1že Hospodin řekl Mojžíšovi a knězi Eleazarovi, synu Áronovu: 2Učiňte soupis celé pospolitosti synů Izraele od věku dvaceti let výše podle domu jejich otců, všech schopných v Izraeli táhnout s armádou. 3I promluvil k nim Mojžíš s knězem Eleazarem v moábských stepích u Jordánu naproti Jerichu a řekli: 4Spočítejte lid od dvaceti let věku výše — tak jak přikázal Hospodin Mojžíšovi. A toto jsou synové Izraele, kteří vyšli z egyptské země: 5Rúben, Izraelův prvorozený. Synové Rúbenovi: podle Chanóka čeleď Chanókovců, podle Palúa čeleď Palúovců, 6podle Chesróna čeleď Chesrónců, podle Karmího čeleď Karmíovců, 7toto jsou čeledi Rúbenovců. Spočítaných bylo čtyřicet tři tisíc sedm set třicet. 8Synové Palúovi: Elíab. 9Synové Elíabovi: Nemúel, Dátan a Abíram. To byli Dátan a Abíram, vyvolení pospolitosti, kteří se hádali s Mojžíšem a Áronem v Kórachově pospolitosti, když se hádala s Hospodinem. 10Země otevřela svůj chřtán a pohltila je i Kóracha, když zemřela pospolitost, když oheň strávil dvě stě padesát mužů. I stali se výstražným znamením. 11Ale synové Kórachovi nezemřeli. 12Synové Šimeónovi podle svých čeledí: podle Nemúela čeleď Nemúelovců, podle Jamína čeleď Jamínovců, podle Jakína čeleď Jakínovců, 13podle Zeracha čeleď Zerachejců, podle Šaúla čeleď Šaúlovců. 14Toto jsou čeledi Šimeónovců: dvacet dva tisíc dvě stě. 15Synové Gádovi podle svých čeledí: podle Sefóna čeleď Sefónců, podle Chagího čeleď Chagíjců, podle Šúniho čeleď Šúnijců. 16Podle Ozního čeleď Ozníjců, podle Ériho čeleď Érijců, 17podle Aróda čeleď Aródoveců, podle Aréliho čeleď Arélijců. 18Toto jsou čeledi synů Gádových, jak byly spočítány: čtyřicet tisíc pět set. 19Synové Judovi: Ér a Ónan. Ér i Ónan zemřeli v kenaanské zemi. 20Synové Judovi podle svých čeledí byli: podle Šély čeleď Šélovců, podle Peresa čeleď Peresovců, podle Zeracha čeleď Zerachejců. 21Synové Peresovi byli: podle Chesróna čeleď Chesrónců, podle Chámula čeleď Chámulovců. 22Toto jsou čeledi Judejců, jak byly spočítány: sedmdesát šest tisíc pět set. 23Synové Isacharovi podle svých čeledí: podle Tóly čeleď Tólaovců, podle Púvy čeleď Púvaovců, 24podle Jašúba čeleď Jašúbců, podle Šimróna čeleď Šimrónců. 25Toto jsou čeledi Isacharovců, jak byly spočítány: šedesát čtyři tisíc tři sta. 26Synové Zabulónovi podle svých čeledí: podle Sereda čeleď Seredovců, podle Elóna čeleď Elónců, podle Jachleela čeleď Jachleelců. 27Toto jsou čeledi Zabulónovců, jak byly spočítány: šedesát tisíc pět set. 28Synové Josefovi podle svých čeledí, Manases a Efrajim. 29Synové Manasesovi: podle Makíra čeleď Makírovců; Makír zplodil Gileáda, podle Gileáda čeleď Gileádovců. 30Toto jsou synové Gileádovi: podle Íezera čeleď Íezerovců, podle Cheleka čeleď Chelekovců, 31podle Asríela čeleď Asríelovců, podle Šekema čeleď Šekemovců, 32podle Šemídy čeleď Šemídovců, podle Chefera čeleď Cheferovců. 33Selofchad, syn Cheferův, neměl syny, ale jenom dcery. Selofchadovy dcery se jmenovaly: Machla, Nóa, Chogla, Milka a Tirsa. 34Toto jsou čeledi Manasesovy, jak byly spočítány: padesát dva tisíc sedm set. 35Toto jsou synové Efrajimovi podle svých čeledí: podle Šútelacha čeleď Šútelachovců, podle Bekera čeleď Bekerovců, podle Tachana čeleď Tachanovců. 36Toto jsou synové Šútelachovi: podle Érana čeleď Éranovců. 37Toto jsou čeledi synů Efrajimových, jak byly spočítány: třicet dva tisíc pět set. To jsou synové Josefovi podle svých čeledí. 38Synové Benjamínovi podle svých čeledí: Podle Bely čeleď Belovců, podle Ašbela čeleď Ašbelovců, podle Achírama čeleď Achíramců, 39podle Šefúfama čeleď Šefúfamců, podle Chúfama čeleď Chúfamců. 40Synové Belovi byli: Ard a Naamán. Podle Arda čeleď Ardejců, podle Naamána čeleď Naamánců. 41Toto jsou synové Benjamínovi podle svých čeledí, jak byli spočítáni: čtyřicet pět tisíc šest set. 42Toto jsou synové Danovi podle svých čeledí: podle Šúchama čeleď Šúchamců. Toto jsou čeledi Danovy podle svých čeledí, 43všechny čeledi Šúchamců, jak byly spočítány: šedesát čtyři tisíc čtyři sta. 44Synové Ašerovi podle svých čeledí: podle Jimny čeleď Jimnajců, podle Jišvího čeleď Jišvíjců, podle Beríy čeleď Beríjců. 45Podle synů Beríových: podle Chebera čeleď Cheberovců, podle Malkíela čeleď Malkíelovců. 46Ašerova dcera se jmenovala Serach. 47Toto jsou čeledi synů Ašerových, jak byly spočítány: padesát tři tisíc čtyři sta. 48Synové Neftalího podle svých čeledí: podle Jachasíela čeleď Jachasíelců, podle Gúního čeleď Gúníjců, 49podle Jesera čeleď Jeserovců, podle Šiléma čeleď Šilémovců. 50Toto jsou čeledi Neftalího podle svých čeledí, jak byly spočítány: čtyřicet pět tisíc čtyři sta. 51Toto jsou spočítaní synové Izraele: šest set jeden tisíc sedm set třicet. 52Hospodin promluvil k Mojžíšovi: 53Těmto bude rozdělena země do dědictví podle jmenovitého výčtu. 54Většímu dáš větší dědictví, menšímu dáš menší dědictví. Každému bude dáno dědictví podle počtu jeho spočítaných. 55Země bude rozdělena losem, podle jmen svých otcovských pokolení obdrží dědictví. 56Podle losu bylo rozděleno dědictví, mezi většího i menšího. 57A toto jsou spočítaní Lévijci podle svých čeledí: podle Geršóna čeleď Geršónovců, podle Kehata čeleď Kehatovců a podle Merarího čeleď Meraríjců. 58Toto jsou čeledi Lévijců: čeleď Libníjců, čeleď Chebrónců, čeleď Machlíjců, čeleď Mušíjců, čeleď Kórachovců. Kehat zplodil Amráma. 59Amrámova žena se jmenovala Jókebed, dcera Léviho, která se narodila Lévimu v Egyptě. Porodila Amrámovi Árona, Mojžíše a jejich sestru Mirjam. 60Áronovi se narodil Nádab, Abíhú, Eleazar a Ítamar. 61Nádab a Abíhú však zemřeli, když přinesli před Hospodina cizí oheň. 62Jejich spočítaných bylo dvacet tři tisíc, všichni mužského pohlaví od jednoho měsíce výše. Nebyli totiž počítáni mezi syny Izraele, protože jim nebylo dáno dědictví mezi syny Izraele. 63Toto jsou ti, které spočítal Mojžíš s knězem Eleazarem, když počítali syny Izraele v moábských stepích u Jordánu naproti Jerichu. 64Mezi nimi nebyl nikdo ze spočítaných Mojžíšem a knězem Áronem, když počítali syny Izraele v Sínajské pustině, 65neboť Hospodin o nich řekl: Jistě zemřou v této pustině. Nezůstal z nich nikdo, kromě Káleba, syna Jefunova, a Jozua, syna Núnova.
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.
