) men that be able to go forth to battles.

3 And so Moses and Eleazar, the priest, spake in the field places of Moab, over Jordan, against Jericho, (And so Moses and Eleazar, the priest, spoke on the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River, opposite Jericho,)

4 to them that were of twenty years and above (to those who were twenty years of age and older), as the Lord commanded; of which this is the number.

5 Reuben, the first begotten of Israel (Reuben, Israel's first-born); the son of him was Hanoch, of whom came the family of Hanochites; and Pallu, of whom came the family of Palluites;

6 and Hezron, of whom came the family of Hezronites; and Carmi, of whom came the family of Carmites.

7 These were the families of the generation of Reuben, of which families (all) the number was found (to be) three and forty thousand (and) seven hundred and thirty.

Numbers 26:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 26

In this chapter an order is given to number the people of Israel a second time, Nu 26:1-4 and the account begins with Reuben, the firstborn, and the families that sprung from him, and the number of them, Nu 26:5-7 and Dathan and Abiram being of this tribe, the affair of them and Korah is afresh related, Nu 26:8-11, then the tribe of Simeon, its families and number, Nu 26:12-14, next the tribe of Gad, and their families and number, Nu 26:15-18, after that the tribe of Judah, its families and number, Nu 26:19-22 then follows the tribe of Issachar, its families and number, Nu 26:23-25, next to that the tribe of Zebulun, its families and number, Nu 26:26,27 then the sons of Joseph, and first Manasseh, his families and number, Nu 26:28-34 and then the tribe of Ephraim, its families and number, Nu 26:35-37, after that the tribe of Benjamin, its families and number, Nu 26:38-41 next the tribe of Dan, its families and number, Nu 26:42,43 and which is followed by the tribe of Asher, its families and number, Nu 26:44-47, and the muster is closed with the tribe of Naphtali, its families and number, Nu 26:48-50, and the sum total of all the numbers is given, Nu 26:51 and then follows another order to divide the land of Canaan by lot, when conquered, to the several tribes, according to their names and number, Nu 26:52-56 and an account is given of the number of the Levites and their families, their number being taken not with the other tribes, but by themselves, and which is summed up, Nu 26:57-62 and the chapter is concluded with observing, that it appeared upon this numbering of the people, that there were but two persons living of those that were first numbered among the children of Israel, Nu 26:63-65.