1ER sprach zu Mosche und zu Elasar Sohn Aharons des Priesters, sprach: 2Erhebt die Hauptzahl aller Gemeinschaft der Söhne Jissraels, vom Zwanzigjährigen aufwärts, nach ihrem Väterhaus, alles was ausfährt zur Heerschar in Jissrael. 3Mosche redete und Elasar der Priester mit ihnen in den Steppen Moabs am Jericho-Jordan, sprechend: 4Vom Zwanzigjährigen aufwärts ...! wie ER Mosche geboten hatte. So die Söhne Jissraels, die aus dem Land Ägypten fuhren: 5Ruben Erstgeborner Jissraels, die Söhne Rubens: Chanoch, die Chanochsippe; von Pallu die Pallusippe; 6von Chezron die Chezronsippe; von Karmi die Karmisippe. 7Dies die Rubensippen, ihrer Eingeordneten waren dreiundvierzigtausend und siebenhundertunddreißig. 8Söhne Pallus: Eliab, 9Söhne Eliabs: Nmuel und Datan und Abiram, das sind Datan und Abiram, die Berufnen der Gemeinschaft, die haderten gegen Mosche und gegen Aharon in der Gemeinde Korachs, als die gegen IHN haderten, 10die Erde öffnete ihren Mund, sie verschlang sie und Korach, als die Gemeinde starb, als das Feuer die zweihundertundfünfzig Männer fraß, sie wurden zu einem Warnungszeichen; 11die Söhne Korachs aber starben nicht. 12Die Söhne Schimons nach ihren Sippen: von Nmuel die Nmuelsippe; von Jamin die Jaminsippe; von Jachin die Jachinsippe; 13von Sarach die Sarachsippe; von Schaul die Schaulsippe. 14Dies die Schimonsippen, zweiundzwanzigtausend und zweihundert.. 15Die Söhne Gads nach ihren Sippen: von Zfon die Zfonsippe; von Chaggi die Chaggisippe; von Schuni die Schunisippe; 16von Osni die Osnisippe; von Eri die Erisippe; 17von Arod die Arodsippe; von Areli die Arelisippe. 18Dies die Sippen der Söhne Gads nach ihren Eingeordneten, vierzigtausend und fünfhundert. 19Die Söhne Jehudas: Her und Onan, Her starb und Onan im Lande Kanaan. 20Es waren die Söhne Jehudas nach ihren Sippen: von Schela die Schelasippe; von Parez die Parezsippe; von Sarach die Sarachsippe. 21Die Söhne Parez' waren: von Chezron die Chezronsippe; von Chamul die Chamulsippe. 22Dies die Sippen Jehudas nach ihren Eingeordneten, sechsundsiebzigtausend und fünfhundert. 23Die Söhne Jissachars nach ihren Sippen: Tola, die Tolasippe; von Puwwa die Puwwasippe; 24von Jaschub die Jaschubsippe; von Schimron die Schimronsippe. 25Dies die Sippen Jissachars nach ihren Eingeordneten, vierundsechzigtausend und dreihundert. 26Die Söhne Sbuluns nach ihren Sippen: von Ssared die Ssaredsippe; von Elon die Elonsippe; von Jachlel die Jachlelsippe. 27Dies die Sbulunsippen nach ihren Eingeordneten, sechzigtausend und fünfhundert. 28Die Söhne Jossefs nach ihren Sippen: Mnasche und Efrajim. 29Die Söhne Mnasches: von Machir die Machirsippe; Machir zeugte Gilad: von Gilad die Giladsippe; 30dies sind die Söhne Gilads: Ieser, die Iesersippe; von Chelek die Cheleksippe; 31und Assrďel, die Assrďelsippe; und Schechem, die Schechemsippe; 32und Schmida, die Schmidasippe; und Chefer, die Chefersippe; 33und Zlofchad Sohn Chefers, der hatte keine Söhne, sondern nur Töchter, und der Name von Zlofchads Töchtern: Machla und Noa, Chogla, Milka und Tirza. 34Dies die Sippen Mnasches, und ihrer Eingeordneten zweiundfünfzigtausend und siebenhundert. 35Dies sind die Söhne Efrajims nach ihren Sippen: von Schutalach die Schutalachsippe; von Bacher die Bachersippe; von Tachan die Tachansippe; 36und dies sind die Söhne Schutalachs: von Eran die Eransippe.. 37Dies die Sippen der Söhne Efrajims nach ihren Eingeordneten, zweiunddreißigtausend und fünfhundert. Dies die Söhne Jossefs nach ihren Sippen. 38Die Söhne Binjamins nach ihren Sippen: von Bala die Balasippe; von Aschbel die Aschbelsippe; von Achiram die Achiramsippe; 39von Schfufam die Schfufamsippe; von Chufam die Chufamsippe; 40die Söhne Balas waren Ard und Naaman: die Ardsippe, von Naaman die Naamansippe. 41Dies die Söhne Binjamins nach ihren Sippen, und ihrer Eingeordneten fünfundvierzigtausend und sechshundert. 42Dies sind die Söhne Dans nach ihren Sippen: von Schucham die Schuchamsippe. Dies die Sippen Dans, nach ihren Sippen; 43aller Schuchamsippen nach ihren Eingeordneten vierundsechzigtausend und vierhundert. 44Die Söhne Aschers nach ihren Sippen: von Jimma die Jimmasippe; von Jischwi die Jischwisippe; von Bria die Briasippe; 45von den Söhnen Brias: von Chaber die Chabersippe; von Malkďel die Malkďelsippe; 46und der Name der Tochter Aschers: Ssarach. 47Dies die Sippen der Söhne Aschers nach ihren Eingeordneten, dreiundfünfzigtausend und vierhundert. 48Die Söhne Naftalis nach ihren Sippen: von Jachzel die Jachzelsippe; von Guni die Gunisippe; 49von Jezer die Jezersippe; von Schillem die Schillemsippe. 50Dies die Sippen Naftalis, nach ihren Sippen, und ihrer Eingeordneten fünfundvierzigtausend und vierhundert. 51Dies die Eingeordneten der Söhne Jissraels, sechshunderttausend und tausend, siebenhundert und dreißig. 52ER redete zu Mosche, sprechend: 53Diesen werde das Land zugeteilt als Eigentum nach Namenzahl, 54dem Mehrhaltigen mehre sein Eigentum, dem Minderhaltigen mindre sein Eigentum, die Mannschaft, entsprechend ihren Eingeordneten werde ihr Eigentum ausgegeben 55- jedoch durchs Los werde das Land eingeteilt, nach den Namen ihrer Väterstäbe sollen sie eignen - , 56nach dem Geheiß des Loses werde ihr Eigentum verteilt zwischen dem Mehrhaltigen und dem Minderhaltigen. 57Und dies sind die lewitischen Eingeordneten nach ihren Sippen: von Gerschon die Gerschonsippe; von Khat die Khatsippe; von Mrari die Mrarisippe. 58Dies sind Sippen Lewis: die Libnisippe, die Chebronsippe, die Machlisippe, die Muschisippe, die Korachsippe. Khat aber zeugte Amram, 59und der Name von Amrams Weib: Jochebed Tochter Lewis, die dem Lewi in Ägypten geboren wurde, sie gebar dem Amram Aharon und Mosche und ihre Schwester Mirjam. 60Dem Aharon wurden geboren Nadab und Abihu, Elasar und Itamar, 61Nadab aber und Abihu starben, als sie ungehöriges Feuer vor IHN darnahten. 62Ihrer Eingeordneten waren dreiundzwanzigtausend, alles Männlichen vom Monatkind aufwärts, denn sie durften sich nicht einordnen lassen inmitten der Söhne Jissraels, denn ihnen wurde nicht Eigentum gegeben inmitten der Söhne Jissraels. 63Dies die Eingeordneten Mosches und Elasars des Priesters, welche die Söhne Jissraels in den Steppen Moabs am Jericho-Jordan einordneten, 64nicht war unter ihnen ein Mann von den Eingeordneten Mosches und Aharons des Priesters, welche die Söhne Jissraels in der Wüste Ssinai einordneten. 65Denn ER hatte von ihnen gesprochen: In der Wüste sterben sie, sterben! Niemand überblieb von ihnen, nur Kaleb Sohn Jefunnes und Jehoschua Sohn Nuns.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 Observe here, 1. That Moses did not number the people but when God commanded him. David in his time did it without a command, and paid dearly for it. God was Israel's king, and he would not have this act of authority done but by his express orders. Moses, perhaps, by this time, had heard of the blessing with which Balaam was constrained, sorely against his will, to bless Israel, and particularly the notice he took of their numbers; and he was sufficiently pleased with that general testimony borne to this instance of their strength and honour by an adversary, though he knew not their numbers exactly, till God now appointed him to take the sum of them. 2. Eleazar was joined in commission with him, as Aaron had been before, by which God honoured Eleazar before the elders of his people, and confirmed his succession. 3. It was presently after the plague that this account was ordered to be taken, to show that though God had in justice contended with them by that sweeping pestilence, yet he had not made a full end, nor would he utterly cast them off. God's Israel shall not be ruined, though it be severely rebuked. 4. They were now to go by the same rule that they had gone by in the former numbering, counting those only that were able to go forth to war, for this was the service now before them.
5 This is the register of the tribes as they were now enrolled, in the same order that they were numbered in ch. 1. Observe,
I. The account that is here kept of the families of each tribe, which must not be understood of such as we call families, those that live in a house together, but such as were the descendants of the several sons of the patriarchs, by whose names, in honour of them, their posterity distinguished themselves and one another. The families of the twelve tribes are thus numbered: - Of Dan but one, for Dan had but one son, and yet that tribe was the most numerous of all except Judah,
Num 26:42,
Num 26:43. Its beginning was small, but its latter end greatly increased. Zebulun was divided into three families, Ephraim into four, Issachar into four, Naphtali into four, and Reuben into four; Judah, Simeon, and Asher, had five families apiece, Gad and Benjamin seven apiece, and Manasseh eight. Benjamin brought ten sons into Egypt (
Gen 46:21), but three of them, it seems either died childless or their families were extinct, for here we find seven only of those names preserved, and that whole tribe none of the most numerous; for Providence, in the building up of families and nations, does not tie itself to probabilities.
The barren hath borne seven, and she that hath many children has waxed feeble, 1Sam 2:5.
II. The numbers of each tribe. And here our best entertainment will be to compare these numbers with those when they were numbered at Mount Sinai. The sum total was nearly the same; they were now 1820 fewer than they were then; yet seven of the tribes had increased in number. Judah had increased 1900, Issachar 9900, Zebulun 3100, Manasseh 20,500, Benjamin 10,200, Dan 1700, and Asher 11,900. But the other five had decreased more than to balance that increase. Reuben had decreased 2770, Simeon 37,100, Gad 5150, Ephraim 8000, and Naphtali 8000. In this account we may observe, 1. that all the three tribes that were encamped under the standard of Judah, who was the ancestor of Christ, had increased, for his church shall be edified and multiplied. 2. That none of the tribes had increased so much as that of Manasseh, which in the former account was the smallest of all the tribes, only 32,200, while here it is one of the most considerable; and that of his brother Ephraim, which there was numerous, is here one of the least. Jacob had crossed hands upon their heads, and had preferred Ephraim before Manasseh, which perhaps the Ephraimites had prided themselves too much in, and had trampled upon their brethren the Manassites; but, when the Lord saw that Manasseh was despised, he thus multiplied him exceedingly, for it is his glory to help the weakest, and raise up those that are cast down. 3. That none of the tribes decreased so much as Simeon did; from 59,300, it such to 22,200, little more than a third part of what it was. One whole family of that tribe (namely Ohad, mentioned
Exod 6:15) was extinct in the wilderness. Hence Simeon is not mentioned in Moses's blessing (Deu. 33), and the lot of that tribe in Canaan was inconsiderable, only a canton out of Judah's lot,
Josh 19:9. Some conjecture that most of those 24,000 who were cut off by the plague for the iniquity of Peor were of that tribe; for Zimri, who was a ringleader in that iniquity, was a prince of that tribe, many of whom therefore were influenced by his example to
follow his pernicious ways. III. In the account of the tribe of Reuben mention is made of the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram, who were of that tribe, in confederacy with Korah a Levite,
Num 26:9-
Num 26:11. Though the story had been largely related but a few chapters before, yet here it comes in again, as fit to be had in remembrance and thought of by posterity, whenever they looked into their pedigree and pleased themselves with the antiquity of their families and the glory of their ancestors, that they might call themselves a seed of evil doers. Two things are here said of them: - 1. That they had been
famous in the congregation, Num 26:9. Probably they were remarkable for their ingenuity, activity, and fitness for business: -
That Dathan and Abiram that might have been advanced in due time under God and Moses; but their ambitious spirits put them upon striving against God and Moses, and when they quarrelled with the one they quarrelled with the other. And what was the issue? 2. Those that might have been famous were made infamous: they
became a sign, Num 26:10. They were made monuments of divine justice; God, in their ruin, showed himself glorious in holiness, and so they were set up for a warning to all others, in all ages, to take heed of treading in the steps of their pride and rebellion. Notice is here taken of the preservation of the
children of Korah (
Num 26:11); they
died not, as the children of Dathan and Abiram did, doubtless because they kept themselves pure from the infection, and would not join, no, not with their own father, in rebellion. If we partake not of the sins of sinners, we shall not partake of their plagues. These sons of Korah were afterwards, in their posterity, eminently serviceable to the church, being employed by David as singers in the house of the Lord; hence many psalms are said to be for
the sons of Korah: and perhaps they were made to bear his name so long after, rather than the name of any other of their ancestors, for warning to themselves, and as an instance of the power of God, which brought those choice fruits even out of that bitter root. The children of families that have been stigmatized should endeavour, by their eminent virtues, to roll away the reproach of their fathers.
52 If any ask why such a particular account is kept of the tribes, and families, and numbers, of the people of Israel, here is an answer for them; as they were multiplied, so they were portioned, not by common providence, but by promise; and, for the support of the honour of divine revelation, God will have the fulfilling of the promise taken notice of both in their increase and in their inheritance. When Moses had numbered the people God did not say,
By these shall the land be conquered; but, taking that for granted, he tells him,
Unto these shall the land be divided. These that are now registered as the sons of Israel shall be admitted (as it were by copy of court-roll) heirs of the land of Canaan. Now, in the distributing, or quartering, of these tribes, 1. The general rule of equity is here prescribed to Moses, that to many he should give more, and to few he should give less (
Num 26:54); yet, alas!
he was so far from giving any to others that he must not have any himself, but this direction given to him was intended for Joshua his successor. 2. The application of this general rule was to be determined
by lot (v. 55); notwithstanding it seems thus to be left to the prudence of their prince, yet the matter must be finally reserved to the providence of their God, in which they must all acquiesce, how much soever it contradicted their policies or inclination:
According to the lot shall the possession be divided. As the God of nations, so the God of Israel in particular, reserves it to himself to
appoint the bounds of our habitation. And thus Christ, our Joshua, when he was urged to appoint one of his disciples
to his right hand, another
to his left in his kingdom, acknowledged the sovereignty of his Father in the disposal:
It is not mine to give. Joshua must not dispose of inheritances in Canaan according to his own mind.
But it shall be given to those for whom it is prepared of my Father. 57 Levi was God's tribe, a tribe that was to have no inheritance with the rest in the land of Canaan, and therefore was not numbered with the rest, but by itself; so it had been numbered in the beginning of this book at Mount Sinai, and therefore came not under the sentence passed upon all that were then numbered, that none of them should enter Canaan but Caleb and Joshua; for of the Levites that were not numbered with them, nor were to go forth to war, Eleazar and Ithamar, and perhaps others who were above twenty years old then (as appears,
Josh 4:16, 28), entered Canaan; and yet this tribe, now at its second numbering, had increased but 1000, and was still one of the smallest tribes. Mention is made here of the death of Nadab and Abihu for offering strange fire, as before of the sin and punishment of Korah, because
these things happened to them for ensamples. 63 That which is observable in this conclusion of the account is the execution of the sentence passed upon the murmurers (
Num 14:29), that not one of those who
were numbered from twenty years old and upwards (and that the Levites were not, but either from a month old or from thirty years old to fifty) should enter Canaan, except Caleb and Joshua. In the muster now made particular directions, no doubt, were given to those of each tribe that were employed in taking the account, to compare these rolls with the former, and to observe whether there were any now left of those that were numbered at Mount Sinai, and it appeared that there was not one man numbered now that was numbered then except Caleb and Joshua,
Num 26:64,
Num 26:65. Herein appeared, 1. The righteousness of God, and his faithfulness to his threatenings, when once the
decree has gone forth. He
swore in his wrath, and what he had sworn he performed. Better all those carcasses, had they been ten times as many, should fall to the ground, than the word of God. Though the rising generation was mixed with the, and many of the guilty and condemned criminals long survived the sentence, even to the last year of the forty, yet they were cut off by some means or other before this muster was made. Those whom God has condemned cannot escape either by losing themselves in a crowd or by the delay of execution. 2. The goodness of God to this people, notwithstanding their provocations. Though that murmuring race was cut off, yet God raised up another generation, which was as numerous as they, that, though they perished, yet the name of Israel might not be cut off, lest the inheritance of the promise should be lost for want of heirs. And, though the number fell a little short what it was at Mount Sinai, yet those now numbered had this advantage, that they were all middle-aged men, between twenty and sixty, in the prime of their time for service; and during the thirty-eight years of their wandering and wasting in the wilderness they had an opportunity of acquainting themselves with the laws and ordinances of God, having no business, civil or military, to divert them from those sacred studies, and having Moses and Aaron to instruct them, and God's good Spirit,
Neh 9:20. 3. The truth of God, in performing his promise made to Caleb and Joshua. They were to be preserved from falling in this common ruin, and they were so. The arrows of death, though they fly in the dark, do not fly at random, even when they fly thickest, but are directed to the mark intended, and no other. All that are written among the living shall have their lives given them for a prey, in the most dangerous times. Thousands may fall on their right hand, and ten thousands on their left, but they shall escape.
