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Numbers 1

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God Commands a Military Census 1–4

1
And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying, ​
2
Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls; ​
3
From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies. ​
4
And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers.

Leaders Appointed for the Census 5–19

5
And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben; Elizur the son of Shedeur.
6
Of Simeon; Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
7
Of Judah; Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
8
Of Issachar; Nethaneel the son of Zuar.
9
Of Zebulun; Eliab the son of Helon.
10
Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim; Elishama the son of Ammihud: of Manasseh; Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
11
Of Benjamin; Abidan the son of Gideoni.
12
Of Dan; Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
13
Of Asher; Pagiel the son of Ocran.
14
Of Gad; Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
15
Of Naphtali; Ahira the son of Enan.
16
These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel. ​
17
And Moses and Aaron took these men which are expressed by their names:
18
And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls. ​
19
As the LORD commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.

The Census Results by Tribe 20–46

20
And the children of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; ​
21
Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.
22
Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
23
Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred.
24
Of the children of Gad, by their generations, after their families, by the house 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;
25
Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Gad, were forty and five thousand six hundred and fifty.
26
Of the children of Judah, by their generations, after their families, by the house 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;
27
Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Judah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred. ​
28
Of the children of Issachar, by their generations, after their families, by the house 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;
29
Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.
30
Of the children of Zebulun, by their generations, after their families, by the house 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;
31
Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred.
32
Of the children of Joseph, namely, of the children of Ephraim, by their generations, after their families, by the house 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;
33
Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred.
34
Of the children of Manasseh, by their generations, after their families, by the house 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;
35
Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred.
36
Of the children of Benjamin, by their generations, after their families, by the house 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;
37
Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred.
38
Of the children of Dan, by their generations, after their families, by the house 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;
39
Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Dan, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred.
40
Of the children of Asher, by their generations, after their families, by the house 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;
41
Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Asher, were forty and one thousand and five hundred.
42
Of the children of Naphtali, throughout their generations, after their families, by the house 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, even of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.
44
These are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men: each one was for the house of his fathers.
45
So were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel;
46
Even all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. ​

The Levites Are Set Apart 47–54

47
But the Levites after 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 children of Israel:
50
But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of 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 unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle. ​
51
And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. ​
52
And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts.
53
But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony. ​
54
And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Numbers 1

Verse 1

the second month, in the second year — Exactly one month after the tabernacle was 'reared up' on the first day of the first month (Ex 40:17). The LORD speaks from 'the tabernacle of the congregation' (mo'ed, appointed meeting; cf. Ex 25:22). The camp leaves Sinai on the twentieth day of this month (Num 10:11).

Verse 2

Take ye the sum — Literally 'lift up the head' (nasa and rosh), the idiom for a census. 'Polls' is gulgoleth, a skull, so 'every male by their polls' is a count by heads. An earlier numbering raised the ransom money of every man 'from twenty years old and upward' (Ex 30:12; 38:26).

Verse 3

able to go forth to war — Tsaba is an organized army, the same word as 'armies' in this verse; 'number' is paqad, to muster. The line 'from twenty years old and upward' sets the age that decides the later judgment: all so numbered, except Caleb and Joshua, fell in the wilderness (Num 14:29–30).

Verse 16

the renowned of the congregation — Qari means 'called', those summoned and chosen. They are 'princes' (nasi, the word used for the same twelve in Num 7:2) and 'heads of thousands', the office of the 'rulers of thousands' Moses appointed (Ex 18:25).

Verse 18

declared their pedigrees — The verb is yalad, to bear or beget, here in the form meaning to register descent. Each man proved his line 'by the house of their fathers'. Descent mattered enough that priests' sons who 'sought their register' but 'were not found' were, 'as polluted, put from the priesthood' (Ezra 2:62; cf. v.59).

Verse 20

Israel's eldest son — Bekor, firstborn: Reuben is named first as Jacob's firstborn (Gen 49:3), though the birthright passed to Joseph (1 Chr 5:2). His tribe is counted first here and camps on the south side under Elizur (Num 2:10). The total follows in v.21: 46,500.

Verse 27

threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred — Judah, 74,600, is the largest of the twelve totals. It is placed on the east side and sets out first (Num 2:3; 10:14), as Jacob had said, 'thy brethren shall praise' him (Gen 49:8). The next census records 76,500 (Num 26:22).

Verse 46

six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty — The same total as the earlier numbering for the sanctuary (Ex 38:26), and matching the 'about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children' of the exodus (Ex 12:37). The second census gives 601,730 (Num 26:51).

Verse 47

the Levites… were not numbered among them — Levi is left out of the army roll, as vv.48–49 give the LORD's command and Num 2:33 repeats it. The Levites are counted separately, 'from a month old and upward' (Num 26:62), for the service of the tabernacle rather than for war.

Verse 50

the tabernacle of testimony — Edut, testimony, names the tabernacle for the two 'tables of testimony' kept in it (Ex 31:18). The Levites 'bear' (nasa) it, 'minister' (sharat) to it and 'encamp' (chanah) round it; the sons of Kohath carried the covered sanctuary vessels (Num 4:15).

Verse 51

the stranger that cometh nigh — Zur, one who is not of the appointed family; here a non-Levite. The same penalty guards the priesthood: 'the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death' (Num 3:10). Israel is told 'lest they bear sin, and die' (Num 18:22); cf. Uzzah (2 Sam 6:7).

Verse 53

no wrath upon the congregation — Qetseph is wrath breaking out in judgment; Aaron's sons were warned likewise, 'lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people' (Lev 10:6). The Levites encamp as a ring round the tabernacle and 'keep the charge' (mishmeret), the watch, so that no unappointed person comes near.