Numbers 1

1 And the Lorde spake vnto Moses in the wildernesse of Sinai in the tabernacle of witnesse the fyrst daye of the seconde moneth ad in the seconde yere after they were come out of ye londe of Egipte sayenge:

2 take ye the summe of al the multitude of the childern of Israel in their kynredes and housholdes of their fathers and numbre the by name all that are males polle by polle

3 fro .xx. yere and aboue: euen all yt are able to goo forthe in to warre in Israell thou and Aaro shall nubre the in their armies

4 and with you shalbe of euery trybe a heed man in the house of his father.

5 And these are the names of ye me yt shall stode with you: in Rube Elizur ye sonne of Sedeur:

6 In Simeo Selumiel ye sonne of Suri Sadai:

7 In ye trybe of Iuda Nahesson ye sonne of Aminadab:

8 In Isachar Nathaneel ye sonne of Zuar:

9 In Sebulo Eliab ye sonne of Helo.

10 Amoge ye childern of Ioseph: In Ephrai Elisama ye sonne of Amihud: In Manasse Gamaliel ye sone of Pedazur:

11 In Be Iamin Abidan the sonne of Gedeoni:

12 In Dan Ahieser the sonne of Ammi Sadai:

13 In Asser Pagiel the sonne of Ochran:

14 In Gad Eliasaph the sone of Deguel:

15 In Naphtaly Ahira the sonne of Enan.

16 These were councelers of the congregacion and lordes in the trybes of their fathers and captaynes ouer thousandes in Israel.

17 And Moses and Aaron toke these men aboue named

18 and gathered all the congregacion together the fyrst daye of the seconde moneth and rekened them after their byrth and kinredes and houses of their fathers by name fro .xx. yere and aboue hed by hed:

19 as the Lorde comaunded Moses eue so he numbred them in ye wildernesse of Sinai.

20 And the childern of Ruben Israels eldest sonne in their generacions kynredes ad houses of their fathers whe they were numbred euery man by name all that were males fro xx. yere and aboue as many as were able to goo forth in warre:

21 were numbred in the trybe off Ruben xlvi. thousande and fyue hundred.

22 Among the childern of Simeon: their generacion in their kynredes and housses of their fathers (when euery mans name was tolde) of all the males from .xx. yeres and aboue whatsoeuer was mete for the warre:

23 were numbred in the trybe of Simeon .lix. thousande and .iij. hundred.

24 Amonge the childern of Gad: their generacion in their kynredes and housholdes of their fathers when thei were tolde by name fro xx. yere and aboue all that were mete for the warre:

25 were numbred in the tribe of Gad .xlv. thousande sixe hundred and fyftie.

26 Amonge the childern of Iuda: their generacion in their kinredes and housses of their fathers (by the numbre of names) from .xx. yere and aboue all that were able to warre

27 were tolde in the trybe of Iuda .lxxiiij. thousande and sixe hundred.

28 Amonge the childern of Isachar: their generacion in their kinredes and houses of their fathers (when their names were counted) from .xx. yere ad aboue what soeuer was apte for warre:

29 were numbred in ye trybe of Isachar .liiij. thousande and .iiij. hundred.

30 Among the childern of Sebulon: their generacion in their kynredes and houses of their fathers (after the numbre of names) from xx. yere and aboue whosoeuer was mete for the warre:

31 were counted in ye trybe of Sebulo lvij. thousande and .iiij. hundred.

32 Amonge the childern of Ioseph: fyrst amoge the childern of Ephraim: their generacion in their kynredes and housses of theyre fathers (when the names of all that were apte to the warre were tolde) from .xx. yeres and aboue:

33 were in numbre in the trybe off Ephraim xl. thousande and syxe hundred.

34 Amonge the childern of Manasse: their generacion in their kynredes and houses of their fathers (when the names of all yt were apte to warre

35 were tolde) from .xx. and aboue were numbred in the tribe of Manasse .xxxij thousand and two hundred.

36 Amonge the childern of Ben Iamin: their generacion in their kynredes and housses of their fathers (by the tale of names) from twentye yere and aboue of all that were mete for warre

37 were numbred in the trybe off Ben Iamin .xxxv. thousande and .iiij. hundred.

38 Amonge the childern of Dan: their generacion in theyr kynreddes and housses off theyr fathers (in the summe of names) off all that was apte to warre

39 from twentye yere and aboue were numbred in the trybe of Dan .lxij. thousande and .vij. hundred.

40 Amonge the childern of Aser: their generacyon in their kynredes and houses of their fathers (when thei were summed by name) from .xx. yeres and aboue all that were apte to warre

41 were numbred in the tribe of Aser .xli. thousande and .v. hundred.

42 Amoge the childern of Nepthali: their generacion in their kynredes and housses of their fathere (when their names were tolde) from xx. yeres ad aboue what soeuer was mete to warre:

43 were numbred in the trybe of Nephtali .liij. thousande and .iiij. hundred.

44 These are the numbres which Moses ad Aaro numbred with ye .xij. princes of Israel: of euery housse of their fathers a man.

45 And all the numbres of the childern of Israel in the housses of their fathers from twentye yere and aboue what soeuer was mete for the warre in Israell

46 drewe vnto the summe of syxe hundred thousande fyue hundred and .l.

47 But the leuites in the tribe off their fathers were not numbred amonge them.

48 And the Lorde spake vnto Moses sayenge:

49 only se that thou numbre not the trybe of Leui nether take the summe of them amonge the childern of Israel.

50 But thou shalt appoynte the leuites vnto the habitacio of witnesse and to all the apparell thereof and vnto all that longeth thereto. For they shall bere the tabernacle and all the ordinaunce thereof and they shall ministre it and shall pitche their tentes rounde aboute it.

51 And when the tabernacle goeth forth the leuites shall take it doune: and when the tabernacle is pitched they shall sett it vpp: for yf any straunger come nere he shall dye.

52 And the childern of Israel shall pitch their tentes euery man in his owne companye and euery ma by his awne standert thorow out all their hostes.

53 But the leuites shall pitche rounde aboute the habitacion of witnesse that there fall no wrath vpon the congregacion of the childre of Israel and the leuites shall wayte apon the habitacion of witnesse.

54 And the childern of Israel dyd acordinge to all that the Lord commaunded Moses.

Numbers 1 Commentary

Chapter 1

This book is called NUMBERS from the several numberings of the people contained in it. It extends from the giving of the law at Sinai, till their arrival in the plains of Jordan. An account is given of their murmuring and unbelief, for which they were sentenced to wander in the wilderness nearly forty years; also some laws, both, moral and ceremonial. Their trials greatly tended to distinguish the wicked and hypocrites from the faithful and true servants of God, who served him with a pure heart.

The numbering of the Israelites. (1-43) The number of the people. (44-46) The Levites not numbered with the rest. (47-54)

Verses 1-43 The people were numbered to show God's faithfulness in thus increasing the seed of Jacob, that they might be the better trained for the wars and conquest of Canaan, and to ascertain their families in order to the division of the land. It is said of each tribe, that those were numbered who were able to go forth to war; they had wars before them, though now they met with no opposition. Let the believer be prepared to withstand the enemies of his soul, though all may appear to be peace.

Verses 44-46 We have here the sum total. How much was required to maintain all these in the wilderness! They were all provided for by God every day. When we observe the faithfulness of God, however unlikely the performance of his promise may appear, we may take courage as to those which yet remain to be fulfilled to the church of God.

Verses 47-54 Care is here taken to distinguish the tribe of Levi, which, in the matter of the golden calf, had distinguished itself. Singular services shall be recompensed by singular honours. It was to the honour of the Levites, that to them was committed the care of the tabernacle and its treasures, in their camps and in their marches. It was for the honour of the holy things that none should see them, or touch them, but those who were called of God to the service. We all are unfit and unworthy to have fellowship with God, till called by his grace into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and so, being the spiritual seed of that great High Priest, we are made priests to our God. Great care must be taken to prevent sin, for preventing sin is preventing wrath. Being a holy tribe, they were not reckoned among other Israelites. They that minister about holy things, should neither entangle themselves, nor be entangled, in worldly affairs. And let every believer seek to do what the Lord has commanded.

Chapter Summary

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.