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 generation who had refused to enter the land 38 years earlier. Only Caleb, Joshua, and Moses remained from the older generation (vv. 64-65).249
Moses again counted the men 20 years of age and older in all the tribes except Levi as in the census taken just before Israel departed from Sinai (chs. 1-4). The primary purpose of this census was military, namely, to organize the nation for its battles with the Canaanites as well as with the Midianites. However a second important purpose was to discover the size of each tribe so Moses could allocate territory in the Promised Land proportionately (vv. 53-54). This list also had historical value for later generations enabling them to trace their genealogies. Notice that this is a list of families or clans, not individuals. The preservation of the nation is a monument to God's faithfulness to His promises concerning Israel.
". . . His covenanted promises to the patriarchs might be delayed by human sin, but they could not be ultimately frustrated."250
A table of the size of the 12 tribes when Moses took the two censuses follows.
Tribe | First Census | Second Census | Difference |
Reuben | 46,500 | 43,730 | -2,770 |
Simeon | 59,300 | 22,200 | -37,100 |
Gad | 46,650 | 40,500 | -5,150 |
Judah | 74,600 | 76,500 | +1,900 |
Issachar | 54,400 | 64,300 | +9,900 |
Zebulun | 57,400 | 60,500 | +3,100 |
Ephraim | 40,500 | 32,500 | -8,000 |
Manasseh | 32,200 | 52,700 | +20,900 |
Benjamin | 35,400 | 45,600 | +10,200 |
Dan | 62,700 | 64,400 | +1,700 |
Asher | 41,500 | 53,400 | +11,900 |
Naphtali | 53,400 | 45,400 | -8,000 |
Totals | 603,550 | 601,730 | -1,820 |
Zimri was a Simeonite (25:14). Perhaps the large number of Simeonites who died resulted from his kinsmen joining him in his apostasy in chapter 25.
Moses also counted the Levite males from one month old and older (vv. 57-62).
Probably there were about 13,000 males 20 years of age or older in Levi. This would have made this tribe the smallest by far.
26:1-51 The writer recorded the numbers of each tribe in these verses. He also included historical notes recalling the sins of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (vv. 9-11) as well as those of Er and Onan (v. 19). Perhaps he included these to remind the Israelites of these sins so they would not repeat them in the future.
A comparison of the censuses demonstrates that God could still fulfill His promises to the patriarchs even though the Israelites' failures had postponed their fulfillment. This is one of the most important revelations of the Book of Numbers.
"It is utterly remarkable that the total number has remained nearly unchanged even though the people have lived under the most trying conditions for a period of thirty-eight years. . . . God's faithfulness to his people is grandly celebrated with this triumphant chapter of census!"251
26:52-56 Moses apportioned the land to each tribe according to its population. The casting of lots determined the location of each tribal inheritance in Canaan later (26:54; Josh. 13:7-33).
26:57-62 Here Moses recorded the census of the Levites. Moses and Aaron were Kohathites (Exod. 6:18-20). Their parents' names were Amram and Jochebed (v. 59).
26:63-65 The chapter closes with a testimony to the faithfulness of God. All but Caleb and Joshua had died in the wilderness, as He had promised. God had preserved the nation and would bring her into the land as He had guaranteed the patriarchs. Nevertheless He had judged the unbelieving generation.
This chapter looks backward over the past 38 years and forward to entrance into Canaan.
