Numbers 26:1-4

A Second Census Required

26:1 ¹ After the plague the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, ²  26:2 “Take a census of the whole community of Israelites, from twenty years old and upward, by their clans, ³  everyone who can serve in the army of Israel.” ⁴  26:3 So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan River ⁵  across from Jericho. ⁶  They said, 26:4 “Number the people ⁷  from twenty years old and upward, just as the Lord commanded Moses and the Israelites who went out from the land of Egypt.”

[26:1]  ¹ sn The breakdown of ch. 26 for outlining purposes will be essentially according to the tribes of Israel. The format and structure is similar to the first census, and so less comment is necessary here.

[26:1]  ² tc The MT has also “saying.”

[26:2]  ³ tn Heb “house of their fathers.”

[26:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “everyone who goes out in the army in Israel.”

[26:3]  ⁵ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity (also in v. 62).

[26:3]  ⁶ map For the location of Jericho see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[26:4]  ⁷ tn “Number the people” is added here to the text for a smooth reading.