1Y aconteció después de la mortandad, que Jehovah (el Eterno) habló a Moisés, y a ELazar, hijo del ministro Aharón, al decir: 2Tomad la suma de toda la congregación de los hijos de IsraeL, de veinte años y arriba, por las casas de sus padres, a todos los que pueden salir a la guerra en IsraeL. 3Y habló Moisés y ELazar el ministro con ellos en los campos de Moab junto al Yardén de Jericó, al decir: 4Contaréis el pueblo de veinte años y arriba, como mandó Jehovah (el Eterno) a Moisés, y a los hijos de IsraeL, que habían salido de tierra de Mizraim. 5Rubén primer nacido de IsraeL. Los hijos de Rubén fueron Henoc, del cual era la familia de los Jenoquitas: de Falú, la familia de los Faluítas; 6De Hezrón, la familia del Hezronita: de Carmi, la familia del Carmita. 7Estas fueron las familias de los Rubenitas: y sus contados fueron cuarenta y tres mil setecientos treinta. 8Y los hijos de Falú: ELiab. 9Y los hijos de ELiab: NemueL, y Datán, y Abiram. Este Datán y Abiram fueron llamados de la congregación, que debatieron contra Moisés y Aharón en la congregación de Córac, al debatir contra Jehovah (el Eterno); 10Que la tierra abrió su boca, y tragó a ellos y a Córac, cuando la compañía murió, que consumió el fuego doscientos cincuenta varones: que fueron por señal. 11Mas los hijos de Córac, no murieron. 12Los hijos de Simeón por sus familias fueron de NemueL, la familia del Nemuelita: de Jamín, la familia del Jaminita: de Jaquín, la familia del Jaquinita: 13De Zérac, la familia del Zeraquita: de Saúl, la familia del Saulita. 14Estas fueron las familias del Simeonita, veintidós mil y doscientos. 15Los hijos de Gad por sus familias: de Zefón la familia de Zefoni: de Hagi, la familia de Hagi: de Suni, la familia de Suni: 16De Azeni, la familia de Azeni: de Eri, la familia de los Eritas: 17De Arod, la familia de Arodi: de Areli, la familia de Areli. 18Estas fueron las familias de los hijos de Gad por sus contados, cuarenta mil y quinientos. 19Los hijos de Jehudá: Er, y Onán; y murió Er, y Onán en la tierra de Kenaán. 20Y fueron los hijos de Jehudá por sus familias: de Sela, la familia del Selanita: de Ferez, la familia del Ferezita: de Zérac, la familia del Zeraquita. 21Y fueron los hijos de Ferez: de Hezrón, la familia del Hezronita: de Hamul, la familia del Hamulita. 22Estas fueron las familias de Jehudá por sus contados, setenta y seis mil y quinientos. 23Los hijos de Isacar por sus familias: de Tola, la familia de los Tolaítas: de Fuá, la familia del Funita: 24De Jasub, la familia del Jasubita: de Simrón, la familia del Simronita. 25Estas fueron las familias de Isacar por sus contados, sesenta y cuatro mil y trescientos. 26Los hijos de Zebulún por sus familias: de Sared, la familia de los Sareditas: de Elón, la familia de los Elonitas: de Jalel, la familia de los Jalelitas. 27Estas fueron las familias del Zebulonita por sus contados, sesenta mil y quinientos. 28Los hijos de Yosef por sus familias: Manasés, y Efraim. 29Los hijos de Manasés: de Maquir, la familia de los Maquiritas: y Maquir engendró a Gilad: de Gilad, la familia del Giladita. 30Estos fueron los hijos de Gilad: de Jezer, la familia de los Jezeritas: de Helec, la familia de los Helecitas: 31De Asriel, la familia de los Asrielitas: de Sikem, la familia de los Sequemitas: 32De Semida, la familia del Semidaita: de Hefer, la familia del Queferita. 33Y Salfaad, hijo de Hefer, no tuvo hijos sino hijas: y los nombres de las hijas de Salfaad fueron Macla, y Noa, y Hegla, y Milca, y Tirza. 34Estas fueron las familias de Manasés, y sus contados, cincuenta y dos mil setecientos. 35Estos fueron les hijos de Efraim por sus familias: de Sutala, la familia de los Sutalaitas: de Veker, la familia del Vekerita: de Tahán, la familia del Tahanita: 36Y estos fueron los hijos de Sutala: de Herán, la familia de los Heranitas. 37Estas fueron las familias de los hijos de Efraim por sus contados, treinta y dos mil y quinientos. Estos fueron los hijos de Yosef por sus familias. 38Los hijos de Benjamín por sus familias: de Bela, la familia del Belaíta: de Asbel, la familia del Asbelita: de Ahiram, la familia del Ahiramita: 39De Sefufam, la familia del Sufamita: de Hufam, la familia del Hufamita. 40Y los hijos de Bela fueron Ared y Naamán: <de Ared,> la familia del Aredita; de Naamán, la familia del Naamita. 41Estos fueron los hijos de Benjamín por sus familias: y sus contados cuarenta y cinco mil y seiscientos. 42Estos fueron los hijos de Dan por sus familias: de Suham la familia del Suhamita: estas fueron las familias de Dan por sus familias. 43Todas las familias del Suhamita por sus contados, sesenta y cuatro mil y cuatrocientos. 44Los hijos de Aser por sus familias: de Jimna, la familia de Jimna: de Jisvi, la familia de Jisvi: de Beria, la familia del Beriíta. 45Los hijos de Beria: de Heber, la familia del Heberita: de MalquieL, la familia del Malquielita. 46Y el nombre de la hija de Aser fue Serac. 47Estas fueron las familias de los hijos de Aser por sus contados, cincuenta y tres mil y cuatrocientos. 48Los hijos de Neftalí por sus familias: de JahzeL, la familia del Jahzelita; de Guni, la familia de Guni; 49De Jezer, la familia del Jezerita; de Silem, la familia del Silemita. 50Estas fueron las familias de Neftalí por sus familias: y sus contados, cuarenta y cinco mil y cuatrocientos. 51Estos fueron los contados de los hijos de IsraeL: Seiscientos mil setecientos treinta: 52Y habló Jehovah (el Eterno) a Moisés, al decir: 53A estos se repartirá la tierra en heredad por la cuenta de los nombres: 54A los más darás mayor heredad, y a los menos menor: a cada uno se le dará su heredad conforme a sus contados. 55Empero la tierra será organizada por suerte, y por los nombres de las tribus de sus padres heredarán. 56Conforme a la suerte será partida su heredad entre el grande y el pequeño. 57Y los contados de los Levitas por sus familias fueron estos: de Gersón la familia de los Gersonitas: de Kehat, la familia del Kehatita: de Merari, la familia de los Meraritas. 58Estas fueron las familias de los Levitas: la familia del Libnita, la familia del Hebronita, la familia del Mahlita, la familia del Musita, la familia del Coracita. Y Kehat engendró a Amram. 59Y la mujer de Amram se llamó Joquebed, hija de Leví, la cual nació a Leví en Mizraim: esta parió de Amram a Aharón, y a Moisés, y a Miriam su hermana. 60Y de Aharón nacieron Nadab, y Abihú, ELazar, e Itamar. 61Mas Nadab y Abihú murieron, cuando ofrecieron fuego extraño delante de Jehovah (el Eterno). 62Y sus contados fueron veintitrés mil, todos los varones de un mes y arriba: porque no fueron contados entre los hijos de IsraeL, por cuanto no les había de ser dada heredad entre los hijos de IsraeL. 63Estos fueron los contados por Moisés y ELazar el ministro, los cuales contaron los hijos de IsraeL en los campos de Moab junto al Yardén de Jericó. 64Y entre estos ninguno hubo de los contados por Moisés y Aharón el ministro que contaron a los hijos de IsraeL en el desierto de Sinaí. 65Porque Jehovah (el Eterno) les dijo: Muriendo morirán en el desierto: y no quedó varón de ellos, sino Caleb, hijo de Jefune, y Jehosúa hijo de Nun.
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.