Números 1:41-54

41 Aser
41.500

42

43 Neftalí
53.400

44 Moisés, Aarón y los doce jefes de Israel anotaron a estos hombres, agrupados de acuerdo a su familia patriarcal.

45 Todos los hombres de Israel que tenían veinte años o más y que eran aptos para la guerra fueron registrados por familias.

46 En total sumaban 603.550.

47 Pero este total no incluía a los levitas,

48 porque el Señor
le había dicho a Moisés:

49 «No incluyas a la tribu de Leví en la lista. No los cuentes con el resto de los israelitas.

50 Pon a los levitas a cargo del tabernáculo del pacto,
así como del mobiliario y sus accesorios. Cuando ustedes viajen, los levitas transportarán el tabernáculo junto con todo su mobiliario, lo cuidarán y acamparán a su alrededor.

51 Cuando sea tiempo de trasladar el tabernáculo, los levitas lo desarmarán, y cuando sea tiempo de detenerse, ellos lo armarán nuevamente. Sin embargo, cualquier persona no autorizada que se acerque al tabernáculo será ejecutada.

52 Cada tribu de Israel acampará en un área designada y bajo su propio estandarte;

53 pero los levitas acamparán alrededor del tabernáculo del pacto para proteger a la comunidad de Israel del enojo del Señor
. Los levitas son responsables de permanecer en guardia alrededor del tabernáculo».

54 Así que los israelitas hicieron todo tal como el Señor
le había ordenado a Moisés.

Números 1:41-54 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.