1 It happened after the plague, that Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying, 2 "Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers' houses, all who are able to go forth to war in Israel." 3 Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 4 "(Take a census of the people), from twenty years old and upward; as Yahweh commanded Moses and the children of Israel." These are those that came out of the land of Egypt. 5 Reuben, the firstborn of Israel; the sons of Reuben: (of) Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites; 6 of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites. 7 These are the families of the Reubenites; and those who were numbered of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred thirty. 8 The sons of Pallu: Eliab. 9 The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. These are that Dathan and Abiram, who were called of the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against Yahweh, 10 and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died; what time the fire devoured two hundred fifty men, and they became a sign. 11 Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah didn't die. 12 The sons of Simeon after their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites; 13 of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites. 14 These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand two hundred. 15 The sons of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites; 16 of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites; 17 of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites. 18 These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred. 19 The sons of Judah: Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. 20 The sons of Judah after their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites. 21 The sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites. 22 These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of them, seventy-six thousand five hundred. 23 The sons of Issachar after their families: (of) Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the family of the Punites; 24 of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites. 25 These are the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered of them, sixty-four thousand three hundred. 26 The sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Seredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites. 27 These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered of them, sixty thousand five hundred. 28 The sons of Joseph after their families: Manasseh and Ephraim. 29 The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir became the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites. 30 These are the sons of Gilead: (of) Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites; 31 and (of) Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and (of) Shechem, the family of the Shechemites; 32 and (of) Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and (of) Hepher, the family of the Hepherites. 33 Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34 These are the families of Manasseh; and those who were numbered of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred. 35 These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. 36 These are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites. 37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them, thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families. 38 The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites; 39 of Shephupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. 40 The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: (of Ard), the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites. 41 These are the sons of Benjamin after their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand six hundred. 42 These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families. 43 All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were numbered of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred. 44 The sons of Asher after their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Berites. 45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites. 46 The name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. 47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them, fifty-three thousand and four hundred. 48 The sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites; 49 of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites. 50 These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand four hundred. 51 These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred one thousand seven hundred thirty. 52 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 53 "To these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names. 54 To the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance: to everyone according to those who were numbered of him shall his inheritance be given. 55 Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. 56 According to the lot shall their inheritance be divided between the more and the fewer." 57 These are those who were numbered of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites. 58 These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites. Kohath became the father of Amram. 59 The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt: and she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister. 60 To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 61 Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before Yahweh. 62 Those who were numbered of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel. 63 These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. 64 But among these there was not a man of them who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. 65 For Yahweh had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. There was not left a man of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
The mustering of the tribes described in this chapter was immediately preparatory to the war against Midian, and to the invasion of Canaan wbich shortly followed. With a view also to an equitable allotment of the land to be conquered (compare Numbers 26:54) the numbers of the several tribes were taken according to their families.
Moses and Eleazar are commanded to take the sum of the Israelites, in the plains of Moab, Numbers 26:1-4. Reuben and his posterity, 43,730, Numbers 26:5-11. Simeon and his posterity, 22,200, Numbers 26:12-14. Gad and his posterity, 40,500, Numbers 26:15-18. Judah and his posterity, 76,500, Numbers 26:19-22. Issachar and his posterity, 64,300, Numbers 26:23-25. Zebulun and his posterity, 60,500, Numbers 26:26, Numbers 26:27. Manasseh and his posterity, 52,700, Numbers 26:28-34. Ephraim and his posterity, 32,500, Numbers 26:35-37. Benjamin and his posterity, 45,600, Numbers 26:38-41. Daniel and his posterity, 64,400, Numbers 26:42, Numbers 26:43. Asher and his posterity, 53,400, Numbers 26:44-47. Naphtali and his posterity, 45,400, Numbers 26:48-50. Total amount of the twelve tribes, 601,730, Numbers 26:51. The land is to be divided by lot, and how, Numbers 26:52-56. The Levites and their families, Numbers 26:57, Numbers 26:58. Their genealogy, Numbers 26:59-61. Their number, Numbers 26:23,000, Numbers 26:62. In this census or enumeration not one man was found, save Joshua and Caleb, of all who had been reckoned 38 years before, the rest having died in the wilderness, Numbers 26:63-65.
INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 26
In this chapter an order is given to number the people of Israel a second time, Numbers 26:1 and the account begins with Reuben, the firstborn, and the families that sprung from him, and the number of them, Numbers 26:5 and Dathan and Abiram being of this tribe, the affair of them and Korah is afresh related, Numbers 26:8, then the tribe of Simeon, its families and number, Numbers 26:12, next the tribe of Gad, and their families and number, Numbers 26:15, after that the tribe of Judah, its families and number, Numbers 26:19 then follows the tribe of Issachar, its families and number, Numbers 26:23, next to that the tribe of Zebulun, its families and number, Numbers 26:26 then the sons of Joseph, and first Manasseh, his families and number, Numbers 26:28 and then the tribe of Ephraim, its families and number, Numbers 26:35, after that the tribe of Benjamin, its families and number, Numbers 26:38 next the tribe of Daniel, its families and number, Numbers 26:42 and which is followed by the tribe of Asher, its families and number, Numbers 26:44, and the muster is closed with the tribe of Naphtali, its families and number, Numbers 26:48, and the sum total of all the numbers is given, Numbers 26:51 and then follows another order to divide the land of Canaan by lot, when conquered, to the several tribes, according to their names and number, Numbers 26:52 and an account is given of the number of the Levites and their families, their number being taken not with the other tribes, but by themselves, and which is summed up, Numbers 26:57 and the chapter is concluded with observing, that it appeared upon this numbering of the people, that there were but two persons living of those that were first numbered among the children of Israel, Numbers 26:63.
(v. 1-51) Numbering of Israel in the plains of Moab.
(Numbers 26:52-56) The division of the land.
(Numbers 26:57-62) Number of the Levites.
(Numbers 26:63-65) None remaining of the first numbering.
Mustering of Israel in the Steppes of Moab - Numbers 26
Before taking vengeance upon the Midianites, as they had been commanded, the Israelites were to be mustered as the army of Jehovah, by means of a fresh numbering, since the generation that was mustered at Sinai (ch. 1-4) had died out in the wilderness, with the sole exception of Caleb and Joshua (Numbers 26:64, Numbers 26:65). On this ground the command of God was issued, "after the plague,"' for a fresh census and muster. For with the plague the last of those who came out of Egypt, and were not to enter Canaan, had been swept away, and thus the sentence had been completely executed. - The object of the fresh numbering, however, was not merely to muster Israel for the war with the Midianites, and in the approaching conquest of the promised land with the Canaanites also, but was intended to serve at the same time as a preparation for their settlement in Canaan, viz., for the division of the conquered land among the tribes and families of Israel. For this reason (Numbers 26) the families of the different tribes are enumerated here, which was not the case in ch. 1; and generally instructions are also given in Numbers 1:52 -56, with reference to the division of Canaan. - The numbering was simply extended, as before, to the male population of the age of 20 years and upwards, and was no doubt carried out, like the previous census at Sinai, by Moses and the high priest (Eleazar), with the assistance of the heads of the tribes, although the latter are not expressly mentioned here. - The names of the families correspond, - with very few exceptions, - to the grandsons and great-grandsons of Jacob mentioned in Genesis 46. - With regard to the total number of the people, and the number of the different tribes.
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