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Numbers Chapter
twenty-six
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 26
In
this chapter an order is given to number the people of Israel a second time, Numbers 26:1 and
the account begins with Reuben, the firstborn, and the families that sprung
from him, and the number of them, Numbers 26:5 and
Dathan and Abiram being of this tribe, the affair of them and Korah is afresh
related, Numbers 26:8, then
the tribe of Simeon, its families and number, Numbers 26:12, next
the tribe of Gad, and their families and number, Numbers 26:15,
after that the tribe of Judah, its families and number, Numbers 26:19 then
follows the tribe of Issachar, its families and number, Numbers 26:23, next
to that the tribe of Zebulun, its families and number, Numbers 26:26 then
the sons of Joseph, and first Manasseh, his families and number, Numbers 26:28 and
then the tribe of Ephraim, its families and number, Numbers 26:35,
after that the tribe of Benjamin, its families and number, Numbers 26:38 next
the tribe of Dan, its families and number, Numbers 26:42 and
which is followed by the tribe of Asher, its families and number, Numbers 26:44, and
the muster is closed with the tribe of Naphtali, its families and number, Numbers 26:48, and
the sum total of all the numbers is given, Numbers 26:51 and
then follows another order to divide the land of Canaan by lot, when conquered,
to the several tribes, according to their names and number, Numbers 26:52 and
an account is given of the number of the Levites and their families, their
number being taken not with the other tribes, but by themselves, and which is
summed up, Numbers 26:57 and
the chapter is concluded with observing, that it appeared upon this numbering
of the people, that there were but two persons living of those that were first
numbered among the children of Israel, Numbers 26:63.
Numbers 26:1 And it came to pass, after the plague, that the Lord spoke to Moses and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying:
YLT
1And it cometh to pass,
after the plague, that Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, and unto Eleazar son of
Aaron the priest, saying,
And it came to pass after the plague,.... Related
in the preceding chapter; how long after is not certain, perhaps before the war
with Midian, exhorted to in the latter part of the foregoing chapter, and of
which an account is given, Numbers 31:1,
that the Lord spake unto Moses; out of the tabernacle,
or out of the cloud:
and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest; the Lord had
been used to speak to Moses and to Aaron; but now Aaron being dead, and Eleazar
his son succeeding him in the priesthood, is joined with Moses, and the order
here given is directed to them both:
saying: as follows.
Numbers 26:2 2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the children
of Israel from twenty years old and above, by their fathers’ houses, all who
are able to go to war in Israel.”
YLT
2`Take up the sum of all the
company of the sons of Israel, from a son of twenty years and upward, by the
house of their fathers, every one going out to the host in Israel.'
Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel,.... Excepting
the Levites, who were to be numbered by themselves, and at a different age;
this sum was to be taken, that it might appear that all of the old generation
that came out of Egypt, of the age at which this sum was taken, were now dead,
excepting two, as the Lord had threatened; and partly that as they were now
about to enter the land of Canaan, it might be divided to them according to
their number; as well as to show the faithfulness of God to his word and
promise, that he would multiply and make them fruitful, notwithstanding all
their provoking sins and transgressions:
from twenty years old and upwards, throughout their father's house; all of that
age in every tribe, house, and family:
all that are able to go to war in Israel; for which
they must prepare, being about to enter the land of Canaan, and dispossess and
drive out the inhabitants of it.
Numbers 26:3 3 So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the
plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho, saying:
YLT
3And Moses speaketh --
Eleazar the priest also -- with them, in the plains of Moab, by Jordan, [near]
Jericho, saying,
And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake with them,.... With the
children of Israel, with the heads of them, their chief and principal, to
assist in taking the number of the people; as when they were numbered thirty
years ago, when a prince out of each tribe was taken to be with Aaron and Moses
in doing that business; but those princes were now all dead, and another race
succeeded, who were now employed in this service; so the Targum of Jonathan
says, they spoke with the rulers, and ordered them to number them:
in the plains of Moab, by Jordan, near Jericho: or of
Jericho, as the same Targum, on the other side of Jordan to that on which Jericho
stood; for as yet the children of Israel had not passed that river, nor entered
into the land of Canaan, in which Jericho was, but they were now opposite it;
See Gill on Numbers 22:1,
saying; as follows.
Numbers 26:4 4 “Take a census of the people from twenty years
old and above, just as the Lord commanded
Moses and the children of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt.”
YLT
4`From a son of twenty years
and upward,' as Jehovah hath commanded Moses and the sons of Israel who are
coming out from the land of Egypt.
Take the sum of the people, from twenty years old and upward,.... At the same age at
which the sum was taken before, Numbers 1:3 so that
there could not be one that was more than sixty years of age, of all those that
went into the land of Canaan, except Joshua and Caleb, and besides some few in
the tribe of Levi, which did not come into either of these musters:
and the Lord commanded Moses, and the children of Israel, which
went forth out of the land of Egypt; as Moses had a command
to number the people before, so he had now. The sin of David was, that he
numbered the people when he had no command for it; Moses, when he brought the
people out of Egypt, had them committed to him by number; and now being about
to die, he delivers them up as it were by number again, as Jarchi observes.
Numbers 26:5 5 Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. The children
of Reuben were: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of
Pallu, the family of the Palluites;
YLT
5Reuben, first-born of
Israel -- sons of Reuben: [of] Hanoch [is] the family of the Hanochite; of
Pallu the family of the Palluite;
Verses 5-7
Reuben, the eldest son of Israel,.... the number of his
tribe is taken first on that account; there were four families that descended
from him, the Hanochite, Palluite, Hesronite, and Carmite, and the number of
men from twenty years old and upwards, fit for war, were 43,730; so that, since
the last numbering, this tribe was decreased 2770; which may in part be
accounted for by the families of Dathan and Abiram being cut off for their
rebellion, who were this tribe, and whose affair is briefly related in the
following verses, and it may be to point out this unto us.
Numbers 26:6 6 of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of
Carmi, the family of the Carmites.
YLT
6of Hezron the family of the
Hezronite; of Carmi the family of the Carmite.
Numbers 26:7 7 These are the families of the Reubenites: those
who were numbered of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred and thirty.
YLT
7These [are] families of the
Reubenite, and their numbered ones are three and forty thousand and seven
hundred and thirty.
Numbers 26:8 8 And the son of Pallu was Eliab.
YLT
8And the son of Pallu [is]
Eliab;
And the sons of Pallu,.... Or son, the plural
for the singular, Pallu having but one son, whose name was Eliab, the father of
Dathan and Abiram; Numbers 26:9.
Numbers 26:9 9 The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and
Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram, representatives of the
congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah,
when they contended against the Lord;
YLT
9and the sons of Eliab [are]
Nemuel and Dathan and Abiram; this [is that] Dathan and Abiram, called ones of
the company, who have striven against Moses and against Aaron in the company of
Korah, in their striving against Jehovah,
And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram,.... Of Nemuel
we nowhere else read either he died without children, or he and his family
perished with his brethren, being concerned with them in the conspiracy; or the
family of the Palluite was in his line; one of the same name may be observed in
the tribe of Simeon:
this is that Dathan and Abiram, which were famous in the
congregation; either before their rebellion, for their power and authority,
being heads of their fathers' houses; or for their parts and abilities, being
men of great wisdom and sense; or for their zeal, activity, and usefulness; or
after it, and became famous, or rather infamous, on account of it, see Numbers 16:2.
who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of
Korah, when they strove against the Lord; who joined with Korah
and his company, and quarrelled with Moses and Aaron about the priesthood; with
Moses for putting Aaron into it, and with Aaron for accepting it, and
officiating in it; and so with the Lord himself, by whose orders he was
invested with it.
Numbers 26:10 10 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up
together with Korah when that company died, when the fire devoured two hundred
and fifty men; and they became a sign.
YLT
10and the earth openeth her
mouth, and swalloweth them and Korah, in the death of the company, in the fire
consuming the two hundred and fifty men, and they become a sign;
And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up,.... Not only
Dathan and Abiram, but their wives and children, their houses and tents, and
all their goods, see Numbers 16:32
together with Korah; the words being thus rendered, and standing in such close
connection with the preceding, some have concluded from hence that Korah was
swallowed up with them in the earth; whereas he seems rather to have been at
that time with the two hundred and fifty men that had censers at the door of
the tabernacle, and was consumed by fire with them, see Numbers 16:16 and,
indeed, it is suggested here, for the phrase may be rendered, "and the
things of Korah"F13ואת קרח "et quae erant, Korachi", Junius &
Tremellius. ; what appertained unto him, his men, tents, goods, and substance,
which agrees with Numbers 16:32 or,
"and as for Korah"F14So Pool, Patrick; "deinde et
Corah (qui periit) in morte congregationis", Tigurine version. ; with
respect to him: "when that company died": he was at the head of, he
died also, the same death they died, by fire, as follows:
what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men; which was the
number his company consisted of, who took censers, and offered incense, and
were consumed by fire, Numbers 16:2, and
with whom, in all probability, he perished:
and they became a sign, were made an example of,
to deter others from the like practices, and particularly usurping any part of
the priest's office: some connect the words with the following, and take the
sense to be, that this was the sign or miracle, that when they perished, Korah's
sons died not, but were preserved; which sense is countenanced by the Vulgate
Latin, but the other sense is best.
Numbers 26:11 11 Nevertheless the children of Korah did not die.
YLT
11and the sons of Korah died
not.
Notwithstanding, the children of Korah died not. Neither of the
pestilence, nor by fire, nor by the swallowing up of the earth; they not being
in the counsel of their father, but followed the doctrine of Moses the prophet,
as the Targum of Jonathan; they either disliked their father's scheme, or, if
they engaged with him in it, they repented and departed from him, and were not
present when the judgments of God came upon him and his company; there were
several of his posterity who were singers in the times of David, and to whom
many of the psalms were sent to be sung.
Numbers 26:12 12 The sons of Simeon according to their families were:
of Nemuel,[a] the family
of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of
Jachin,[b] the family
of the Jachinites;
YLT
12Sons of Simeon by their
families: of Nemuel [is] the family of the Nemuelite; of Jamin the family of
the Jaminite; of Jachin the family of the Jachinite;
Verses 12-14
The sons of Simeon, after their families,.... This
tribe was next numbered, not only because Simeon was next to Reuben by birth,
but because his tribe was under the standard of Reuben; two of his sons are a
little differently named here than they are in Genesis 46:10,
there the eldest is called Jemuel, here Nemuel; there the youngest but one is
named Zohar, here Zerah; and one of them is here omitted, namely Ohad, perhaps
because he died without children, and so no family sprang from him; wherefore
the families of Simeon were but five, and the number of them were 22,200; by
which it appears there was a very great decrease in this tribe since the last
muster, even 37,100 which in some measure is to be accounted for by the great
number of this tribe supposed to have died of the plague, on account of
fornication and idolatry, made mention of in the preceding chapter; a prince in
this tribe having set a bad example, it is probable he was followed in it by
many of it, for which great numbers were cut off. Jarchi, from Tanchuma, says,
that all the 24,000 that died of the plague was of the tribe of Simeon; and so
says the Samaritan ChronicleF15Apud Hottinger. ut supra. (Smegma
Oriental, l. 1. c. 8. p. 448.) ; but that is not likely.
Numbers 26:13 13 of Zerah,[c] the family
of the Zarhites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.
YLT
13of Zerah the family of the
Zarhite; of Shaul the family of the Shaulite.
Numbers 26:14 14 These are the families of the Simeonites:
twenty-two thousand two hundred.
YLT
14These [are] families of the
Simeonite, two and twenty thousand and two hundred.
Numbers 26:15 15 The sons of Gad according to their families were:
of Zephon,[d] the family
of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of
Shuni, the family of the Shunites;
YLT
15Sons of Gad by their
families: of Zephon [is] the family of the Zephonite; of Haggi the family of
the Haggite; of Shuni the family of the Shunite;
Verses 15-18
The children of Gad, after their families tribe was numbered next
to Simeon,.... because it lay encamped with that under the standard of
Reuben. There is a little variation in the names of two or three of his sons,
from those by which they are called Genesis 46:16,
instead of Ziphion, here Zephon; and for Haggai, here Haggi; and what is much
wider, for Ezbon, here Ozni. Seven families sprang from Gad, whose number now
was 40,500; they were diminished since their last numbering 5150; it is
probable this tribe, being a warlike tribe, suffered very much in their attempt
to enter the land of Canaan contrary to the will of God, and were repulsed and
defeated by the Amalekites, Numbers 16:40.
Numbers 26:16 16 of Ozni,[e] the family
of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites;
YLT
16of Ozni the family of the
Oznite; of Eri the family of the Erite:
Numbers 26:17 17 of Arod,[f] the family
of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites.
YLT
17of Arod the family of the
Arodite; of Areli the family of the Arelite.
Numbers 26:18 18 These are the families of the sons of Gad
according to those who were numbered of them: forty thousand five hundred.
YLT
18These [are] families of the
sons of Gad, by their numbered ones, forty thousand and five hundred.
Numbers 26:19 19 The sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and
Onan died in the land of Canaan.
YLT
19Sons of Judah [are] Er and
Onan; and Er dieth -- Onan also -- in the land of Canaan.
Verses 19-22
And the sons of Judah were Er and Onan,.... And
besides these he had Shelah, Pharez, and Zerah, from whom families sprang, but
none from the two first: for
Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan; where they
were born; and that because of their sins, as the Targum of Jonathan adds, see
Ge 38:7-10 so that there
were but three families sprang from Judah, the Shelanites, Pharzites, and
Zarhites; only the family of the Pharzites was divided into two families, the
Hesronites and the Hamulites, so called from two sons of Pharez; the number of
these families amounted to 76,500, so that there was an increase of 1900 since
the last muster, which answers to Jacob's blessing, that he should be a praise
among his brethren, Genesis 49:8.
Numbers 26:20 20 And the sons of Judah according to their families
were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the
family of the Parzites; of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.
YLT
20And sons of Judah, by their
families, are: of Shelah the family of the Shelanite; of Pharez the family of
the Pharzite; of Zerah the family of the Zarhite;
Numbers 26:21 21 And the sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the
family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.
YLT
21and sons of Pharez are: of
Hezron the family of the Hezronite; of Hamul the family of the Hamulite.
Numbers 26:22 22 These are the families of Judah according to
those who were numbered of them: seventy-six thousand five hundred.
YLT
22These [are] families of
Judah, by their numbered ones, six and seventy thousand and five hundred.
Numbers 26:23 23 The sons of Issachar according to their families were:
of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puah,[g] the family
of the Punites;[h]
YLT
23Sons of Issachar by their
families; [of] Tola [is] the family of the Tolaite; of Pua the family of the
Punite;
Verses 23-25
Of the sons of Issachar, after their families,.... This
tribe was numbered next to Judah, because it was under his standard. Two of his
sons are a little differently named than they are Genesis 46:13
instead of Phuvah one is called Pua, and instead of Job another is called here
Jashub; this tribe consisted of four families, and the number of warlike men in
it was 64,300; their increase since the last numbering of them is 9900.
Numbers 26:24 24 of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron,
the family of the Shimronites.
YLT
24of Jashub the family of the
Jashubite; of Shimron the family of the Shimronite.
Numbers 26:25 25 These are the families of Issachar according to
those who were numbered of them: sixty-four thousand three hundred.
YLT
25These [are] families of
Issachar, by their numbered ones, four and sixty thousand and three hundred.
Numbers 26:26 26 The sons of Zebulun according to their families were:
of Sered, the family of the Sardites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of
Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.
YLT
26Sons of Zebulun by their
families: of Sered [is] the family of the Sardite; of Elon the family of the
Elonite; of Jahleel the family of the Jahleelite.
Verse 26-27
Of he sons of Zebulun, after their families,.... This is
numbered next to Issachar, because it was encamped under the standard of Judah;
it consisted of three families, whose numbers were 60,500, so that this tribe
was increased 3100.
Numbers 26:27 27 These are the families of the Zebulunites
according to those who were numbered of them: sixty thousand five hundred.
YLT
27These [are] families of the
Zebulunite by their numbered ones, sixty thousand and five hundred.
Numbers 26:28 28 The sons of Joseph according to their families, by
Manasseh and Ephraim, were:
YLT
28Sons of Joseph by their
families [are] Manasseh and Ephraim.
Verses 28-34
The sons of Joseph, after their families, were Manasseh and
Ephraim. Manasseh is here mentioned first, though Ephraim was preferred to
him by Jacob, and the standard belonged to him; not because he was the
firstborn, but because he had now the greater increase, though he had but one
son, Machir, of whom was the family of the Machirites, and a grandson, whose
name was Gilead, from whom was the family of the Gileadites, and who had six
sons; of whom were the families of the Jeezerite, Halekite, Asrielite,
Shechemite, Shemidaite, and Hepherite. Hepher, of whom was the last, had a son
named Zelophehad, but he had no son, only five daughters, whose names are
given; the number of men in this tribe, of twenty years old and upwards, fit
for war, was 52,700, so that the increase was 20,500, a large increase indeed!
Numbers 26:29 29 The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the
Machirites; and Machir begot Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.
YLT
29Sons of Manasseh: of Machir
[is] the family of the Machirite; and Machir hath begotten Gilead; of Gilead
[is] the family of the Gileadite.
Numbers 26:30 30 These are the sons of Gilead: of Jeezer,[i] the family
of the Jeezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites;
YLT
30These [are] sons of Gilead:
[of] Jeezer [is] the family of the Jeezerite; of Helek the family of the
Helekite;
Numbers 26:31 31 of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; of
Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;
YLT
31and [of] Asriel the family
of the Asrielite; and [of] Shechem the family of the Shechemite;
Numbers 26:32 32 of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; of
Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.
YLT
32and [of] Shemida the family
of the Shemidaite; and [of] Hepher the family of the Hepherite.
Numbers 26:33 33 Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but
daughters; and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah,
Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
YLT
33And Zelophehad son of
Hepher had no sons but daughters, and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad
[are] Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
Numbers 26:34 34 These are the families of Manasseh; and those
who were numbered of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.
YLT
34These [are] families of
Manasseh, and their numbered ones [are] two and fifty thousand and seven
hundred.
Numbers 26:35 35 These are the sons of Ephraim according to
their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites; of Becher,[j] the family
of the Bachrites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.
YLT
35These [are] sons of Ephraim
by their families: of Shuthelah [is] the family of the Shuthelhite; of Becher
the family of the Bachrite; of Tahan the family of the Tahanite.
Verses 35-37
These are the sons of Ephrain, after their families,.... Which
were but three, the Shuthalhite, the Bachrite, and the Tahanite, only from the
former sprung another family, called the Eranite; the number of the whole was
32,500; there was a decrease in this tribe of 8000.
Numbers 26:36 36 And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran,
the family of the Eranites.
YLT
36And these [are] sons of
Shuthelah: of Eran the family of the Eranite.
Numbers 26:37 37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim
according to those who were numbered of them: thirty-two thousand five hundred.
These are the sons of Joseph according to their families.
YLT
37These [are] families of the
sons of Ephraim, by their numbered ones, two and thirty thousand and five
hundred. These [are] sons of Joseph by their families.
Numbers 26:38 38 The sons of Benjamin according to their families were:
of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites;
of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites;
YLT
38Sons of Benjamin by their
families: of Bela [is] the family of the Belaite; of Ashbel the family of the
Ashbelite; of Ahiram the family of the Ahiramite;
Verses 38-41
The sons of Benjamin, after their families,.... This
tribe was numbered next to Ephraim, being under his standard. Five of the sons
of Benjamin are omitted, perhaps because they died without issue, and so no
families sprang from them; the names of the five sons mentioned vary a little
from the names of them in Genesis 46:21
instead of Ehi, it is here Ahiram; and instead of Huppim and Muppim, it is here
Shupham and Hupham; from these last five were the families of the Belaite,
Ashbelite, Ahiramite, Shuphamite, and Huphamite; and from the eldest of them
sprang two other families, the Ardite and Naamite, from Ard and Naaman, two
sons of Bela; the number of men in these families was 45,600, so that here was
an increase of 10,200.
Numbers 26:39 39 of Shupham,[k] the family
of the Shuphamites; of Hupham,[l] the family
of the Huphamites.
YLT
39of Shupham the family of
the Shuphamite; of Hupham the family of the Huphamite.
Numbers 26:40 40 And the sons of Bela were Ard[m] and Naaman:
of Ard, the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the
Naamites.
YLT
40And sons of Bela are Ard
and Naaman: [of Ard is] the family of the Ardite: of Naaman the family of the
Naamite.
Numbers 26:41 41 These are the sons of Benjamin according to
their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five
thousand six hundred.
YLT
41These [are] sons of
Benjamin by their families, and their numbered ones [are] five and forty
thousand and six hundred.
Numbers 26:42 42 These are the sons of Dan according to their
families: of Shuham,[n] the family
of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan according to their
families.
YLT
42These [are] sons of Dan by
their families: of Shuham [is] the family of the Shuhamite; these [are]
families of Dan by their families;
These are the sons of Dan, after their families,.... Though he
had but one son, the plural being put for the singular; or by sons are meant
his posterity; his son's name was Shuham, and by transposition Hushim, in Genesis 46:23 from
him was the family of the Shulamite; and yet, though but one, consisted of
64,400 men; there was an increase of 1700 in this tribe.
Numbers 26:43 43 All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those
who were numbered of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.
YLT
43all the families of the
Shuhamite, by their numbered ones, [are] four and sixty thousand and four
hundred.
Numbers 26:44 44 The sons of Asher according to their families were:
of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites; of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites; of
Beriah, the family of the Beriites.
YLT
44Sons of Asher by their
families: of Jimna [is] the family of the Jimnite; of Jesui the family of the
Jesuite; of Beriah the family of the Beriite.
Of the children of Asher, after their families,.... This
tribe was numbered next to Dan, because it was under his standard; one of his
sons is omitted, very probably dying childless, and so had no family; from the
rest sprang the families of the Iimnite, Jesuite, and Benite; and, from the latter,
two others, the Heberite and Malchielite; and it is remarked that Asher had a
daughter named Serah, and who also is particularly mentioned as a sister of
Asher's sons in Genesis 46:17 no
doubt but she was a remarkable woman, either for religion, or for wisdom and
prudence, or some amiable virtue or grace or another, that she is so
particularly taken notice of: according to MaimonidesF16Apud
Abendana in loc. she was an heiress; for though Asher had many sons, this was
his wife's daughter by another man, who had no sons, and the inheritance was
his daughter's, and therefore is so particularly mentioned; she inheriting as
the daughters of Zelophehad did: the number of persons in this tribe was
53,400, the increase was 11,900.
Numbers 26:45 45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the
Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.
YLT
45Of sons of Beriah: of Heber
[is] the family of the Heberite; of Malchiel the family of the Malchielite.
Numbers 26:46 46 And the name of the daughter of Asher was
Serah.
YLT
46And the name of the
daughter of Asher [is] Sarah.
Numbers 26:471 47 These are the families of the sons of Asher
according to those who were numbered of them: fifty-three thousand four
hundred.
YLT
47These [are] families of the
sons of Asher, by their numbered ones, three and fifty thousand and four
hundred.
Numbers 26:48 48 The sons of Naphtali according to their families were:
of Jahzeel,[o] the family
of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites;
YLT
48Sons of Naphtali by their
families: of Jahzeel [is] the family of the Jahzeelite; of Guni the family of
the Gunite;
Of the sons of Naphtali, after their families,.... This
tribe, which is the last of them, was numbered next to Asher, because it was
with that under the standard of Dan; it had four families in it, the
Jahzeelite, Gunite, Jezerite, and Shillemite, and its number was 45,400, being
less by 8000 than it was when first numbered.
Numbers 26:49 49 of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the
family of the Shillemites.
YLT
49of Jezer the family of the
Jezerite; of Shillem the family of the Shillemite.
Numbers 26:50 50 These are the families of Naphtali according to
their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five
thousand four hundred.
YLT
50These [are] families of
Naphtali by their families, and their numbered ones [are] five and forty
thousand and four hundred.
Numbers 26:51 51 These are those who were numbered of the
children of Israel: six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.
YLT
51These [are] numbered ones
of the sons of Israel, six hundred thousand, and a thousand, seven hundred and
thirty.
These were the numbered of
the children of Israel,.... The twelve tribes, consisting of so many families, as above
named; and the sum total of persons in them of twenty years old and upwards,
and fit for war, was
six hundred and one thousand and seven hundred and thirty; so that
though all those that were numbered thirty years ago were now dead, excepting
Joshua and Caleb, yet there wanted but 1820 of that number; so mindful was the
Lord of his promise, and so faithful to keep it, notwithstanding the
provocations of these people, to increase and multiply them, that they had
pretty near the number to go into the land of Canaan which they had when they
came out of Egypt.
Numbers 26:52 52 Then the Lord spoke to
Moses, saying:
YLT
52And Jehovah speaketh unto
Moses, saying,
And the Lord spake unto
Moses,.... After the sum of the people of Israel had been taken:
saying; as follows.
Numbers 26:53 53 “To these the land shall be divided as an inheritance,
according to the number of names.
YLT
53`To these is the land
apportioned by inheritance, by the number of names;
Unto these the land shall
be divided for an inheritance,.... That were numbered, and to none else:
according to the number of their names; and for this
end was the number of them now taken, that the land might be equally divided
among them; women and minors, or such as were under twenty years of age, had no
share in it; and even only those who were at that age at this time; so Jarchi
says, it was not divided to any that were less than twenty years of age, even
though they came to be full twenty before the division of the land; for they
were seven years subduing it, and seven years dividing it, yet none took any
part of it but these 601,730: nay, he says, if a man had six children they took
but their father's part only.
Numbers 26:54 54 To a large tribe you shall give a larger
inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a smaller inheritance.
Each shall be given its inheritance according to those who were numbered of
them.
YLT
54to the many thou dost
increase their inheritance, and to the few thou dost diminish their
inheritance; [to] each according to his numbered ones is given his inheritance.
To many thou shalt give
the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance,.... To a
tribe more numerous, and consisting of more and larger families, a greater part
of the land was to be given to them to possess; and to a smaller tribe, and of
the fewer families and persons in them, a lesser share of it: this direction is
given to Moses, but is not designed for him personally, for he never entered
the land, but died before Israel went into it; but for the chief ruler that
would be then in being, namely, Joshua, his successor:
to everyone shall his inheritance be given, according to those
that were numbered of him; that is, to every tribe, and so to every
family in it, according to the number of men in it, that were of the above age
when the sum of them was taken: because it is in the original text, "to a
man according to those numbered of him", &c.F17איש "viro", Montanus. ; hence the Jewish writersF18Vid.
T. Bab. Bava. Bathra, fol. 122. 1. gather, that the land was distributed not to
women, but to men only.
Numbers 26:55 55 But the land shall be divided by lot; they shall
inherit according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.
YLT
55`Only by lot is the land
apportioned, by the names of the tribes of their fathers they inherit;
Notwithstanding, the land
shall be divided by lot,.... That the division might appear to be according to the determination
and will of God, and not left to the judgment and discretion of the chief
magistrate, though bound by the above rule:
according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall
inherit; that is, according as to whatsoever name of a tribe such a part
or portion of the land comes up by lot, that shall their inheritance be: Jarchi
says, the names of the twelve tribes were written on twelve scrolls of
parchment, and twelve borders or limits of land on twelve others, and they were
mixed together in an urn, and the prince put his hand into it and took two
scrolls; a scroll came up with the name of a tribe, and a scroll with a border
or limit expressed on it; and the lot, he says, was by the Holy Ghost, for
Eleazar, at the same time, was clothed with Urim and ThummimF19Maimon.
& Bartenora in Misn. Biccurim, c. 1. sect. 5. ; so that the people were
certain that the disposition and division of the land was of God; but there
were but nine tribes and a half, among whom the land of Canaan was divided, two
tribes and a half settled on the other side Jordan, namely, the tribes of
Reuben and Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh.
Numbers 26:56 56 According to the lot their inheritance shall be
divided between the larger and the smaller.”
YLT
56according to the lot is
their inheritance apportioned between many and few.'
According to the lot shall
the possession thereof be divided,.... It was by the
determination of the lot that the land was divided by inheritance, and that was
by the Lord, according to Proverbs 16:33.
between many and few; it was so ordered of the
Lord by the lot, that the many should have a larger share, and the few a
lesser.
Numbers 26:57 57 And these are those who were numbered of the
Levites according to their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites;
of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the
Merarites.
YLT
57And these [are] numbered
ones of the Levite by their families: of Gershon [is] the family of the
Gershonite; of Kohath the family of the Kohathite; of Merari the family of the
Merarite.
And these are they that were numbered of the Levites, after their
families,.... And they were numbered not with the rest of the tribes of
Israel, but by themselves, as they were at the first numbering of the tribes;
the three principal families of which were, the Gershonite, the Kohathite, and
Merarite, so called from the three sons of Levi; but all their sons are not
mentioned, of the sons of Gershon only Libni, from whom was the family of the
Libnites; not Shimei, because, as Aben Ezra conjectures, either he had no sons,
or, if he had, they died without any, and so there was no family from them; and
of the sons of Kohath no mention is made of Uzziel, nor of Izhar, but in the
Korhites, only of the Hebronite family from Hebron; and of Amram, whose wife
Jochebed is spoken of as a daughter of Levi, whom Levi's wife, as Jarchi
rightly supplies it, bore to him in Egypt, and which Jochebed was the mother of
Aaron, Moses, and Miriam; and it is observed that Aaron had four sons, Nadab,
Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, the two first of which died for offering strange
fire to the Lord, and the two last were now living: from Merari, another son of
Levi, sprang two families, the Mahlite, and the Mushite; and the whole number
of the Levites at this time taken was 23,000 males of a month old and upward;
so that here was an increase of 1,000 males since the former numbering of them:
the reason why they were not numbered with the other tribes was, because they
had no part of the land of Israel divided to them, and had no inheritance in
it.
Numbers 26:58 58 These are the families of the Levites: the
family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the
Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, and the family of the Korathites. And
Kohath begot Amram.
YLT
58These [are] families of the
Levite: the family of the Libnite, the family of the Hebronite, the family of
the Mahlite, the family of the Mushite, the family of the Korathite. And Kohath
hath begotten Amram,
Numbers 26:59 59 The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed the
daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and to Amram she bore Aaron
and Moses and their sister Miriam.
YLT
59and the name of Amram's
wife is Jochebed, daughter of Levi, whom [one] hath born to Levi in Egypt; and
she beareth to Amram Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam their sister.
Numbers 26:60 60 To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and
Ithamar.
YLT
60And born to Aaron Nadab and
Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar;
Numbers 26:61 61 And Nadab and Abihu died when they offered profane
fire before the Lord.
YLT
61and Nadab dieth -- Abihu
also -- in their bringing near strange fire before Jehovah.
Numbers 26:62 62 Now those who were numbered of them were twenty-three
thousand, every male from a month old and above; for they were not numbered
among the other children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given to
them among the children of Israel.
YLT
62And their numbered ones are
three and twenty thousand, every male from a son of a month and upwards, for
they have not numbered themselves in the midst of the sons of Israel; for an
inheritance hath not been given to them in the midst of the sons of Israel.
Numbers 26:63 63 These are those who were numbered by Moses and
Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab
by the Jordan, across from Jericho.
YLT
63These [are] those numbered
by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who have numbered the sons of Israel in the
plains of Moab, by Jordan, [near] Jericho;
These are they that were
numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest,.... That is, these were
the Levites, their families, and the number of males in them, which was taken
by Moses and Eleazar, who might be only concerned in numbering the Levites, of
which tribe they were: and
who also numbered the children of Israel; all the
tribes of them, with the assistance of their princes:
in the plains of Moab, by Jordan, near Jericho; as they were
commanded by the Lord.
Numbers 26:64 64 But among these there was not a man of those who were
numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the children of
Israel in the Wilderness of Sinai.
YLT
64and among these there hath
not been a man of those numbered by Moses, and Aaron the priest, who numbered
the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai,
But among these there was
not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered..... About thirty
eight years before this time: this, as Aben Ezra observes, respects the
numbering of the Israelites, not of the Levites; for there were some of the
tribe of Levi numbered then who were living, as Eleazar, and very probably
Ithamar, and perhaps some few more, though it may be Eleazar, being now a
numberer, was not reckoned among the numbered:
when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of
Sinai; see Numbers 1:1 for as
there were none of the tribe of Levi among the spies, there might be but few of
them among the murmurers.
Numbers 26:65 65 For the Lord had said
of them, “They shall surely die in the wilderness.” So there was not left a man
of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
YLT
65for Jehovah said of them,
`They do certainly die in the wilderness;' and there hath not been left of them
a man save Caleb son of Jephunneh, and Joshua son of Nun.
For the Lord had said of
them, they shall surely die in the wilderness,.... This was threatened
them, Numbers 14:32 and
now it was fulfilled:
and there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of
Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun; the only two of the
spies that brought a good report of the land of Canaan; all the rest of them,
and those that murmured on the ill report of theirs, were now dead.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)