Num 1 | TSK | STEP | God commands Moses to number the people. The princes of the tribes. The number of every tribe. The Levites are exempted for the service of the Lord. wilderness. tabernacle. on the first day.As the tabernacle was erected on the first day of the first month, in the second year of their departure from Egypt, (Ex 40:17,) and this happened on the first day of the second month, in the same year, it is evident that the transactions related in the preceding book must all have taken place in the space of one month, and during the time the Israelites were encamped at mount Sinai.

Numbers 1

As this verse appears to be the proper concluding verse of the whole book, Dr. A. Clarke thinks that the 27th chapter originally followed the 25th. Others suppose that the 27th chapter was added after the book was finished; and, therefore, there is apparently a double conclusion, one at the end of this, and another at the end of the 27th chapter. All the ancient versions agree in concluding both chapters in nearly the same way.

the statues.

27:34; De 6:1; 12:1; 13:4; Joh 1:17

in mount Sinai.

25:1

by the hand.

8:36; Nu 4:37; Ps 77:20

1 God commands Moses to number the people.

5 The princes of the tribes.

17 The number of every tribe.

47 The Levites are exempted for the service of the Lord.

wilderness.

10:11,12; Ex 19:1; Le 27:34

tabernacle.

Ex 25:22; Le 1:1

on the first day.As the tabernacle was erected on the first day of the first month, in the second year of their departure from Egypt, (Ex 40:17,) and this happened on the first day of the second month, in the same year, it is evident that the transactions related in the preceding book must all have taken place in the space of one month, and during the time the Israelites were encamped at mount Sinai.

9:1; 10:11; Ex 40:17; 1Ki 6:1

Take ye the sum.This numbering was probably intended to illustrate the Divine faithfulness in thus increasing the seed of Abraham; to prepare them to preserve due order in their march; and to distinguish the tribes and families.

26:2-4,63,64; Ex 30:12; 38:26; 2Sa 24:1-3; 1Ch 21:1,2; 27:23,24

the children.

Ge 49:1-3; Ex 1:1-5

after.

18,22,26-54; Ex 6:14-19

twenty.

14:29; 32:11; Ex 30:14

able.

26:2; De 3:18; 24:5; 2Sa 24:9; 2Ch 17:13-18; 26:11-13

by their.

33:1; Ex 12:17

16; 2:3-31; 7:10-83; 10:14-27; 13:2-15; 17:3; 25:4,14; 34:18-28

Ex 18:25; Jos 22:14; 1Ch 27:1-22

Elizur.

2:10; 7:30; 10:18; Ge 29:32-35; 30:5-20; 35:17-26; 46:8-24; 49:1-33

Ex 1:2-5; De 33:1-29; Re 7:4-8

Shelumiel.

2:12; 7:36

Nahshon.

2:3; 7:12; 10:14; Ru 4:18; 1Ch 2:10,11; Mt 1:2-5; Lu 3:32

Naasson.

Nethaneel.

2:5; 7:18; 10:15

Eliab.

2:7; 7:24; 10:16

Elishama.

2:18; 7:48; 10:22; 1Ch 7:26,27

Gamaliel.

Abidan.

Ahiezer.

Pagiel.

Eliasaph.

Son of Reuel.

Deuel.As the [d,] {daleth} is very like the [r,] {resh,} they might be easily mistaken for each other; and hence this person being called both Dëuel and Rëuel, may be easily accounted for. The Septuagint and Syriac have Reuel, in this chapter; and in ch. 2:14, the Samaritan, Vulgate, and Arabic have Deuel, instead of Reuel, with which reading a vast number of MSS. concur, and which is also supported by ch. 7:42, 10:20. We may therefore safely conclude, the Dëuel, and not Rëuel, was the original reading.

Ahira.

2:29; 7:78; 10:27

the renowned.{Keruey häâidah,} literally "the called of the congregation," those who were summoned by name to attend.

2:3-31; 7:2,10-83; 10:14-27; 11:17; 16:2; 26:9; Jud 6:15

1Ch 27:16-22

heads.

4; Ex 18:21,25; De 1:15; 1Sa 22:7; 23:23; Mic 5:2

5-15; Joh 10:3; Re 7:4-17

their pedigrees.

Ezr 2:59; Ne 7:61; Heb 7:3,6; *margins

by the.

according.

20-54

from twenty.In this census no women were reckoned, nor children, nor minors, nor strangers, nor Levites, nor old men; which, collectively, must have formed an immense multitude; the Levites alone amounted to 22,300 men.

2; 26:1,2; 2Sa 24:1-10

2:10,11; 26:5-7; Ge 29:32; 46:9; 49:3,4; 1Ch 5:1 That a comparative view may be easily taken of the state of the tribes, we will here produce them, compared with that of the second census, (ch. 26,) in their decreasing proportion, beginning with the greatest and proceeding to the least. 1st Census 2nd Census 1. Judah, 74,600 76,500 2. Dan, 62,700 64,400 3. Simeon, 59,300 22,200 4. Zebulun, 57,400 60,500 5. Issachar, 54,400 64,300 6. Naphtali, 53,400 45,400 7. Reuben, 46,500 43,730 8. Gad, 45,650 40,500 9. Asher, 41,500 53,400 10. Ephraim, 40,500 32,500 11. Benjamin, 35,400 45,600 12. Manasseh, 32,200 52,700 _______ _______ Totals: 603,550 601,730 ------- ------- Thus we find Judah the most populous tribe, and Manasseh the least so; the difference between them being as great as 42,000. Jacob had given Judah the pre-eminence in his prophetic blessing; and that tribe was to have the precedency in the encampments of Israel: accordingly God had increased them more than any of their brethren. Ephraim and Manasseh, according to the same prophecy, were numbered as distinct tribes, Ephraim having the superiority, as it was foretold; and Joseph indeed appears "a fruitful bough."

2:10,11; 26:7

2:12,13; 26:12-14; Ge 29:33; 34:25-30; 42:24; 46:10; 49:5,6

2:13; 25:8,9,14; 26:14 The tribe of Gad marched, along with that of Simeon, under the standard of Reuben; and it seems, on that account, to have been introduced in this order. The other tribes also, are here classed together according to their encampments, and the order of their subsequent march.

2:14,15; 26:15-18; Ge 30:10,11; 46:16; 49:19

2:15; 26:18

2:3,4; 26:19-22; Ge 29:35; 46:12; 49:8-12; 2Sa 24:9; 1Ch 5:2

2Ch 17:14-16

2:3,4; 26:22; 2Sa 24:9; 2Ch 17:14-16

2:5,6; 23:23-25; Ge 30:18; 46:13; 49:14,15

2:6; 26:25

2:7,8; 26:26,27; Ge 30:20; 46:14; 49:13

2:8; 26:27

2:18,19; 26:35-37; Ge 30:24; 37:1-36; 39:1-23; 46:20; 48:1-22

Ge 49:22-26; De 33:17

the tribe.

Ge 48:5; De 33:17

were forty.

2:19; 26:37

2:21; 26:34; Ge 48:19,20

Ge 35:16-18; 44:20; 46:21; 49:27

2:23; 26:41; Jud 20:44-46; 2Ch 17:17

Ge 30:5,6; 46:23; 49:16,17

2:26; 26:43

Ge 30:12,13; 46:27; 49:20

2:28; 26:47

Naphtali.

Ge 30:7,8; 46:24; 49:21Respecting the manner in which this vast multitude sprang from 75 person, Scheuchzer has some valuable calculations, with the results of which we present the reader:-- 1. Judah. 7. Ruben. 1 Generation . . 25 1 Generation . . 31 2 . . . . . . . 238 2 . . . . . . . 215 3 . . . . . . . 3,865 3 . . . . . . . 2,583 4 . . . . . . . 70,735 4 . . . . . . . 43,917 ------ ------ Total of 3 and 4, 74,600 Total of 3 and 4, 46,500 2. Dan. 8. Gad. 1 Generation . . 11 1 Generation . . 67 2 . . . . . . . 132 2 . . . . . . . 475 3 . . . . . . . 2,508 3 . . . . . . . 3,804 4 . . . . . . . 60,192 4 . . . . . . . 41,846 ------ ------ Total of 3 and 4, 62,700 Total of 3 and 4, 45,650 3. Simeon. 9. Asher. 1 Generation . . 39 1 Generation . . 39 2 . . . . . . . 359 2 . . . . . . . 310 3 . . . . . . . 3,953 3 . . . . . . . 3,192 4 . . . . . . . 55,347 4 . . . . . . . 38,308 ------ ------ Total of 3 and 4, 59,300 Total of 3 and 4, 41,500 4. Zebulun. 10. Ephraim. 1 Generation . . 20 1 Generation . . 16 2 . . . . . . . 143 2 . . . . . . . 160 3 . . . . . . . 2,296 3 . . . . . . . 1,928 4 . . . . . . . 55,104 4 . . . . . . . 38,572 ------ ------ Total of 3 and 4, 57,400 Total of 3 and 4, 40,500 5. Issachar. 11. Benjamin. 1 Generation . . 27 1 Generation . . 98 2 . . . . . . . 251 2 . . . . . . . 885 3 . . . . . . . 3,022 3 . . . . . . . 4,425 4 . . . . . . . 51,378 4 . . . . . . . 30,975 ------ ------ Total of 3 and 4, 54,400 Total of 3 and 4, 35,400 6. Naphtali. 12. Manasseh. 1 Generation . . 26 1 Generation . . 10 2 . . . . . . . 296 2 . . . . . . . 134 3 . . . . . . . 3,560 3 . . . . . . . 1,610 4 . . . . . . . 49,840 4 . . . . . . . 30,590 ------ ------ Total of 3 and 4, 53,400 Total of 3 and 4, 32,200 13. Levi. 1 Generation . . 8 2 . . . . . . . 96 3 . . . . . . . 1,240 4 . . . . . . . 21,060 ------ Total of 3 and 4, 22,300

2:30; 26:50

2-16; 26:64

45 What an astonishing increase from seventy persons who went down into Egypt about 215 years before, where they had latterly endured the greatest hardships! Such was the effect of God's promise, which cannot fail.

2:32; 23:10; 26:51; Ge 12:2; 13:16; 15:5; 17:6; 22:17; 26:3; 28:14

Ge 46:3,4; Ex 12:37; 38:26; De 10:22; 1Ki 4:20; 2Sa 24:9; 1Ch 21:5

2Ch 13:3; 17:14-19; Heb 11:11,12; Re 7:4-9

3,50; 2:33; 3:1-51; 4:1-49; 8:1-26; 26:57-62; 1Ch 6:1-81; 21:6

2:33; 26:62

thou shalt.

3:1-10; 4:15,25-33; Ex 31:18; 32:26-29; 38:21; 1Ch 23:1-32

1Ch 25:1-26:32; Ezr 8:25-30,33,34; Ne 12:8,22,47; 13:5,10-13,22

the tabernacle.

53; 20:11; Ex 31:18; 38:21; Ps 122:4

shall encamp.

2:17; 3:23-38; 10:21