Numbers 26:34

Translation
King James Version
These are the families of Manasseh, and those that were numbered of them, fifty and two thousand and seven hundred.
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KJV (with Strong's)
These are the families H4940 of Manasseh H4519, and those that were numbered H6485 of them, fifty H2572 and two H8147 thousand H505 and seven H7651 hundred H3967.
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Complete Jewish Bible
These were the families of M'nasheh; of them were counted 52,700.
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Berean Standard Bible
These were the clans of Manasseh, and their registration numbered 52,700.
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American Standard Version
These are the families of Manasseh; and they that were numbered of them were fifty and two thousand and seven hundred.
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World English Bible Messianic
These are the families of Manasseh. Those who were numbered of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
These are the families of Manasseh, and the nomber of them, two and fiftie thousand and seuen hundreth.
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Young's Literal Translation
These are families of Manasseh, and their numbered ones are two and fifty thousand and seven hundred.
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See also
Numbers 1:34Numbers 1:35Numbers 2:20Numbers 2:21
In the KJVVerse 4,524 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Numbers 26:34 is a precise statistical entry within the second national census of Israel, conducted on the plains of Moab. It specifically records the numerical strength of the tribe of Manasseh, stating that 52,700 individuals were counted from its various families. This verse, like the others in the chapter, serves as a vital record of the new generation of Israelites, prepared by divine providence to inherit the Promised Land, demonstrating God's meticulous order, faithfulness to His covenant, and readiness to fulfill His promises despite the previous generation's rebellion.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Numbers 26:34 is embedded within a meticulous demographic survey, the second census of Israel, spanning the entirety of Numbers chapter 26. This chapter systematically lists the male population (aged 20 and above) of each tribe, beginning with Reuben in Numbers 26:5-7 and concluding with Gad in Numbers 26:18, before moving to the descendants of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh), and then other tribes. The specific mention of Manasseh's families and numbers follows the enumeration of Ephraim, highlighting the distinct branches of Joseph's lineage. The chapter then concludes by reiterating the total number of Israelites and explicitly linking the census results to the subsequent division of the land by lot, ensuring each tribe's inheritance was proportional to its strength, as stated in Numbers 26:53-56.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: This census took place on the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan River, at a pivotal moment in Israelite history—the very end of their forty-year wilderness wandering, just prior to their entry into Canaan. The first census, recorded in Numbers chapter 1, had occurred at Mount Sinai at the beginning of their journey. The intervening decades saw the demise of the entire generation that had rebelled against God at Kadesh-Barnea, as prophesied in Numbers 14:29-35. Thus, this second census was not merely an update but a profound declaration of a new generation, born and raised in the wilderness, now poised for conquest and settlement. Culturally, such censuses were crucial for military organization, taxation, and, in this unique case, for the equitable and divinely ordained distribution of the Promised Land among the tribal families, ensuring the fulfillment of God's covenant promises to Abraham.
  • Key Themes: The meticulous record in Numbers 26:34 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the book of Numbers and the Pentateuch. Firstly, it underscores Divine Order and Organization, demonstrating God's precise and systematic approach to His people. The detailed accounting of each family and tribe was essential for military readiness, camp structure, and the future administration of the land. Secondly, it powerfully illustrates God's Unwavering Faithfulness to His Covenant Promises. Despite the rebellion and judgment that decimated the previous generation, the sheer size of the new generation—including Manasseh's substantial numbers—is a testament to God's commitment to multiply Abraham's descendants into a great nation, as promised in Genesis 12:2. Finally, the census highlights Preparation for Inheritance and Fulfillment of Promise. The numbering directly links population size to the allocation of land, ensuring that each tribe, including Manasseh, would receive its portion according to its strength, thereby fulfilling the divine promise of a homeland, as detailed in Numbers 26:53.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Families (Hebrew, mishpâchâh', H4940): This term refers to the clans or subdivisions within a larger tribe, stemming from a common ancestor. Its inclusion here emphasizes the structured, genealogical basis of Israelite society and the meticulous nature of the census, which accounted for the people not just as a mass but as distinct, identifiable family units. These family units were the foundational blocks for tribal identity, land inheritance, and military organization.
  • Numbered (Hebrew, pâqad', H6485): While often translated simply as "counted," the Hebrew verb pâqad carries a richer theological meaning. It implies a divine visitation, oversight, or even appointment. In this context, it suggests that the census was not merely a human administrative task but a divinely ordained act of mustering, inspecting, and acknowledging His people, preparing them for their destiny. God was actively "visiting" or "attending to" His people through this numbering, setting them in order for the next phase of His plan.

Verse Breakdown

  • "These [are] the families of Manasseh": This opening clause immediately identifies the subject of the verse, focusing on the tribal division of Manasseh. It underscores the importance of tribal and familial identity within ancient Israel, where lineage determined social standing, inheritance, and religious roles. Manasseh, as one of Joseph's two sons, represented a significant portion of the northern tribes, and its families were distinct and recognized entities within the larger Israelite confederation.
  • "and those that were numbered of them": This phrase refers to the specific individuals from Manasseh's families who met the criteria for the census—males aged twenty years and upward, fit for military service. It highlights the purpose of the census: to ascertain the military strength of the nation and to prepare for the allocation of land. The act of "numbering" implies a systematic, authoritative count, reflecting God's precise knowledge and ordering of His people.
  • "fifty and two thousand and seven hundred": This precise numerical figure provides the exact count for the tribe of Manasseh. The specificity of the number (52,700) is characteristic of the book of Numbers, emphasizing the meticulous detail with which God directed the organization of Israel. This figure, when compared to the first census (Manasseh had 32,200 in Numbers 1:35), indicates a significant increase in population, a testament to God's faithfulness in multiplying His people despite the wilderness hardships and the judgment on the previous generation. This larger number also meant a greater inheritance in the Promised Land.

Literary Devices

The verse, though seemingly a simple statistical record, employs several literary techniques. Precision and Detailing are paramount, as the exact number of 52,700 is given, reflecting the meticulous nature of the divine record and the importance of each individual within the collective. This numerical exactitude serves to underscore God's comprehensive knowledge and sovereign oversight of His people. Furthermore, the Repetition of similar census entries for each tribe throughout Numbers chapter 26 creates a rhythmic, authoritative tone, reinforcing the theme of divine order and the systematic preparation for the land. While not overt, there is an underlying Symbolism in the numbers themselves—the growing population signifying God's covenant faithfulness and the burgeoning strength of a nation ready to claim its inheritance, moving from the judgment of the past to the promise of the future.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Numbers 26:34, though a single data point, powerfully illustrates God's unwavering commitment to His covenant promises and His meticulous involvement in the details of His people's lives. The census, including Manasseh's count, is a tangible demonstration of God's faithfulness to Abraham's descendants, multiplying them into a great nation despite their failures and the wilderness judgment. It underscores the divine principle that God's plans are sovereign and will be fulfilled, even across generations. The numbering also highlights God's divine order, preparing His people not only for military conquest but also for the structured and equitable distribution of the Promised Land, ensuring that each family and tribe received its rightful inheritance. This meticulous preparation signifies God's providence in equipping His people for their destiny and establishing the framework for their national life in Canaan.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Numbers 26:34, seemingly a dry statistic, invites us to reflect on the profound truth that God sees, knows, and numbers each one of us. Just as He meticulously accounted for every family and individual in Israel, preparing them for their inheritance, He is intimately involved in the details of our lives, leading us toward our spiritual inheritance in Christ. This verse reminds us that we are not random accidents but part of a divine plan, counted and purposed by God. It offers hope for new beginnings, demonstrating that even after periods of failure or judgment, God's grace provides opportunities for renewal and the fulfillment of His promises. We are called to live with the awareness that we are known by God, part of His larger story, and equipped by Him for the purpose He has set before us, whether in moments of preparation or in the claiming of spiritual promises.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does the meticulous nature of God's census in Numbers 26:34 challenge or affirm your understanding of God's involvement in the details of your own life?
  • What "new beginnings" or fresh starts has God offered you, mirroring the new generation of Israel poised to enter the Promised Land?
  • In what ways can you live more intentionally, recognizing that you are "numbered" and purposed by God for His kingdom?

FAQ

Why was a second census necessary, especially after the first one recorded in Numbers 1?

Answer: The second census, detailed in Numbers chapter 26, was critically necessary due to a profound generational shift. The first census, taken at Mount Sinai, counted the generation that subsequently rebelled against God at Kadesh-Barnea and was condemned to die in the wilderness (as prophesied in Numbers 14:29-35). By the time of the second census on the plains of Moab, that entire rebellious generation, save for Caleb and Joshua, had perished. This new census, therefore, counted the new generation—those born and raised during the wilderness wandering—who were now of fighting age and prepared to enter and conquer the Promised Land. It served to establish the military strength of this new generation and, crucially, to provide the basis for the equitable division of the land by tribal inheritance, as explicitly stated in Numbers 26:53-56.

What was the significance of Manasseh's population count compared to other tribes?

Answer: Manasseh's population of 52,700 was significant for several reasons. Firstly, it represented a substantial increase from its count in the first census (32,200, as per Numbers 1:35), demonstrating God's faithfulness in multiplying His people despite the hardships of the wilderness. This growth meant Manasseh was one of the larger tribes in the second census, which directly impacted its future inheritance. As one of the two half-tribes descended from Joseph, Manasseh was unique in that its inheritance would span both sides of the Jordan River (Joshua 17:1-6). Its large numbers underscored its importance in the conquest and settlement of Canaan, ensuring it would receive a substantial and strategically important portion of the land.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Numbers 26:34, with its meticulous counting of a new generation poised for inheritance, profoundly foreshadows the Christ-centered fulfillment of God's promises. Just as God faithfully preserved and multiplied Israel to inherit the earthly Promised Land, so too does He, through Christ, bring forth a new spiritual generation—the Church—destined for a heavenly inheritance. The census in Numbers speaks of God's sovereign plan to bring His people into their promised rest; similarly, Christ is our true rest and the one through whom we receive our spiritual inheritance (Ephesians 1:11). The "numbered" people of Israel, organized and prepared, prefigure the spiritual Israel, the Church, whose names are "written in heaven" (Hebrews 12:23), a people gathered and perfected by Christ. He is the ultimate "Head of the body, the church" (Colossians 1:18), leading His redeemed people into their eternal dwelling, a fulfillment far grander than any earthly land. The precision of God's counting in Numbers reflects the precision of His redemptive plan, culminating in Christ, who perfectly fulfills every promise and brings His chosen people into their eternal dwelling, a "kingdom that cannot be shaken" (Hebrews 12:28).

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Commentary on Numbers 26 verses 5–51

This is the register of the tribes as they were now enrolled, in the same order that they were numbered in ch. 1. Observe,

I. The account that is here kept of the families of each tribe, which must not be understood of such as we call families, those that live in a house together, but such as were the descendants of the several sons of the patriarchs, by whose names, in honour of them, their posterity distinguished themselves and one another. The families of the twelve tribes are thus numbered: - Of Dan but one, for Dan had but one son, and yet that tribe was the most numerous of all except Judah, Num 26:42, Num 26:43. Its beginning was small, but its latter end greatly increased. Zebulun was divided into three families, Ephraim into four, Issachar into four, Naphtali into four, and Reuben into four; Judah, Simeon, and Asher, had five families apiece, Gad and Benjamin seven apiece, and Manasseh eight. Benjamin brought ten sons into Egypt (Gen 46:21), but three of them, it seems either died childless or their families were extinct, for here we find seven only of those names preserved, and that whole tribe none of the most numerous; for Providence, in the building up of families and nations, does not tie itself to probabilities. The barren hath borne seven, and she that hath many children has waxed feeble, Sa1 2:5.

II. The numbers of each tribe. And here our best entertainment will be to compare these numbers with those when they were numbered at Mount Sinai. The sum total was nearly the same; they were now 1820 fewer than they were then; yet seven of the tribes had increased in number. Judah had increased 1900, Issachar 9900, Zebulun 3100, Manasseh 20,500, Benjamin 10,200, Dan 1700, and Asher 11,900. But the other five had decreased more than to balance that increase. Reuben had decreased 2770, Simeon 37,100, Gad 5150, Ephraim 8000, and Naphtali 8000. In this account we may observe, 1. that all the three tribes that were encamped under the standard of Judah, who was the ancestor of Christ, had increased, for his church shall be edified and multiplied. 2. That none of the tribes had increased so much as that of Manasseh, which in the former account was the smallest of all the tribes, only 32,200, while here it is one of the most considerable; and that of his brother Ephraim, which there was numerous, is here one of the least. Jacob had crossed hands upon their heads, and had preferred Ephraim before Manasseh, which perhaps the Ephraimites had prided themselves too much in, and had trampled upon their brethren the Manassites; but, when the Lord saw that Manasseh was despised, he thus multiplied him exceedingly, for it is his glory to help the weakest, and raise up those that are cast down. 3. That none of the tribes decreased so much as Simeon did; from 59,300, it such to 22,200, little more than a third part of what it was. One whole family of that tribe (namely Ohad, mentioned Exo 6:15) was extinct in the wilderness. Hence Simeon is not mentioned in Moses's blessing (Deu. 33), and the lot of that tribe in Canaan was inconsiderable, only a canton out of Judah's lot, Jos 19:9. Some conjecture that most of those 24,000 who were cut off by the plague for the iniquity of Peor were of that tribe; for Zimri, who was a ringleader in that iniquity, was a prince of that tribe, many of whom therefore were influenced by his example to follow his pernicious ways.

III. In the account of the tribe of Reuben mention is made of the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram, who were of that tribe, in confederacy with Korah a Levite, Num 26:9-11. Though the story had been largely related but a few chapters before, yet here it comes in again, as fit to be had in remembrance and thought of by posterity, whenever they looked into their pedigree and pleased themselves with the antiquity of their families and the glory of their ancestors, that they might call themselves a seed of evil doers. Two things are here said of them: - 1. That they had been famous in the congregation, Num 26:9. Probably they were remarkable for their ingenuity, activity, and fitness for business: - That Dathan and Abiram that might have been advanced in due time under God and Moses; but their ambitious spirits put them upon striving against God and Moses, and when they quarrelled with the one they quarrelled with the other. And what was the issue? 2. Those that might have been famous were made infamous: they became a sign, Num 26:10. They were made monuments of divine justice; God, in their ruin, showed himself glorious in holiness, and so they were set up for a warning to all others, in all ages, to take heed of treading in the steps of their pride and rebellion. Notice is here taken of the preservation of the children of Korah (Num 26:11); they died not, as the children of Dathan and Abiram did, doubtless because they kept themselves pure from the infection, and would not join, no, not with their own father, in rebellion. If we partake not of the sins of sinners, we shall not partake of their plagues. These sons of Korah were afterwards, in their posterity, eminently serviceable to the church, being employed by David as singers in the house of the Lord; hence many psalms are said to be for the sons of Korah: and perhaps they were made to bear his name so long after, rather than the name of any other of their ancestors, for warning to themselves, and as an instance of the power of God, which brought those choice fruits even out of that bitter root. The children of families that have been stigmatized should endeavour, by their eminent virtues, to roll away the reproach of their fathers.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 5–51. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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