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Texts -- Numbers 1:1-46 (NET)

Context
Organizing the Census of the Israelites
1:1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the wilderness of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites departed from the land of Egypt . He said : 1:2 “Take a census of the entire Israelite community by their clans and families , counting the name of every individual male . 1:3 You and Aaron are to number all in Israel who can serve in the army , those who are twenty years old or older , by their divisions . 1:4 And to help you there is to be a man from each tribe , each man the head of his family . 1:5 Now these are the names of the men who are to help you: from Reuben , Elizur son of Shedeur ; 1:6 from Simeon , Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai ; 1:7 from Judah , Nahshon son of Amminadab ; 1:8 from Issachar , Nethanel son of Zuar ; 1:9 from Zebulun , Eliab son of Helon ; 1:10 from the sons of Joseph : from Ephraim , Elishama son of Ammihud ; from Manasseh , Gamaliel son of Pedahzur ; 1:11 from Benjamin , Abidan son of Gideoni ; 1:12 from Dan , Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai ; 1:13 from Asher , Pagiel son of Ocran ; 1:14 from Gad , Eliasaph son of Deuel ; 1:15 from Naphtali , Ahira son of Enan .”
The Census of the Tribes
1:16 These were the ones chosen from the community , leaders of their ancestral tribes . They were the heads of the thousands of Israel . 1:17 So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been mentioned specifically by name , 1:18 and they assembled the entire community together on the first day of the second month . Then the people recorded their ancestry by their clans and families , and the men who were twenty years old or older were listed by name individually , 1:19 just as the Lord had commanded Moses . And so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai . 1:20 And they were as follows : The descendants of Reuben , the firstborn son of Israel : According to the records of their clans and families , all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name individually . 1:21 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Reuben were 46,500 . 1:22 From the descendants of Simeon : According to the records of their clans and families , all the males numbered of them twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name individually . 1:23 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Simeon were 59,300 . 1:24 From the descendants of Gad : According to the records of their clans and families , all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name . 1:25 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Gad were 45,650 . 1:26 From the descendants of Judah : According to the records of their clans and families , all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name . 1:27 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Judah were 74,600 . 1:28 From the descendants of Issachar : According to the records of their clans and families , all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name . 1:29 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Issachar were 54,400 . 1:30 From the descendants of Zebulun : According to the records of their clans and families , all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name . 1:31 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400 . 1:32 From the sons of Joseph : From the descendants of Ephraim : According to the records of their clans and families , all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name . 1:33 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500 . 1:34 From the descendants of Manasseh : According to the records of their clans and families , all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name . 1:35 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200 . 1:36 From the descendants of Benjamin : According to the records of their clans and families , all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name . 1:37 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400 . 1:38 From the descendants of Dan : According to the records of their clans and families , all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name . 1:39 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Dan were 62,700 . 1:40 From the descendants of Asher : According to the records of their clans and families , all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name . 1:41 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Asher were 41,500 . 1:42 From the descendants of Naphtali : According to the records of their clans and families , all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name . 1:43 Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400 . 1:44 These were the men whom Moses and Aaron numbered along with the twelve leaders of Israel , each of whom was from his own family . 1:45 All the Israelites who were twenty years old or older , who could serve in Israel’s army , were numbered according to their families . 1:46 And all those numbered totaled 603,550 .

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • PENTATEUCH, 2A

    [isbe] PENTATEUCH, 2A - II. Authorship, Composition, Date. 1. The Current Critical Scheme: The view that Moses was the author of the Pentateuch, with the exception of the concluding verses of Deuteronomy, was once held universally....

  • Soldiers

    [nave] SOLDIERS Military enrollment of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai, Num. 1; 2; in the plains of Moab, Num. 26. Levies of, in the ratio of one man to ten subject to duty, Judg. 20:10. Dressed in scarlet, Nah. 2:3. Cowards e...

  • Census

    [nave] CENSUS Numbering of Israel by Moses, Ex. 38:26; Num. 1; 3:14-43; 26; by David, 2 Sam. 24:1-9; 1 Chr. 21:1-8; 27:24. A poll tax to be levied at each, Ex. 30:12-16; 38:26. of citizens, Isa. 4:3. Of the Roman Empire, by Caes...

  • LAW IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

    [isbe] LAW IN THE OLD TESTAMENT - || I. TERMS USED 1. Torah ("Law") 2. Synonyms of Torah (1) Mitswah ("Command") (2) `Edhah ("Witness," "Testimony") (3) MishpaTim ("Judgments") (4) Chuqqim ("Statutes") (5) Piqqudhim ("Precepts") II...

  • GENEALOGY, 8 part 1

    [isbe] GENEALOGY, 8 part 1 - 8. Principal Genealogies and Lists: In the early genealogies the particular strata to which each has been assigned by reconstructive critics is here indicated by J, the Priestly Code (P), etc. The signs...

  • ISRAEL, HISTORY OF, 1

    [isbe] ISRAEL, HISTORY OF, 1 - INTRODUCTORY 1. Sources (1) The Old Testament (2) Josephus (3) The Monuments 2. Religious Character of the History I. ORIGINS OF ISRAEL IN PRE-MOSAIC TIMES 1. Original Home 2. Ethnographical Origin 3....

  • EXODUS, THE BOOK OF, 3-4

    [isbe] EXODUS, THE BOOK OF, 3-4 - III. Historical Character. 1. General Consideration: The fact that extra-Israelitish and especially Egyptian sources that can lay claim to historical value have reported nothing authentic concernin...

  • PENTATEUCH, 2B

    [isbe] PENTATEUCH, 2B - 3. Answer to the Critical Analysis: (1) The Veto of Textual Criticism. The first great objection that may be made to the higher criticism is that it starts from the Massoretic text (MT) without investigation...

  • Palestine

    [ebd] originally denoted only the sea-coast of the land of Canaan inhabited by the Philistines (Ex. 15:14; Isa. 14:29, 31; Joel 3:4), and in this sense exclusively the Hebrew name Pelesheth (rendered "Philistia" in Ps. 60:8; 83:7;...

  • NUMBER

    [isbe] NUMBER - num'-ber: I. NUMBER AND ARITHMETIC II. NOTATION OF NUMBERS 1. By Words 2. By Signs 3. By Letters III. NUMBERS IN OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY IV. ROUND NUMBERS V. SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS 1. Seven and Its Multiples (1) Ritual U...

  • CHILDREN OF ISRAEL

    [isbe] CHILDREN OF ISRAEL - iz'-ra-el (bene yisra'el): A very common term in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, and it refers to the Israelites as the descendants of a common ancestor, Jacob, whose name was changed to Is...

  • Government

    [nave] GOVERNMENT Paternal functions of, Gen. 41:25-57. Civil service school provided by, Dan. 1:3-20. Maintains a system of public instruction, 2 Chr. 17:7-9. Executive departments in. See: Cabinet; King; Ruler; Statecraft. Ju...

  • REUBEN

    [isbe] REUBEN - roo'-ben, ru'-ben (re'ubhen; Rhouben): The eldest son of Jacob, born to him by Leah in Paddan-aram (Gen 29:32). 1. Jacob's Oldest Son: This verse seems to suggest two derivations of the name. As it stands in Massore...
    [smith] (behold a son), Jacob?s firstborn Child, (Genesis 29:32) the son of Leah. (B.C. 1753.) The notices of the patriarch Reuben give, on the whole a favorable view of his disposition. To him and him alone the preservation of Josep...

  • Ammihud

    [ebd] people of glory; i.e., "renowned." (1.) The father of the Ephraimite chief Elishama, at the time of the Exodus (Num. 1:10; 2:18; 7:48, 53). (2.) Num. 34:20. (3.) Num. 34:28. (4.) The father of Talmai, king of Geshur, to whom...
    [isbe] AMMIHUD - a-mi'-hud (`ammihudh, "my kinsman is glorious"; variously in the Septuagint, Emioud or Semioud or Amioud): The name of several Old Testament persons. (1) Father of Elishama, who in the wilderness was head of the tr...
    [smith] (people of praise). An Ephraimite father of Elishama, the chief of the tribe at the time of the Exodus. (Numbers 1:10; 2:18; 7:48,53; 10:22; 7:26) and, through him, ancestor of Joshua. (B.C. 1491.) A Simeonite, father of She...
    [nave] AMMIHUD 1. Son of Laadan, 1 Chr. 7:26, and father of Elishama, Num. 1:10; 2:18. 2. Father of Shemuel, Num. 34:20. 3. Father of Pedahel, Num. 34:28. 4. Father of the king of Geshur, 2 Sam. 13:37. 5. Son of Omri, 1 Chr. 9:...

  • Ahira

    [ebd] brother of evil = unlucky, or my brother is friend, chief of the tribe of Naphtali at the Exodus (Num. 1:15; 2:29).
    [isbe] AHIRA - a-hi'-ra ('achira`, "brother of evil," or, "my brother is evil"): A man of Naphtali, contemporary with Moses. He is five times mentioned as the son of Enan. He was the representative of his tribe who assisted Moses i...
    [smith] (brother of evil , i.e. unlucky), Chief of the tribe of Naphtali. (Numbers 1:15; 2:29; 7:78,83; 10:27)
    [nave] AHIRA, captain of the tribe of Naphtali, Num. 1:15; 2:29; 7:78-83; 10:27.

  • Elishama

    [ebd] whom God hears. (1.) A prince of Benjamin, grandfather of Joshua (Num. 1:10; 1 Chr. 7:26). (2.) One of David's sons (2 Sam. 5:16). (3.) Another of David's sons (1 Chr. 3:6). (4.) A priest sent by Jehoshaphat to teach the peo...
    [isbe] ELISHAMA - e-lish'-a-ma ('elishama`, "God has heard"): (1) Grandfather of Joshua and son of Ammihud; prince of the tribe of Ephraim in the Exodus (Nu 1:10; 7:48,53; 1 Ch 7:26). (2) A son of David, born in Jerusalem (2 Sam 5:...
    [smith] (whom God hears). The "prince" or "captain" of the tribe of Ephraim in the wilderness of Sinai. (Numbers 1:10; 2:18; 7:48; 10:22) (B.C. 1491.) From (1 Chronicles 7:26) we find that he was grandfather to the great Joshua. ...
    [nave] ELISHAMA 1. Grandfather of Joshua, Num. 1:10; 2:18; 7:48, 53; 10:22; 1 Chr. 7:26. 2. A son of David, 2 Sam. 5:16; 1 Chr. 3:8; 14:7. 3. Another son of David, elsewhere called Elishua, which see, 1 Chr. 3:6. 4. A descendant...

  • Eliab

    [ebd] to whom God is father. (1.) A Reubenite, son of Pallu (Num. 16:1, 12; 26:8, 9; Deut. 11:6). (2.) A son of Helon, and chief of the tribe of Zebulun at the time of the census in the wilderness (Num. 1:9; 2:7). (3.) The son of ...
    [isbe] ELIAB - e-li'-ab ('eli'abh, "God is father"): (1) Prince of the tribe of Zebulun in the Exodus (Nu 1:9; 2:7; 7:24,29; 10:16). (2) A Reubenite, father of Dathan and Abiram (Nu 16:11,12; 26:8 f; Dt 11:6). (3) Eldest son of Jes...
    [smith] (God is my father). Son of Helon and leader of the tribe of Zebulun at the time of the census in the wilderness of Sinai. (Numbers 1:9; 2:7; 7:24,29; 10:16) (B.C. 1490.) A Reubenite, father of Dathan and Abiram. (Numbers 16:...
    [nave] ELIAB 1. A Reubenite, progenitor of Dathan and Abiram, Num. 26:8, 9; 16:1, 12; Deut. 11:6. 2. Son of Helon, Num. 1:9; 2:7; 7:24, 29; 10:16. 3. Ancestor of Samuel, 1 Chr. 6:27. Called also Elihu, 1 Sam. 1:1; and Eliel, 1 C...

  • Issachar

    [isbe] ISSACHAR - is'-a-kar (yissa(se)khar; Septuagint, Swete Issachar; Tischendorf, Issachar, so also in the New Testament, Tregelles, and Westcott and Hort, The New Testament in Greek): (1) The 9th son of Jacob, the 5th borne to ...
    [nave] ISSACHAR 1. Son of Jacob, Gen. 30:18; Ex. 1:3; 1 Chr. 2:1. Jacob's prophetic benedictions upon, Gen. 49:14, 15. In the time of David, 1 Chr. 7:2, 5. See Tribe of below. Tribe of Military forces of, taken at Sinai, Num. ...

  • Zurishaddai

    [ebd] rock of the Almighty, the father of Shelumiel, who was chief of the tribe of Simeon when Israel was encamped at Sinai (Num. 1:6; 2:12).
    [isbe] ZURISHADDAI - zu-ri-shad'-a-i, zu-ri-shad'-i (tsurishadday, "my rock is Shadday"): Father of Shelumiel the head of the tribe of Simeon (Nu 1:6; 2:12; 7:36,41; 10:19). See GOD, NAMES OF, II, 8; ZURIEL.
    [smith] (my rock is the Almighty), father of Shelumiel, the chief of the tribe of Simeon at the time of the exodus. (Numbers 1:6; 2:12; 7:36,41; 10:19)
    [nave] ZURISHADDAI, father of Shelumiel, Num. 1:6; 2:12; 7:36, 41; 10:19.
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The purposes of this section are three at least.1. These verses introduce the Israelites who are the focus of attention in Exodus.2. They also tie the Israelites back to Jacob and explain their presence in Egypt.3. They accou...
  • 12:37-39 The record of Israel's sojourn in the wilderness really begins here.Rameses is probably the same city as Raamses, also called Avaris (v. 37; cf. 1:11). It was the city from which the Israelites left Egypt, and it lay...
  • The directions regarding the tabernacle opened with instructions concerning contributions for its construction (25:1-9). They close with this directive that every Israelite 20 years or older was to pay a flat fee of half a sh...
  • As mentioned, Leviticus contains revelation that was particularly appropriate for the priests. While ritual and legal matters predominate, Moses wove them into the historical narratives so as one reads Exodus, Leviticus, and ...
  • The title the Jews used in their Hebrew Old Testament for this book comes from the fifth word in the book in the Hebrew text, bemidbar: "in the wilderness."This is, of course, appropriate since the Israelites spent most of th...
  • Moses wrote Numbers (cf. Num. 1:1; 33:2; Matt. 8:4; 19:7; Luke 24:44; John 1:45; et al.). He evidently did so late in his life on the plains of Moab.1Moses evidently died close to 1406 B.C. since the Exodus happened about 144...
  • When the book opens the Israelites were in the second month of the second year after they departed from Egypt (1:1). In chapters 7-10 we read things that happened in the nation before that. These things happened when Moses fi...
  • To formulate a statement that summarizes the teaching of this book it will be helpful to identify some of the major revelations in Numbers. These constitute the unique values of the book.The first major value of Numbers is th...
  • I. Experiences of the older generation in the wilderness chs. 1-25A. Preparations for entering the Promised Land from the south chs. 1-101. The first census and the organization of the people chs. 1-42. Commands and rituals t...
  • The first 10 chapters in Numbers describe Israel's preparation for entering the land.". . . just as the way from Goshen to Sinai was a preparation of the chosen people for their reception into the covenant with God, so the wa...
  • The purpose of this tally of the adult males 20 years of age and older was to identify those who would serve in battle when Israel entered the land (v. 3).11Entrance into the land should have been only a few weeks from the ta...
  • Moses did not arrange the three Levitical families in the text here in the order of the ages of their founders. He arranged them in the order of the holiness of the articles that they managed.The Kohathites--who included Mose...
  • The presentation this chapter records took place at the time the Israelites dedicated the tabernacle (vv. 1-2; cf. Lev. 8:10)."The purpose of this section of narrative is to show that as the people had been generous in giving...
  • On the first anniversary of the Passover in Egypt, just after the Israelites had dedicated the tabernacle, they observed this feast as God had commanded (v. 5). Most of the males were already circumcised (cf. Josh. 5:5).This ...
  • 13:1-2 When the people arrived at Kadesh the Lord told them to go up and take possession of the land He had promised them (Deut. 1:19-21). Kadesh stood in the Desert of Zin, which was a section of the great Paran wilderness. ...
  • Before going into battle against the Midianites as God commanded (25:18), the Lord directed Moses to take another census of the Israelites. Evidently the 24,000 who died in the recent plague (25:9) were the last of the genera...
  • "Just as the censuses of chs. 1, 3, and 4 led to a flurry of preparations for departure from Sinai, so the second censuses in ch. 26 lead to preparations for departure from the plains of Moab and entry into the land of Canaan...
  • The previous chapter dealt with the general borders of the land and its tribal boundaries. This one gives regulations concerning special towns in the land.285According to the plan of revelation established previously in Numbe...
  • Far from being an unimportant postscript this genealogy helps us see one of the main purposes for which God gave us this book.Why does the genealogy start with Perez? Perez was the illegitimate son of Judah (1 Chron. 2:5) who...
  • David probably ordered this census about 975 B.C."After the revolutions of both Absalom and Sheba it would have been reasonable for David to reassess his military situation against the possibility of similar uprisings or othe...
  • Jesus' genealogy and virgin birth prove His legal human qualification as Israel's King. His baptism was the occasion of His divine approval. His temptation demonstrated His moral fitness to reign. The natural question a thoug...
  • The scene continues to be on earth.7:1 The phrase "after this"(Gr. meta touto) indicates that what follows is a new vision (cf. 4:1). The general chronological progression of the visions suggests that the events John saw now ...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came! 2. Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great; t...
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