53 But the Levites H3881 shall pitch H2583 round about H5439 the tabernacle H4908 of testimony, H5715 that there be no wrath H7110 upon the congregation H5712 of the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 and the Levites H3881 shall keep H8104 the charge H4931 of the tabernacle H4908 of testimony. H5715
And they shall keep H8104 his charge, H4931 and the charge H4931 of the whole congregation H5712 before H6440 the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 to do H5647 the service H5656 of the tabernacle. H4908 And they shall keep H8104 all the instruments H3627 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 and the charge H4931 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 to do H5647 the service H5656 of the tabernacle. H4908
Till G2193 I come, G2064 give attendance G4337 to reading, G320 to exhortation, G3874 to doctrine. G1319 Neglect G272 not G3361 the gift G5486 that is in G1722 thee, G4671 which G3739 was given G1325 thee G4671 by G1223 prophecy, G4394 with G3326 the laying on G1936 of the hands G5495 of the presbytery. G4244 Meditate upon G3191 these things; G5023 give thyself G2468 wholly to G1722 them; G5125 that G2443 thy G4675 profiting G4297 may G5600 appear G5318 to G1722 all. G3956 Take heed G1907 unto thyself, G4572 and G2532 unto the doctrine; G1319 continue G1961 in them: G846 for G1063 in doing G4160 this G5124 thou shalt G4982 both G2532 save G4982 thyself, G4572 and G2532 them that hear G191 thee. G4675
Take heed G4337 therefore G3767 unto yourselves, G1438 and G2532 to all G3956 the flock, G4168 over G1722 the which G3739 the Holy G40 Ghost G4151 hath made G5087 you G5209 overseers, G1985 to feed G4165 the church G1577 of God, G2316 which G3739 he hath purchased G4046 with G1223 his own G2398 blood. G129 For G1063 I G1473 know G1492 this, G5124 that G3754 after G3326 my G3450 departing G867 shall grievous G926 wolves G3074 enter in G1525 among G1519 you, G5209 not G3361 sparing G5339 the flock. G4168 Also G2532 of G1537 your G5216 own selves G846 shall G450 men G435 arise, G450 speaking G2980 perverse things, G1294 to draw away G645 disciples G3101 after G3694 them. G846 Therefore G1352 watch, G1127 and remember, G3421 that G3754 by the space of three years G5148 I ceased G3973 not G3756 to warn G3560 every G1538 one G1520 night G3571 and G2532 day G2250 with G3326 tears. G1144
And thy brethren H251 also of the tribe H4294 of Levi, H3878 the tribe H7626 of thy father, H1 bring H7126 thou with thee, that they may be joined H3867 unto thee, and minister H8334 unto thee: but thou and thy sons H1121 with thee shall minister before H6440 the tabernacle H168 of witness. H5715 And they shall keep H8104 thy charge, H4931 and the charge H4931 of all the tabernacle: H168 only they shall not come nigh H7126 the vessels H3627 of the sanctuary H6944 and the altar, H4196 that neither they, nor ye also, die. H4191 And they shall be joined H3867 unto thee, and keep H8104 the charge H4931 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 for all the service H5656 of the tabernacle: H168 and a stranger H2114 shall not come nigh H7126 unto you. And ye shall keep H8104 the charge H4931 of the sanctuary, H6944 and the charge H4931 of the altar: H4196 that there be no wrath H7110 any more upon the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: H3881 from twenty H6242 and five H2568 years H8141 old H1121 and upward H4605 they shall go in H935 to wait H6633 H6635 upon the service H5656 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation: H4150 And from the age H1121 of fifty H2572 years H8141 they shall cease H7725 waiting H6635 upon the service H5656 thereof, and shall serve H5647 no more: But shall minister H8334 with their brethren H251 in the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 to keep H8104 the charge, H4931 and shall do H5647 no service. H5656 Thus shalt thou do H6213 unto the Levites H3881 touching their charge. H4931
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].