Numbers 26:1-9

1 And it came to pass after the plague, that the Lord spoke to Moses and Eleazar the priest, saying,
2 Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, according to the houses of their lineage, every one that goes forth to battle in Israel.
3 And Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke in Araboth of Moab at the Jordan by Jericho, saying,
4 from twenty years old and upward as the Lord commanded Moses. And the sons of Israel that came out of Egypt :
5 Ruben the first-born of Israel: and the sons of Ruben, Enoch, and the family of Enoch; to Phallu belongs the family of the Phalluites.
6 To Asron, the family of Asroni: to Charmi, the family of Charmi.
7 These the families of Ruben; and their numbering was forty-three thousand and seven hundred and thirty.
8 And the sons of Phallu Eliab, —
9 and the sons of Eliab, Namuel, and Dathan, and Abiron: these renowned men of the congregation; these are they that rose up against Moses and Aaron in the gathering of Core, in the rebellion against the Lord.

Numbers 26:1-9 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.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. of their fathers' families.
  • [b]. to set himself in array.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.