Discovery BoxNumbers 26:4-51
Context26:4 “Number the people 1 from twenty years old and upward, just as the Lord commanded Moses and the Israelites who went out from the land of Egypt.”
26:5 Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. The Reubenites: from 2 Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; from Pallu, the family of the Palluites; 26:6 from Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; from Carmi, the family of the Carmites. 26:7 These were the families of the Reubenites; and those numbered of them were 43,730. 3 26:8 Pallu’s descendant 4 was Eliab. 26:9 Eliab’s descendants were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. It was Dathan and Abiram who as leaders of the community rebelled against Moses and Aaron with the followers 5 of Korah when they rebelled against the Lord. 26:10 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and Korah at the time that company died, when the fire consumed 250 men. So they became a warning. 26:11 But the descendants of Korah did not die.
26:12 The Simeonites by their families: from Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; from Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; from Jakin, the family of the Jakinites; 26:13 from Zerah, 6 the family of the Zerahites; and from Shaul, the family of the Shaulites. 26:14 These were the families of the Simeonites, 22,200. 7
26:15 The Gadites by their families: from Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; from Haggi, the family of the Haggites; from Shuni, the family of the Shunites; 26:16 from Ozni, 8 the family of the Oznites; from Eri, 9 the family of the Erites; 26:17 from Arod, 10 the family of the Arodites, and from Areli, the family of the Arelites. 26:18 These were the families of the Gadites according to those numbered of them, 40,500. 11
26:19 The descendants of Judah were Er and Onan, but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. 26:20 And the Judahites by their families were: from Shelah, the family of the Shelahites; from Perez, the family of the Perezites; and from Zerah, the family of the Zerahites. 26:21 And the Perezites were: from Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; from Hamul, 12 the family of the Hamulites. 26:22 These were the families of Judah according to those numbered of them, 76,500. 13
26:23 The Issacharites by their families: from Tola, the family of the Tolaites; from Puah, the family of the Puites; 26:24 from Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; and from Shimron, the family of the Shimronites. 26:25 These were the families of Issachar, according to those numbered of them, 64,300. 14
26:26 The Zebulunites by their families: from Sered, the family of the Sardites; from Elon, the family of the Elonites; from Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites. 26:27 These were the families of the Zebulunites, according to those numbered of them, 60,500. 15
26:28 The descendants of Joseph by their families: Manasseh and Ephraim. 26:29 The Manassehites: from Machir, the family of the Machirites (now Machir became the father of Gilead); from Gilead, the family of the Gileadites. 26:30 These were the Gileadites: from Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; from Helek, the family of the Helekites; 26:31 from Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; from Shechem, the family of the Shechemites; 26:32 from Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; from Hepher, the family of the Hepherites. 26:33 Now Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons, but only daughters; and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 26:34 These were the families of Manasseh; those numbered of them were 52,700. 16
26:35 These are the Ephraimites by their families: from Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; from Beker, the family of the Bekerites; from Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. 26:36 Now these were the Shuthelahites: from Eran, the family of the Eranites. 26:37 These were the families of the Ephraimites, according to those numbered of them, 32,500. 17 These were the descendants of Joseph by their families.
26:38 The Benjaminites by their families: from Bela, the family of the Belaites; from Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; from Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites; 26:39 from Shupham, 18 the family of the Shuphamites; from Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. 26:40 The descendants of Bela were Ard 19 and Naaman. From Ard, 20 the family of the Ardites; from Naaman, the family of the Naamanites. 26:41 These are the Benjaminites, according to their families, and according to those numbered of them, 45,600. 21
26:42 These are the Danites by their families: from Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These were the families of Dan, according to their families. 26:43 All the families of the Shuhahites according to those numbered of them were 64,400. 22
26:44 The Asherites by their families: from Imnah, the family of the Imnahites; from Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; from Beriah, the family of the Beriahites. 26:45 From the Beriahites: from Heber, the family of the Heberites; from Malkiel, the family of the Malkielites. 26:46 Now the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. 23 26:47 These are the families of the Asherites, according to those numbered of them, 53,400. 24
26:48 The Naphtalites by their families: from Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; from Guni, the family of the Gunites; 26:49 from Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; from Shillem, the family of the Shillemites. 26:50 These were the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those numbered of them were 45,400. 25
26:51 These were those numbered of the Israelites, 601,730. 26
[26:4] 1 tn “Number the people” is added here to the text for a smooth reading.
[26:5] 2 tc The Hebrew text has no preposition here, but one has been supplied in the translation for clarity. Cf. vv. 23, 30, 31, 32.
[26:7] 3 sn The Reubenites had decreased from 46,500 to 43,730.
[26:8] 4 tc The MT has “and the sons of Pallu.”
[26:9] 5 tn Or “company” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); Heb “congregation.”
[26:13] 6 tc This is “Zohar” in Exod 6:15 and Gen 46:10.
[26:14] 7 sn Before entering Sinai the tribe numbered 59,300, the third largest. Now it was about one-third its original size.
[26:16] 8 tc The MT of Gen 46:16 reads this as “Ezbon.”
[26:16] 9 tc The Greek version and Smr have “Ad[d]i,” probably by confusion of letters.
[26:17] 10 tc Gen 46:16 and the LXX here read “Arodi.”
[26:18] 11 sn The Gadites decreased from 45,650 to 40,500.
[26:21] 12 tc Smr and the Greek version have “Hamuel.”
[26:22] 13 sn The Judahites increased from 74,600 to 76,500.
[26:25] 14 sn The Issacharites increased from 54,400 to 64,300.
[26:27] 15 sn The Zebulunites showed a slight increase from 57,400 to 60,500.
[26:34] 16 sn The Manassehites increased from 32,200 to 52,700.
[26:37] 17 sn This is a significant reduction from the first count of 40,500.
[26:39] 18 tc With the exception of a few manuscripts the MT has Shephupham. The spelling in the translation above is supported by Smr and the ancient versions.
[26:40] 19 tc The LXX has Adar. Cf. 1 Chr 8:3.
[26:40] 20 tc “From Ard” is not in the Hebrew text.
[26:41] 21 sn The Benjaminites increased from 35,400 to 45,600. The Greek version has here 35,500.
[26:43] 22 sn The Danites increased from 62,700 to 64,400.
[26:46] 23 tn Also mentioned in 1 Chr 7:30.
[26:47] 24 sn The Asherites increased from 41,500 to 53,400.
[26:50] 25 sn The Naphtalites decreased from 53,400 to 45,400.
[26:51] 26 sn This number shows only a slightly smaller total in the second census; the first was 603,550.
