Numbers 26:6

Translation
King James Version
Of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.
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KJV (with Strong's)
Of Hezron H2696, the family H4940 of the Hezronites H2697: of Carmi H3756, the family H4940 of the Carmites H3757.
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Complete Jewish Bible
of Hetzron, the family of the Hetzroni; and of Karmi the family of the Karmi.
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Berean Standard Bible
the Hezronite clan from Hezron, and the Carmite clan from Carmi.
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American Standard Version
of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.
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World English Bible Messianic
of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Of Hesron, the familie of the Hesronites: of Carmi, the familie of the Carmites.
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Young's Literal Translation
of Hezron the family of the Hezronite; of Carmi the family of the Carmite.
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In the KJVVerse 4,496 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Numbers 26:6 meticulously records the families of the Hezronites and the Carmites, descendants of Reuben's sons, Hezron and Carmi. This verse is an integral part of Israel's second census, conducted on the plains of Moab, nearly four decades after the first census and the demise of the wilderness generation. It profoundly underscores God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises, His divine order in preparing a new generation for the Promised Land, and the practical basis for the equitable distribution of tribal inheritances in Canaan.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Numbers 26:6 is deeply embedded within the comprehensive account of Israel's second census, a pivotal moment in the book of Numbers. This enumeration, taken on the plains of Moab, directly opposite Jericho (Numbers 26:3), serves as a stark and significant contrast to the first census recorded in Numbers 1, which occurred almost 38 years prior at Mount Sinai. The intervening period witnessed the tragic demise of the entire generation of fighting men who had departed Egypt, a consequence of their disobedience and rebellion, particularly at Kadesh-Barnea (Numbers 14:26-35). Chapter 26, therefore, marks the emergence of a new generation, poised to enter and conquer the Promised Land. The meticulous listing of families, including the Hezronites and Carmites from the tribe of Reuben, highlights the enduring continuity of God's covenant people despite past failures and establishes the administrative foundation for the upcoming division of the land (Numbers 26:52-56).
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The setting for this census is the plains of Moab, strategically located east of the Jordan River, directly opposite Jericho. This region served as the final staging ground before the Israelites crossed into Canaan. In ancient Near Eastern societies, genealogies and censuses were far more than mere historical records; they were indispensable for military organization, taxation, and, critically for Israel, the precise allocation of land and inheritance. For a nomadic people on the cusp of settling into an agrarian society, knowing the exact population and intricate family structures was essential for establishing a stable and ordered society. The emphasis on specific family units like the Hezronites and Carmites underscores the patriarchal structure of Israelite society, where identity, rights, and responsibilities flowed through established family lines. This meticulous record-keeping ensured the preservation of tribal distinctives and facilitated the equitable distribution of the land promised to their ancestors, preventing disputes and maintaining social cohesion.
  • Key Themes: This verse, though seemingly a dry genealogical entry, contributes significantly to several overarching themes in Numbers and the broader Pentateuch. First, it powerfully illustrates Divine Faithfulness and Continuity. Despite the catastrophic failure and subsequent judgment upon the previous generation, God remains utterly faithful to His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, preserving a new generation destined to inherit the land (Deuteronomy 7:9). Second, it highlights God's Order and Preparation. The meticulous counting and organization of the tribes demonstrate God's precise and purposeful planning for His people's future, ensuring they are thoroughly prepared for the challenges of conquest and settlement. This divine order is foundational to the successful establishment of the nation in Canaan. Finally, the census directly relates to the theme of Inheritance and Land Allocation. The specific mention of family units, as seen with the Hezronites and Carmites, was crucial because the size of each clan directly determined the proportion of land it would receive (Numbers 26:54), linking individual family identity directly to their promised portion in the land. This detailed administrative preparation foreshadows the comprehensive land divisions found in Joshua 13-19.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Hezron (Hebrew, Chetsrôwn', H2696): Derived from the Hebrew word for "court-yard," Hezron is the name of one of Reuben's sons, as well as a place and another Israelite. In this context, it specifically refers to the son of Reuben, establishing a direct paternal lineage within the tribe. The formation of the "Hezronites" from "Hezron" signifies a patronymic derivation, clearly indicating descent and tribal affiliation, emphasizing the continuity of this family line.
  • Carmi (Hebrew, Karmîy'): Derived from the Hebrew word meaning "gardener" or "my vineyard," Carmi is another son of Reuben. Like Hezron, his name forms the basis for the "Carmites," denoting a distinct family unit within the tribe of Reuben. This naming convention underscores the importance of ancestral identity and the continuity of family lines within the broader tribal structure, vital for the upcoming land distribution.
  • Family (Hebrew, mishpâchâh', H4940): This crucial term refers to a clan or extended family unit descending from a common ancestor. In the context of the census, the mishpâchâh was the fundamental unit for tribal organization, military recruitment, and, most importantly, the equitable distribution of land. Its repeated use in this verse underscores the meticulous nature of the census and the foundational importance of these familial divisions for the future of Israel.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites:" This clause precisely identifies a specific clan within the tribe of Reuben. Hezron, as a direct son of Reuben, serves as the patriarch from whom this entire "family" or clan (the Hezronites) descended. This highlights the genealogical precision of the census, tracing the lineage from the tribal patriarch (Reuben) down to his immediate offspring and their subsequent descendants. It confirms the continuity and distinct identity of this particular family line despite the wilderness wanderings and the passage of a generation.
  • "of Carmi, the family of the Carmites." Similarly, this clause identifies another distinct clan originating from Carmi, also a son of Reuben. The parallel structure with the previous clause reinforces the systematic and exhaustive nature of the census. It demonstrates that each son of the tribal patriarchs established a distinct family unit, which was then meticulously counted and recorded for the explicit purpose of tribal organization, military assessment, and, crucially, land inheritance. The repetition emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the enumeration, ensuring no recognized family unit was overlooked.

Literary Devices

Numbers 26:6, though concise, employs several literary devices characteristic of biblical genealogies and censuses. The most prominent is Patronymic Naming, where the names of the family units ("Hezronites," "Carmites") are directly derived from their ancestral patriarchs ("Hezron," "Carmi"). This device serves to clearly delineate lineage, establish identity within the larger tribal structure, and reinforce the continuity of family lines. Repetition is also evident in the identical phrasing "the family of the X-ites," which creates a rhythmic, formulaic quality common in lists and enumerations. This repetition underscores the systematic and exhaustive nature of the census, ensuring that every recognized family unit is accounted for without omission. Furthermore, the entire chapter, including this verse, functions as Enumeration, systematically listing individuals and groups. This serves a practical administrative purpose (facilitating land distribution, assessing military readiness) but also carries profound theological significance, demonstrating God's meticulous knowledge and sovereign oversight of His people, down to the smallest family unit.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Numbers 26:6, seemingly a mere list of names, powerfully illustrates God's unwavering commitment to His covenant promises, even in the face of profound human failure and rebellion. The meticulous accounting of these families, specifically the Hezronites and Carmites, underscores that despite the severe judgment on the previous generation, God faithfully preserves a remnant and meticulously prepares a new generation to inherit what was promised. It speaks to God's sovereign order and His intricate attention to detail in bringing His redemptive plan to fruition. This divine faithfulness is not abstract; rather, it is deeply personal, ensuring that every family unit, no matter how small, has a designated place and a secure inheritance within His grand design for His people.

  • Genesis 12:7 - God's foundational promise of land to Abraham and his descendants, which this census meticulously prepares to fulfill.
  • Deuteronomy 7:9 - Emphasizes God's enduring faithfulness to His covenant, which is powerfully demonstrated by His preservation of Israel despite their rebellion and wilderness judgment.
  • Psalm 105:8 - A profound reminder that God remembers His covenant forever, the word He commanded for a thousand generations, ensuring its ultimate fulfillment.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Numbers 26:6, though a fragment of a genealogical list, offers profound spiritual insights for contemporary believers. It reminds us that God is a God of impeccable order, divine purpose, and enduring faithfulness. Even after a generation's catastrophic failure and demise, He meticulously accounts for the new generation, preparing them with precision for their promised inheritance. This speaks volumes about God's unwavering commitment to His promises, demonstrating that His sovereign plans will never be thwarted by human disobedience or historical setbacks. For us today, this verse highlights that our identity and place within God's spiritual family are intimately known to Him. Just as each family in ancient Israel had a specific, divinely appointed inheritance, so too do believers have a secure and glorious spiritual inheritance in Christ. It encourages us to trust implicitly in God's sovereign plan, even when circumstances seem chaotic, when past failures loom large, or when the future appears uncertain. He is always faithfully working to bring His people into their promised land, both literally for Israel and spiritually for the Church, culminating in the eternal Kingdom.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does God's meticulous attention to detail in this census encourage you about His personal care for your own life and unique circumstances?
  • What does the continuity of God's promises, despite the previous generation's profound failures, teach us about His enduring faithfulness and grace today?
  • In what practical ways can we, as the "new generation" of believers, actively prepare ourselves to fully receive and faithfully live out our spiritual inheritance in Christ?
  • How does understanding our place within God's larger family (the Church) parallel the importance of family units and their distinct identities in ancient Israel?

FAQ

Why are genealogies and censuses so important in the Bible, especially in books like Numbers?

Answer: Genealogies and censuses in the Bible serve multiple critical and interwoven purposes, extending far beyond mere record-keeping. First, they establish identity and lineage, meticulously tracing the descent of individuals and groups from their patriarchs. This was crucial for tribal affiliation, determining land inheritance (Numbers 26:52-56), and validating priestly or kingly service. Second, they powerfully validate covenant promises, particularly the promise to Abraham of a numerous offspring and a vast land inheritance (Genesis 15:5). The very act of counting demonstrates the fulfillment of God's promise to multiply His people. Third, they provide essential administrative and military organization, enabling the leaders to know the fighting strength of the nation and to allocate resources efficiently for conquest and settlement (Numbers 1:3). Finally, and perhaps most profoundly, they underscore God's unwavering faithfulness, showing how He meticulously preserves His people and brings His redemptive plans to fruition across generations, even through periods of severe judgment and prolonged wilderness wandering.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

While Numbers 26:6 is a seemingly dry genealogical entry, it finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment in several significant ways. The meticulous counting of families for an inheritance in the earthly Promised Land powerfully foreshadows the spiritual inheritance believers receive in Christ. Just as a new generation of Israelites was prepared to enter Canaan, so too are believers, through their union with Christ, part of a new covenant generation, spiritual heirs according to the promise given to Abraham (Galatians 3:29). The unwavering faithfulness of God in preserving these family lines, despite the rebellion and demise of the wilderness generation, prefigures His ultimate faithfulness in providing salvation through Jesus. Jesus is the perfect Lamb of God, who fulfills the Old Covenant and inaugurates a new and better covenant, established on better promises (Hebrews 8:6). Our true identity and belonging are no longer primarily defined by earthly lineage or tribal affiliation, but by our adoption into God's eternal family through Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:5). The ultimate "Promised Land" for believers is not a physical territory but the eternal kingdom of God, an inheritance secured irrevocably by Christ's redemptive work on the cross and His glorious resurrection (Colossians 1:12-14). Thus, these seemingly mundane census records point to God's unwavering commitment to His people, culminating in the person and work of Jesus, through whom all the promises of God find their resounding "Yes" and "Amen" (2 Corinthians 1:20).

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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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