Bible Commentaries
Numbers 1

Verses 1-46

The Muster of the People

v. 1. And the Lord spake unto Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, while the people were still encamped below the mountain, in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, from the place above the mercy-seat, between the cherubs, where He had promised to reveal His glory and to communicate with Moses, Exodus 25:22, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying",

v. 2. Take ye, Moses and his assistants, the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel after their families, the large divisions of the tribes known by the name of some prominent leader, Exodus 6:14, by the house of their fathers, which was a subdivision of the former, with the number of their names, numbered and recorded individually, every male by their polls, for these only were entered into the lists, Exodus 30:14;

v. 3. from twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel. Thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies, muster them in such divisions, because they were to be organized as the armies of Jehovah, carry arms in waging war in His interest.

v. 4. And with you, as assistants for this special purpose, there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers, holding at least this rank among the people.

v. 10. of the children of Joseph, who were divided into two sections, or tribes, the one division taking the place of the Levites, who were not numbered with the tribes: of Ephraim: Elishama, the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh: Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur.

v. 16. These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel, for that division of the people known technically as "family" numbered at least a thousand households.

v. 17. And Moses and Aaron took these men which are expressed by their names, distinguished by being selected by the Lord Himself;

v. 18. and they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they, the people, declared their pedigrees, stated exactly from whom they were descended, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.

v. 20. And the children of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war:

v. 22. of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war:

v. 24. of the children of Gad, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war:

v. 26. of the children of Judah, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war:

v. 28. of the children of Issachar, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war:

v. 30. of the children of Zebulun, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war:

v. 32. of the children of Joseph, namely, of the children of Ephraim, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war:

v. 34. of the children of Manasseh, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war:

v. 36. of the children of Benjamin, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war:

v. 38. of the children of Dan, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war:

v. 40. of the children of Asher, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war:

v. 42. of the children of Naphtali, throughout their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war:

v. 45. So were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel:

v. 46. even all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty, or, in figures, 603,550, a number which tallies exactly with that given about nine months before, when the Sanctuary money was required, Exodus 38:25-26.

Verses 47-54

The Levites Set Aside for God's Service.

v. 47. But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them, they were not included in this census.

v. 48. For the Lord had spoken unto Moses, saying,

v. 49. Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, they were not to be mustered and organized for war, neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel;

v. 50. but thou shalt appoint the Levites over the Tabernacle of Testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it; they were to have all these things in their charge and be responsible for their safe-keeping; they shall bear the Tabernacle and all the vessels thereof, carry them from one encampment to the next; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the Tabernacle, in carrying out the charge entrusted to them.

v. 51. And when the Tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down, for it was constructed with this object in mind; and when the Tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up; and the stranger that cometh nigh, he who does not belong to the tribe of Levi, shall be put to death.

v. 52. And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, in that section of the encampment assigned to his tribe, and every man by his own standard, the flag, or banner, which showed the location of his tribe, throughout their hosts.

v. 53. But the Levites shall pitch round about the Tabernacle of Testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel; for the anger of the Lord would surely strike every unauthorized person that dared to transgress the Lord's commandment in coming near to the Tabernacle; and the Levites shall keep the charge of the Tabernacle of Testimony.

v. 54. And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses; so did they. Note that it appears throughout: God is a God of order, 1 Corinthians 14:40, and it pleases Him if the matters pertaining to His service are carried out according to a well-arranged plan.