Numbers 1

1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Meeting Tent in the Desert of Sinai. This was on the first day of the second month in the second year after the Israelites left Egypt. He said to Moses:

2 "You and Aaron must count all the people of Israel by families and family groups, listing the name of each man.

3 You and Aaron must count every man twenty years old or older who will serve in the army of Israel, and list them by their divisions.

4 One man from each tribe, the leader of his family, will help you.

5 These are the names of the men who will help you: from the tribe of Reuben -- Elizur son of Shedeur;

6 from the tribe of Simeon -- Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;

7 from the tribe of Judah -- Nahshon son of Amminadab;

8 from the tribe of Issachar -- Nethanel son of Zuar;

9 from the tribe of Zebulun -- Eliab son of Helon;

10 from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph -- Elishama son of Ammihud; from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph -- Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;

11 from the tribe of Benjamin -- Abidan son of Gideoni;

12 from the tribe of Dan -- Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;

13 from the tribe of Asher -- Pagiel son of Ocran;

14 from the tribe of Gad -- Eliasaph son of Deuel;

15 from the tribe of Naphtali -- Ahira son of Enan."

16 These were the men chosen from the people to be leaders of their tribes, the heads of Israel's family groups.

17 Moses and Aaron took these men who had been picked

18 and called all the people of Israel together on the first day of the second month. Then the people were listed by their families and family groups, and all the men who were twenty years old or older were listed by name.

19 Moses did exactly what the Lord had commanded and listed the people while they were in the Desert of Sinai.

20 The tribe of Reuben, the first son born to Israel, was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups.

21 The tribe of Reuben totaled 46,500 men.

22 The tribe of Simeon was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups.

23 The tribe of Simeon totaled 59,300 men.

24 The tribe of Gad was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups.

25 The tribe of Gad totaled 45,650 men.

26 The tribe of Judah was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups.

27 The tribe of Judah totaled 74,600 men.

28 The tribe of Issachar was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups.

29 The tribe of Issachar totaled 54,400 men.

30 The tribe of Zebulun was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups.

31 The tribe of Zebulun totaled 57,400 men.

32 The tribe of Ephraim, a son of Joseph, was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups.

33 The tribe of Ephraim totaled 40,500 men.

34 The tribe of Manasseh, also a son of Joseph, was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups.

35 The tribe of Manasseh totaled 32,200 men.

36 The tribe of Benjamin was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups.

37 The tribe of Benjamin totaled 35,400 men.

38 The tribe of Dan was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups.

39 The tribe of Dan totaled 62,700 men.

40 The tribe of Asher was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups.

41 The tribe of Asher totaled 41,500 men.

42 The tribe of Naphtali was counted; all the men twenty years old or older who were able to serve in the army were listed by name with their families and family groups.

43 The tribe of Naphtali totaled 53,400 men.

44 Moses, Aaron, and the twelve leaders of Israel, one from each of the families, counted these men.

45 Every man of Israel twenty years old or older who was able to serve in the army was counted and listed with his family.

46 The total number of men was 603,550.

47 The families from the tribe of Levi were not listed with the others, because

48 the Lord had told Moses:

49 "Do not count the tribe of Levi or include them with the other Israelites.

50 Instead put the Levites in charge of the Holy Tent of the Agreement and everything that is with it. They must carry the Holy Tent and everything in it, and they must take care of it and make their camp around it.

51 Any time the Holy Tent is moved, the Levites must take it down, and any time it is set up, the Levites must do it. Anyone else who goes near the Holy Tent will be put to death.

52 The Israelites will make their camps in separate divisions, each family near its flag.

53 But the Levites must make their camp around the Holy Tent of the Agreement so that I will not be angry with the Israelites. The Levites will take care of the Holy Tent of the Agreement."

54 So the Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.

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Numbers 1 Commentary

Chapter 1

This book is called NUMBERS from the several numberings of the people contained in it. It extends from the giving of the law at Sinai, till their arrival in the plains of Jordan. An account is given of their murmuring and unbelief, for which they were sentenced to wander in the wilderness nearly forty years; also some laws, both, moral and ceremonial. Their trials greatly tended to distinguish the wicked and hypocrites from the faithful and true servants of God, who served him with a pure heart.

The numbering of the Israelites. (1-43) The number of the people. (44-46) The Levites not numbered with the rest. (47-54)

Verses 1-43 The people were numbered to show God's faithfulness in thus increasing the seed of Jacob, that they might be the better trained for the wars and conquest of Canaan, and to ascertain their families in order to the division of the land. It is said of each tribe, that those were numbered who were able to go forth to war; they had wars before them, though now they met with no opposition. Let the believer be prepared to withstand the enemies of his soul, though all may appear to be peace.

Verses 44-46 We have here the sum total. How much was required to maintain all these in the wilderness! They were all provided for by God every day. When we observe the faithfulness of God, however unlikely the performance of his promise may appear, we may take courage as to those which yet remain to be fulfilled to the church of God.

Verses 47-54 Care is here taken to distinguish the tribe of Levi, which, in the matter of the golden calf, had distinguished itself. Singular services shall be recompensed by singular honours. It was to the honour of the Levites, that to them was committed the care of the tabernacle and its treasures, in their camps and in their marches. It was for the honour of the holy things that none should see them, or touch them, but those who were called of God to the service. We all are unfit and unworthy to have fellowship with God, till called by his grace into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and so, being the spiritual seed of that great High Priest, we are made priests to our God. Great care must be taken to prevent sin, for preventing sin is preventing wrath. Being a holy tribe, they were not reckoned among other Israelites. They that minister about holy things, should neither entangle themselves, nor be entangled, in worldly affairs. And let every believer seek to do what the Lord has commanded.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS

This book has its name from the account it gives of the "numbers" of the children of Israel, twice taken particularly; which name it has with this Greeks and Latins, and so with the Syriac and Arabic versions; but with the Jews it is called sometimes "Vajedabber", from the first word of it, "and the Lord spake"; and sometimes "Bemidbar", from the fifth word of the first verse, "in the wilderness", and sometimes "Sepher Pikkudim"; or, as with Origen {a}, "Ammesphkodim", the book of musters or surveys. That it was written by Moses is not to be doubted; and is indeed suggested by our Lord himself, Joh 5:46 compared with Nu 3:14, and the references to it, in the New Testament, fully ascertain to us Christians the authenticity of it, as that of our Lord hinted at, and those of the apostle in 1Co 10:4, Heb 9:13,14. It contains an history of the affairs of the Israelites, and of their travel in the wilderness for the space of thirty eight years; though the principal facts it relates were done in the second year of their coming out of Egypt, and in the last of their being in the wilderness; and it is not merely historical, but gives a particular account of several laws, ceremonial and judicial, to be observed by the people of Israel, as well as has many things in it very instructive, both of a moral and evangelical nature.

\\INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 1\\

In this chapter orders are given to Moses to take the number of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upwards, Nu 1:1-3; and the men that were to assist in this work, one of each tribe are mentioned by name, Nu 1:4-16; all which was accordingly done, Nu 1:17-19; and the particular numbers of each tribe are recorded, as they were taken, Nu 1:20-44; and the sum total is given, Nu 1:45,46; the Levites being excepted, who were employed about the tabernacle, and so not to be employed in military service, Nu 1:47-51; they encamped about that, while the Israelites pitched their tents every man by his own camp and standard, Nu 1:52-54.

{a} Apud Euseb. Hist. Ecclesiast. l. 6. c. 25.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible