1Po této ráně Hospodin řekl Mojžíšovi a Eleazarovi, synu kněze Árona: 2„Sečtěte celou izraelskou obec. Od dvaceti let výše započtěte podle jejich otcovských domů každého, kdo je v Izraeli schopen vycházet do boje.“ 3Mojžíš s knězem Eleazarem k nim tedy na moábských pláních při Jordánu naproti Jerichu promluvili takto: 4„Sečtěte lid od dvacetiletých výše, jak Hospodin přikázal Mojžíšovi.“ Toto jsou synové Izraele, kteří vyšli z Egypta: 5Synové Rubena, Izraelova prvorozeného: Chanoch a z něj rod chanošský, Palu a z něj rod paluský, 6Checron a z něj rod checronský, Karmi a z něj rod karmijský. 7To jsou rubenské rody. Čítaly 43 730 mužů. 8Palu měl syna Eliaba 9a Eliab měl syny Nemuela, Dátana a Abirama. To byl ten Dátan a Abiram, zástupci obce, kteří s Korachovou tlupou bojovali proti Mojžíšovi a Áronovi při svém odboji proti Hospodinu. 10Tehdy země otevřela ústa a pohltila je i Koracha. Celá ta tlupa pomřela a oněch 250 mužů pohltil oheň, takže se stali výstražným znamením. 11Korachovi synové ale nevymřeli. 12Synové Šimeonovi po svých rodech: Nemuel a z něj rod nemuelský, Jamin a z něj rod jaminský, Jachin a z něj rod jachinský, 13Cochar a z něj rod cocharský, Šaul a z něj rod šaulský. 14To jsou šimeonské rody. Čítaly 22 200 mužů. 15Synové Gádovi po svých rodech: Cefon a z něj rod cefonský, Chagi a z něj rod chagijský, Šuni a z něj rod šunijský, 16Ozni a z něj kmen oznijský, Eri a z něj kmen erijský, 17Arodi a z něj kmen arodijský, Areli a z něj kmen arelijský. 18To jsou rody Gádových synů. Čítaly 40 500 mužů. 19(Er a Onan, Judovi synové, zemřeli v kanaánské zemi.) 20Synové Judovi po svých rodech: Šela a z něj rod šelský, Peres a z něj rod pereský, Zerach a z něj rod zerašský. 21Synové Peresovi: z Checrona rod checronský, z Chamula rod chamulský. 22To jsou rody Judovy. Čítaly 76 500 mužů. 23Synové Isacharovi po svých rodech: Tola a z něj rod tolský, Pua a z něj rod pujský, 24Jašub a z něj rod jašubský, Šimron a z něj rod šimronský. 25To jsou rody Isacharovy. Čítaly 64 300 mužů. 26Synové Zabulonovi po svých rodech: Sered a z něj rod seredský, Elon a z něj rod elonský, Jachleel a z něj rod jachleelský. 27To jsou zabulonské rody. Čítaly 60 500 mužů. 28Synové Josefovi po svých rodech: Manases a Efraim. 29Synové Manasesovi: Machir a z něj rod machirský (a Machir zplodil Gileáda), Gileád a z něj rod gileádský. 30Synové Gileádovi: Iezer a z něj rod iezerský, Chelek a z něj rod chelecký, 31Asriel a z něj rod asrielský, Šechem a z něj rod šechemský, 32Šemid a z něj rod šemidský, Chefer a z něj rod cheferský. 33Celofchad, syn Cheferův, neměl syny, jen samé dcery. Ty se jmenovaly: Machla, Noa, Chogla, Milka a Tirsa. 34To jsou rody Manasesovy. Čítaly 52 700 mužů. 35Synové Efraimovi po svých rodech: Šutelach a z něj rod šutelašský, Beker a z něj rod bekerský, Tachan a z něj rod tachanský. 36Synové Šutelachovi: Eran a z něj rod eranský. 37To jsou rody synů Efraimových. Čítaly 32 500 mužů. To jsou synové Josefovi po svých rodech. 38Synové Benjamínovi po svých rodech: Bela a z něj rod belský, Ašbel a z něj rod ašbelský, Achiram a z něj rod achiramský, 39Šufam a z něj rod šufamský, Chufam a z něj rod chufamský. 40Synové Belovi: Ard a Naáman: z Arda rod ardský, z Naámana rod naámanský. 41To jsou synové Benjamínovi po svých rodech. Čítaly 45 600 mužů. 42Toto jsou synové Danovi po svých rodech: Šucham a z něj rod šuchamský. To jsou čeledi Danovy po svých rodech. 43Všechny šuchamské rody čítaly 64 400 mužů. 44Synové Ašerovi po svých rodech: Jimna a z něj rod jimenský, Jišvi a z něj rod jišvijský, Berija a z něj rod berijský. 45Synové Beriovi: Cheber a z něj rod cheberský, Malkiel a z něj kmen malkielský. 46Ašerova dcera se jmenovala Serach. 47To jsou rody synů Ašerových. Čítaly 53 400 mužů. 48Synové Neftalímovi po svých rodech: Jachceel a z něj rod jachceelský, Guni a z něj rod gunijský, 49Jecer a z něj rod jecerský, Šilem a z něj rod šilemský. 50To jsou čeledi Neftalímovy po svých rodech. Čítaly 45 400 mužů. 51Toto je celkový součet synů Izraele: 601 730 mužů. 52Hospodin promluvil k Mojžíšovi: 53Ať je těmto rodům přiděleno dědičné území podle počtu zapsaných osob. 54Většímu rodu přiděl větší dědictví, menšímu menší – každému podle jeho velikosti. 55Země bude ovšem rozdělena losem; budou přijímat dědictví podle počtu osob ve svém otcovském pokolení. 56Dědictví jim bude rozděleno losem, ať už malému či velkému. 57Toto je výčet levitů po jejich rodech: Geršon a z něj rod geršonský, Kehat a z něj rod kehatský, Merari a z něj rod merarijský. 58Patří do nich tyto levitské rody: rod libnijský, rod hebronský, rod machlijský, rod mušijský, rod korachovský. Kehat zplodil Amrama. 59Amramova žena jménem Jochebed byla levitská dcera narozená Levimu v Egyptě. Ta Amramovi porodila Árona, Mojžíše a jejich sestru Miriam. 60Áronovi se narodil Nádab, Abihu, Eleazar a Itamar. 61Nádab a Abihu však zemřeli, když před Hospodinem obětovali nepatřičný oheň. 62Z levitů bylo započteno celkem 23 000 mužů starších jednoho měsíce. Nebyli započteni mezi syny Izraele, neboť jim mezi nimi nepřipadlo žádné dědictví. 63Toto jsou synové Izraele, které sečetl Mojžíš s knězem Eleazarem na moábských pláních při Jordánu naproti Jerichu. 64Nebyl mezi nimi nikdo ze synů Izraele, které sečetl Mojžíš s knězem Áronem na poušti Sinaj. 65O těch totiž Hospodin řekl: „Musejí zemřít na poušti,“ a nezůstal z nich nikdo než Káleb, syn Jefunův, a Jozue, syn Nunův.
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.