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1 And the Lord spake vnto Moses in the wildernesse of Sinai, in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, on the first day of the second moneth, in the second yeere, after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
2 Take yee the summe of all the Congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, euery male by their polle:
3 From twentie yeeres old and vpward, all that are able to goe foorth to warre in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
4 And with you there shalbe a man of euery Tribe: euery one head of the house of his fathers.
5 ¶ And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben, Elizur the sonne of Shedeur.
6 Of Simeon: Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
7 Of Iudah: Nahshon, the sonne of Amminadab.
8 Of Issachar: Nethaneel, the sonne of Zuar.
9 Of Zebulun: Eliab the sonne of Helon.
10 Of the children of Ioseph: of Ephraim, Elishama the sonne of Ammihud: of Manasseh, Gamaliel the sonne of Pedahzur.
11 Of Beniamin: Abidan, the sonne of Gideoni.
12 Of Dan: Ahiezer, the sonne of Ammishaddai.
13 Of Asher: Pagiel the sonne of Ocran.
14 Of Gad: Eliasaph, the sonne of Deuel.
15 Of Naphthali: Ahira the sonne 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 tooke these men, which are expressed by their names.
18 And they assembled all the Congregation together on the first day of the second moneth, and they declared their pedegrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty yeres old and vpward by their polle.
19 As the Lord commaunded Moses, so he numbred them in the wildernesse of Sinai.
20 And the children of Reuben Israels eldest sonne, by their generations after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polle, euery male from twenty yeeres old and vpward, all that were able to go forth to warre:
21 Those that were numbred of them, euen of the tribe of Reuben, were fourty and sixe thousand and fiue hundred.
22 ¶ Of the children of Simeon by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbred of them, according to the number of the names, by their polles, euery male from twenty yeeres old and vpward, all that were able to goe foorth to warre:
23 Those that were numbred of them, euen of the tribe of Simeon, were fiftie 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 yeeres old and vpward, all that were able to goe foorth to warre:
25 Those that were numbred of them, euen of the tribe of Gad, were fourty and fiue thousand, sixe hundred and fiftie.
26 ¶ Of the children of Iudah by their generations, after their families by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty yeeres old and vpward, all that were able to goe foorth to warre:
27 Those that were numbred of them, euen of the tribe of Iudah, were threescore and fourteene thousand, and sixe 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 yeres old and vpward, all that were able to goe foorth to warre:
29 Those that were numbred of them, euen of the tribe of Issachar, were fiftie and foure thousand, and foure 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 yeres old and vpward, all that were able to goe foorth to warre:
31 Those that were numbred of them, euen of the tribe of Zebulun, were fiftie and seuen thousand and foure hundred.
32 ¶ Of the children of Ioseph; 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 yeres old and vpward, all that were able to goe foorth to warre:
33 Those that were numbred of them, euen of the tribe of Ephraim, were fourty thousand and fiue 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 yeeres old and vpward, all that were able to go forth to warre:
35 Those that were numbred of them, euen of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty and two thousand, and two hundred.
36 ¶ Of the children of Beniamin, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names from twenty yeeres old and vpward, all that were able to goe foorth to warre:
37 Those that were numbred of them, euen of the tribe of Beniamin, were thirtie and fiue thousand, and foure 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 twentie yeeres old and vpward, all that were able to goe forth to warre:
39 Those that were numbred of them, euen of the tribe of Dan, were threescore and two thousand, and seuen 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 twentie yeres old and vpward, all that were able to goe forth to warre:
41 Those that were numbred of them, euen of the tribe of Asher, were fourtie and one thousand, and fiue 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 twentie yeeres olde and vpward, all that were able to goe forth to warre:
43 Those that were numbred of them, euen of the tribe of Naphtali, were fiftie and three thousand, and foure hundred.
44 These are those that were numbred, which Moses and Aaron numbred, and the Princes of Israel, being twelue men: each one was for the house of his fathers.
45 So were all those that were numbred of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from twenty yeeres old and vpward, all that were able to goe forth to warre in Israel:
46 Euen all they, that were numbred, were sixe hundred thousand, and three thousand, and fiue hundred and fiftie.
47 ¶ But the Leuites after the tribe of their fathers, were not numbred among them.
48 For the Lord had spoken vnto Moses, saying,
49 Onely thou shalt not number the tribe of Leui, neither take the summe of them among the children of Israel.
50 But thou shalt appoint the Leuites ouer the Tabernacle of Testimonie, and ouer all the vessels thereof, and ouer all things that belong to it: they shall beare the Tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof, and they shall minister vnto it, and shall encampe round about the Tabernacle.
51 And when the Tabernacle setteth forward, the Leuites shall take it downe: and when the Tabernacle is to be pitched, the Leuites shall set it vp: and the stranger that commeth nigh, shall be put to death.
52 And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents euery man by his own campe, and euery man by his owne standerd, throughout their hostes.
53 But the Leuites shall pitch round about the Tabernacle of Testimonie, that there be no wrath vpon the Congregation of the children of Israel: and the Leuites shall keepe the charge of the Tabernacle of Testimonie.
54 And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did they.
This book is called NUMBERS from the several numberings of the people contained in it. It extends from the giving of the law at Sinai, till their arrival in the plains of Jordan. An account is given of their murmuring and unbelief, for which they were sentenced to wander in the wilderness nearly forty years; also some laws, both, moral and ceremonial. Their trials greatly tended to distinguish the wicked and hypocrites from the faithful and true servants of God, who served him with a pure heart.The numbering of the Israelites. (1-43) The number of the people. (44-46) The Levites not numbered with the rest. (47-54)1-43 The people were numbered to show God's faithfulness in thus increasing the seed of Jacob, that they might be the better trained for the wars and conquest of Canaan, and to ascertain their families in order to the division of the land. It is said of each tribe, that those were numbered who were able to go forth to war; they had wars before them, though now they met with no opposition. Let the believer be prepared to withstand the enemies of his soul, though all may appear to be peace.
44-46 We have here the sum total. How much was required to maintain all these in the wilderness! They were all provided for by God every day. When we observe the faithfulness of God, however unlikely the performance of his promise may appear, we may take courage as to those which yet remain to be fulfilled to the church of God.
47-54 Care is here taken to distinguish the tribe of Levi, which, in the matter of the golden calf, had distinguished itself. Singular services shall be recompensed by singular honours. It was to the honour of the Levites, that to them was committed the care of the tabernacle and its treasures, in their camps and in their marches. It was for the honour of the holy things that none should see them, or touch them, but those who were called of God to the service. We all are unfit and unworthy to have fellowship with God, till called by his grace into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and so, being the spiritual seed of that great High Priest, we are made priests to our God. Great care must be taken to prevent sin, for preventing sin is preventing wrath. Being a holy tribe, they were not reckoned among other Israelites. They that minister about holy things, should neither entangle themselves, nor be entangled, in worldly affairs. And let every believer seek to do what the Lord has commanded.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.