52 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 shall pitch their tents, H2583 every man H376 by his own camp, H4264 and every man H376 by his own standard, H1714 throughout their hosts. H6635
And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559 Make H6213 thee two H8147 trumpets H2689 of silver; H3701 of a whole piece H4749 shalt thou make H6213 them: that thou mayest use H1961 them for the calling H4744 of the assembly, H5712 and for the journeying H4550 of the camps. H4264 And when they shall blow H8628 with them, H2004 all the assembly H5712 shall assemble H3259 themselves to thee at the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150 And if they blow H8628 but with one H259 trumpet, then the princes, H5387 which are heads H7218 of the thousands H505 of Israel, H3478 shall gather H3259 themselves unto thee. When ye blow H8628 an alarm, H8643 then the camps H4264 that lie H2583 on the east parts H6924 shall go forward. H5265 When ye blow H8628 an alarm H8643 the second time, H8145 then the camps H4264 that lie H2583 on the south side H8486 shall take their journey: H5265 they shall blow H8628 an alarm H8643 for their journeys. H4550 But when the congregation H6951 is to be gathered together, H6950 ye shall blow, H8628 but ye shall not sound an alarm. H7321 And the sons H1121 of Aaron, H175 the priests, H3548 shall blow H8628 with the trumpets; H2689 and they shall be to you for an ordinance H2708 for ever H5769 throughout your generations. H1755 And if ye go H935 to war H4421 in your land H776 against H6862 the enemy that oppresseth H6887 you, then ye shall blow an alarm H7321 with the trumpets; H2689 and ye shall be remembered H2142 before H6440 the LORD H3068 your God, H430 and ye shall be saved H3467 from your enemies. H341 Also in the day H3117 of your gladness, H8057 and in your solemn days, H4150 and in the beginnings H7218 of your months, H2320 ye shall blow H8628 with the trumpets H2689 over your burnt offerings, H5930 and over the sacrifices H2077 of your peace offerings; H8002 that they may be to you for a memorial H2146 before H6440 your God: H430 I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430 And it came to pass on the twentieth H6242 day of the second H8145 month, H2320 in the second H8145 year, H8141 that the cloud H6051 was taken up H5927 from off the tabernacle H4908 of the testimony. H5715 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 took H5265 their journeys H4550 out of the wilderness H4057 of Sinai; H5514 and the cloud H6051 rested H7931 in the wilderness H4057 of Paran. H6290 And they first H7223 took their journey H5265 according to the commandment H6310 of the LORD H3068 by the hand H3027 of Moses. H4872 In the first H7223 place went H5265 the standard H1714 of the camp H4264 of the children H1121 of Judah H3063 according to their armies: H6635 and over his host was Nahshon H5177 the son H1121 of Amminadab. H5992 And over the host H6635 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Issachar H3485 was Nethaneel H5417 the son H1121 of Zuar. H6686 And over the host H6635 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Zebulun H2074 was Eliab H446 the son H1121 of Helon. H2497 And the tabernacle H4908 was taken down; H3381 and the sons H1121 of Gershon H1648 and the sons H1121 of Merari H4847 set forward, H5265 bearing H5375 the tabernacle. H4908 And the standard H1714 of the camp H4264 of Reuben H7205 set forward H5265 according to their armies: H6635 and over his host H6635 was Elizur H468 the son H1121 of Shedeur. H7707 And over the host H6635 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Simeon H8095 was Shelumiel H8017 the son H1121 of Zurishaddai. H6701 And over the host H6635 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Gad H1410 was Eliasaph H460 the son H1121 of Deuel. H1845 And the Kohathites H6956 set forward, H5265 bearing H5375 the sanctuary: H4720 and the other did set up H6965 the tabernacle H4908 against they came. H935 And the standard H1714 of the camp H4264 of the children H1121 of Ephraim H669 set forward H5265 according to their armies: H6635 and over his host H6635 was Elishama H476 the son H1121 of Ammihud. H5989 And over the host H6635 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Manasseh H4519 was Gamaliel H1583 the son H1121 of Pedahzur. H6301 And over the host H6635 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Benjamin H1144 was Abidan H27 the son H1121 of Gideoni. H1441 And the standard H1714 of the camp H4264 of the children H1121 of Dan H1835 set forward, H5265 which was the rereward H622 of all the camps H4264 throughout their hosts: H6635 and over his host H6635 was Ahiezer H295 the son H1121 of Ammishaddai. H5996 And over the host H6635 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Asher H836 was Pagiel H6295 the son H1121 of Ocran. H5918 And over the host H6635 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Naphtali H5321 was Ahira H299 the son H1121 of Enan. H5881 Thus were H428 the journeyings H4550 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 according to their armies, H6635 when they set forward. H5265 And Moses H4872 said H559 unto Hobab, H2246 the son H1121 of Raguel H7467 the Midianite, H4084 Moses' H4872 father in law, H2859 We are journeying H5265 unto the place H4725 of which the LORD H3068 said, H559 I will give H5414 it you: come H3212 thou with us, and we will do thee good: H2895 for the LORD H3068 hath spoken H1696 good H2896 concerning Israel. H3478 And he said H559 unto him, I will not go; H3212 but I will depart H3212 to mine own land, H776 and to my kindred. H4138 And he said, H559 Leave H5800 us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest H3651 H3045 how we are to encamp H2583 in the wilderness, H4057 and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes. H5869 And it shall be, if thou go H3212 with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness H2896 the LORD H3068 shall do H3190 unto us, the same will we do H2895 unto thee. And they departed H5265 from the mount H2022 of the LORD H3068 three H7969 days' H3117 journey: H1870 and the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of the LORD H3068 went H5265 before H6440 them in the three H7969 days' H3117 journey, H1870 to search out H8446 a resting place H4496 for them. And the cloud H6051 of the LORD H3068 was upon them by day, H3119 when they went out H5265 of the camp. H4264 And it came to pass, when the ark H727 set forward, H5265 that Moses H4872 said, H559 Rise up, H6965 LORD, H3068 and let thine enemies H341 be scattered; H6327 and let them that hate H8130 thee flee H5127 before H6440 thee. And when it rested, H5117 he said, H559 Return, H7725 O LORD, H3068 unto the many H7233 thousands H505 of Israel. H3478
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 1
Commentary on Numbers 1 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 1
Nu 1:1-54. Moses Numbering the Men of War.
1, 2. on the first day of the second month, &c.—Thirteen months had elapsed since the exodus. About one month had been occupied in the journey; and the rest of the period had been passed in encampment among the recesses of Sinai, where the transactions took place, and the laws, religious and civil, were promulgated, which are contained in the two preceding books. As the tabernacle was erected on the first day of the first month, and the order here mentioned was given on the first day of the second, some think the laws in Leviticus were all given in one month. The Israelites having been formed into a separate nation, under the special government of God as their King, it was necessary, before resuming their march towards the promised land, to put them into good order. And accordingly Moses was commissioned, along with Aaron, to take a census of the people. This census was incidentally noticed (Ex 38:26), in reference to the poll tax for the works of the tabernacle; but it is here described in detail, in order to show the relative increase and military strength of the different tribes. The enumeration was confined to those capable of bearing arms [Nu 1:3], and it was to be made with a careful distinction of the tribe, family, and household to which every individual belonged. By this rule of summation many important advantages were secured: an exact genealogical register was formed, the relative strength of each tribe was ascertained, and the reason found for arranging the order of precedence in march as well as disposing the different tribes in camp around the tabernacle. The promise of God to Abraham [Ge 22:17] was seen to be fulfilled in the extraordinary increase of his posterity, and provision made for tracing the regular descent of the Messiah.
3. Aaron shall number them by their armies—or companies. In their departure from Egypt they were divided into five grand companies (Ex 13:18), but from the sojourn in the wilderness to the passage of the Jordan, they were formed into four great divisions. The latter is here referred to.
4-16. with you there shall be a man of every tribe, &c.—The social condition of the Israelites in the wilderness bore a close resemblance to that of the nomad tribes of the East in the present day. The head of the tribe was a hereditary dignity, vested in the oldest son or some other to whom the right of primogeniture was transferred, and under whom were other inferior heads, also hereditary, among the different branches of the tribe. The Israelites being divided into twelve tribes, there were twelve chiefs appointed to assist in taking the census of the people.
5. these are the names of the men that shall stand with you, &c.—Each is designated by adding the name of the ancestors of his tribe, the people of which were called "Beni-Reuben," "Beni-Levi," sons of Reuben, sons of Levi, according to the custom of the Arabs still, as well as other nations which are divided into clans, as the Macs of Scotland, the Aps of Wales, and the O's and the Fitzes of Ireland [Chalmers].
16-18. These were the renowned—literally, "the called" of the congregation, summoned by name; and they entered upon the survey the very day the order was given.
18. by their polls—individually, one by one.
19. As the Lord commanded Moses, &c.—The numbering of the people was not an act sinful in itself, as Moses did it by divine appointment; but David incurred guilt by doing it without the authority of God. (See on 2Sa 24:10).
20-44. These are those that were numbered—In this registration the tribe of Judah appears the most numerous; and accordingly, as the pre-eminence had been assigned to it by Jacob [Ge 49:8-12], it got the precedence in all the encampments of Israel. Of the two half-tribes of Joseph, who is seen to be "a fruitful bough" [Ge 49:22], that of Ephraim was the larger, as had been predicted. The relative increase of all, as in the two just mentioned, was owing to the special blessing of God, conformably to the prophetic declaration of the dying patriarch. But the divine blessing is usually conveyed through the influence of secondary causes; and there is reason to believe that the relative populousness of the tribes would, under God, depend upon the productiveness of the respective localities assigned to them. [For tabular chart, see on Nu 26:64.]
45, 46. all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand, &c.—What an astonishing increase from seventy-five persons who went down to Egypt about two hundred fifteen years before [see on Ge 46:8], and who were subjected to the greatest privations and hardships! And yet this enumeration was restricted to men from twenty years and upwards [Nu 1:3]. Including women, children, and old men, together with the Levites, the whole population of Israel, on the ordinary principles of computation, amounted to about 2,400,000.
47-54. But the Levites … were not numbered among them—They were obliged to keep a register of their own. They were consecrated to the priestly office, which in all countries has been exempted customarily, and in Israel by the express authority of God, from military service. The custody of the things devoted to the divine service was assigned to them so exclusively, that "no stranger"—that is, no person, not even an Israelite of any other tribe, was allowed, under penalty of death, to approach these [Nu 16:40]. Hence they encamped round the tabernacle in order that there should be no manifestation of the divine displeasure among the people. Thus the numbering of the people was subservient to the separation of the Levites from those Israelites who were fit for military service, and to the practical introduction of the law respecting the first-born, for whom the tribe of Levi became a substitute [Ex 13:2; Nu 3:12].