Numbers 1:1-47

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wilderness <04057> [wilderness.]

tent <0168> [tabernacle.]

first ..... second ..... second ... after <0259 08145> [on the first day.]

As the tabernacle was erected on the first day of the first month, in the second year of their departure from Egypt, (Ex 40:17,) and this happened on the first day of the second month, in the same year, it is evident that the transactions related in the preceding book must all have taken place in the space of one month, and during the time the Israelites were encamped at mount Sinai.

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Take ... census <05375 07218> [Take ye the sum.]

This numbering was probably intended to illustrate the Divine faithfulness in thus increasing the seed of Abraham; to prepare them to preserve due order in their march; and to distinguish the tribes and families.

Israelite <01121> [the children.]

clans <04940> [after.]

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twenty <06242> [twenty.]

serve <03318> [able.]

army ............ divisions <06635> [by their.]

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Elizur <0468> [Elizur.]

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Shelumiel <08017> [Shelumiel.]

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Nahshon <05177> [Nahshon.]

[Naasson.]

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Nethanel <05417> [Nethaneel.]

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Eliab <0446> [Eliab.]

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Elishama <0476> [Elishama.]

Gamaliel <01583> [Gamaliel.]

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Abidan <027> [Abidan.]

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Ahiezer <0295> [Ahiezer.]

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Pagiel <06295> [Pagiel.]

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Eliasaph <0460> [Eliasaph.]

son <01121> [Son of Reuel.]

Deuel <01845> [Deuel.]

As the [d,] {daleth} is very like the [r,] {resh,} they might be easily mistaken for each other; and hence this person being called both D‰uel and R‰uel, may be easily accounted for. The Septuagint and Syriac have Reuel, in this chapter; and in ch. 2:14, the Samaritan, Vulgate, and Arabic have Deuel, instead of Reuel, with which reading a vast number of MSS. concur, and which is also supported by ch. 7:42, 10:20. We may therefore safely conclude, the D‰uel, and not R‰uel, was the original reading.

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Ahira <0299> [Ahira.]

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<07121> [the renowned.]

{Keruey h„ƒidah,} literally "the called of the congregation," those who were summoned by name to attend.

heads <07218> [heads.]

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ancestry <03205> [their pedigrees.]

families <01004> [by the.]

listed <04557> [according.]

twenty <06242> [from twenty.]

In this census no women were reckoned, nor children, nor minors, nor strangers, nor Levites, nor old men; which, collectively, must have formed an immense multitude; the Levites alone amounted to 22,300 men.

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That a comparative view may be easily taken of the state of the tribes, we will here produce them, compared with that of the second census, (ch. 26,) in their decreasing proportion, beginning with the greatest and proceeding to the least. 1st Census 2nd Census 1. Judah, 74,600 76,500 2. Dan, 62,700 64,400 3. Simeon, 59,300 22,200 4. Zebulun, 57,400 60,500 5. Issachar, 54,400 64,300 6. Naphtali, 53,400 45,400 7. Reuben, 46,500 43,730 8. Gad, 45,650 40,500 9. Asher, 41,500 53,400 10. Ephraim, 40,500 32,500 11. Benjamin, 35,400 45,600 12. Manasseh, 32,200 52,700 _______ _______ Totals: 603,550 601,730 ------- ------- Thus we find Judah the most populous tribe, and Manasseh the least so; the difference between them being as great as 42,000. Jacob had given Judah the pre-eminence in his prophetic blessing; and that tribe was to have the precedency in the encampments of Israel: accordingly God had increased them more than any of their brethren. Ephraim and Manasseh, according to the same prophecy, were numbered as distinct tribes, Ephraim having the superiority, as it was foretold; and Joseph indeed appears "a fruitful bough."

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The tribe of Gad marched, along with that of Simeon, under the standard of Reuben; and it seems, on that account, to have been introduced in this order. The other tribes also, are here classed together according to their encampments, and the order of their subsequent march.

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tribe <04294> [the tribe.]

40,500 <0705> [were forty.]

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Naphtali <05321> [Naphtali.]

Respecting the manner in which this vast multitude sprang from 75 person, Scheuchzer has some valuable calculations, with the results of which we present the reader:-- 1. Judah. 7. Ruben. 1 Generation . . 25 1 Generation . . 31 2 . . . . . . . 238 2 . . . . . . . 215 3 . . . . . . . 3,865 3 . . . . . . . 2,583 4 . . . . . . . 70,735 4 . . . . . . . 43,917 ------ ------ Total of 3 and 4, 74,600 Total of 3 and 4, 46,500 2. Dan. 8. Gad. 1 Generation . . 11 1 Generation . . 67 2 . . . . . . . 132 2 . . . . . . . 475 3 . . . . . . . 2,508 3 . . . . . . . 3,804 4 . . . . . . . 60,192 4 . . . . . . . 41,846 ------ ------ Total of 3 and 4, 62,700 Total of 3 and 4, 45,650 3. Simeon. 9. Asher. 1 Generation . . 39 1 Generation . . 39 2 . . . . . . . 359 2 . . . . . . . 310 3 . . . . . . . 3,953 3 . . . . . . . 3,192 4 . . . . . . . 55,347 4 . . . . . . . 38,308 ------ ------ Total of 3 and 4, 59,300 Total of 3 and 4, 41,500 4. Zebulun. 10. Ephraim. 1 Generation . . 20 1 Generation . . 16 2 . . . . . . . 143 2 . . . . . . . 160 3 . . . . . . . 2,296 3 . . . . . . . 1,928 4 . . . . . . . 55,104 4 . . . . . . . 38,572 ------ ------ Total of 3 and 4, 57,400 Total of 3 and 4, 40,500 5. Issachar. 11. Benjamin. 1 Generation . . 27 1 Generation . . 98 2 . . . . . . . 251 2 . . . . . . . 885 3 . . . . . . . 3,022 3 . . . . . . . 4,425 4 . . . . . . . 51,378 4 . . . . . . . 30,975 ------ ------ Total of 3 and 4, 54,400 Total of 3 and 4, 35,400 6. Naphtali. 12. Manasseh. 1 Generation . . 26 1 Generation . . 10 2 . . . . . . . 296 2 . . . . . . . 134 3 . . . . . . . 3,560 3 . . . . . . . 1,610 4 . . . . . . . 49,840 4 . . . . . . . 30,590 ------ ------ Total of 3 and 4, 53,400 Total of 3 and 4, 32,200 13. Levi. 1 Generation . . 8 2 . . . . . . . 96 3 . . . . . . . 1,240 4 . . . . . . . 21,060 ------ Total of 3 and 4, 22,300

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What an astonishing increase from seventy persons who went down into Egypt about 215 years before, where they had latterly endured the greatest hardships! Such was the effect of God's promise, which cannot fail.

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