Numbers 1:20
Ver. 20. And the children of Reuben, Israel's eldest son,.... Were numbered first, and next to them those of Simeon and Gad, for they were numbered according to the order in which they were to be encamped; for under Reuben's standard were Simeon and Gad, and under Judah's Issachar and Zebulun, and under Ephraim's Manasseh and Benjamin, and under Dan's Asher and Naphtali; and according to their order were the tribes numbered:
by their generations: or "their generations", the birth, descent, and pedigree of them:
after their families, by the house of their fathers: according to the families and houses to which they belonged;
according to the number of the names by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward; their names were taken down, the number of them counted by their heads, even all the males that were above twenty years of age:
all that were able to go forth to war; which phrase, as it suggests that before this age they were not reckoned able bodied men for war, in common, though some might; so it seems to except all infirm persons, by reason of age and otherwise: now in all the other account of the numbering of the rest of the tribes, the same forms of expression are used as here, only the tribe of Simeon, which is the next, these words are left out, "by their polls, every male", which being twice observed, need not be repeated, since by these instances it might be sufficiently known that the number was taken by a poll, and only of males; so that in Nu 1:23, there is nothing material to observe, or anything different from what is in this verse, but the particular sums of each tribe numbered, which stand thus: of the tribe of Reuben 46,500; of the tribe of Simeon, 59,300; of the tribe of Gad, 45,650; of the tribe of Judah, 74,600; of the tribe of Issachar, 54,400; of the tribe of Zebulun, 57,400; of the tribe of Ephraim, 40,500; of the tribe of Manasseh, 32,200; of the tribe of Benjamin 35,400; of the tribe of Dan, 62,700; of the tribe of Asher 41,500; of the tribe of Naphtali, 53,400; in which may be observed the various increase of the tribes, agreeably to divine predictions, and according to the sovereign will and infinite wisdom of God: Reuben, the firstborn, did not excel in number, six of the tribes having more in number than he: Judah had by far the greatest increase of them all, from whom the chief ruler was to come, and even the King Messiah; and in process of time was to become a kingdom of itself; Ephraim, the younger son of Joseph, was much more fruitful than Manasseh, his elder, more than eight thousand being numbered of the former than of the latter, all which agree with Jacob's prophecies, Ge 49:4; nor had they always the greatest number who had the most sons at their going down into Egypt; for though Simeon, who had then more sons than Reuben, had at this time a larger posterity; yet Gad, who had more than Simeon, had now fewer descendants; and Dan, who had but one son at that time, had now almost double the number of Benjamin, who then had ten sons: and it may be observed of other tribes, that their increase was not in proportion to the number of the sons of the patriarchs then; see Ge 46:8. Numbers 1:21Ver. 21. Those that were numbered of them, [even] of the tribe of Reuben, [were] forty and six thousand and five hundred. 46,500 men.See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:22Ver. 22. Of the children of Simeon, by their generations,....See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:23Ver. 23. Those that were numbered of them, [even] of the tribe of Simeon, [were] fifty and nine thousand and three hundred. 59,300 men.See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:24Ver. 24. Of the children of Gad, by their generations,....See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:25Ver. 25. Those that were numbered of them, [even] of the tribe of Gad,[were] forty and five thousand six hundred and fifty. 45,650 men.See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:26Ver. 26. Of the children of Judah, by their generations,....See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:27Ver. 27. Those that were numbered of them, [even] of the tribe of Judah, [were] threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred. 74,600 men. See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:28Ver. 28. Of the children of Issachar, by their generations,....See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:29Ver. 29. Those that were numbered of them, [even] of the tribe of Issachar, [were] fifty and four thousand and four hundred. 54,400 men.See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:30Ver. 30. Of the children of Zebulun, by their generations,....See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:31Ver. 31. Those that were numbered of them, [even] of the tribe of Zebulun, [were] fifty and seven thousand and four hundred. 57,400 men.See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:32Ver. 32. Of the children of Joseph, [namely], of the children of Ephraim, by their generations,.... See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:33Ver. 33. Those that were numbered of them, [even] of the tribe of Ephraim, [were] forty thousand and five hundred. 40,500 men.See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:34Ver. 34. Of the children of Manasseh, by their generations,....See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:35Ver. 35. Those that were numbered of them, [even] of the tribe of Manasseh, [were] thirty and two thousand and two hundred. 32,200 men.See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:36Ver. 36. Of the children of Benjamin, by their generations,....See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:37Ver. 37. Those that were numbered of them, [even] of the tribe of Benjamin, [were] thirty and five thousand and four hundred. 35,400 men. See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:38Ver. 38. Of the children of Dan, by their generations,....See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:39Ver. 39. Those that were numbered of them, [even] of the tribe of Dan,[were] threescore and two thousand and seven hundred. 62,700 men.See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:40Ver. 40. Of the children of Asher, by their generations,....See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:41Ver. 41. Those that were numbered of them, [even] of the tribe of Asher, [were] forty and one thousand and five hundred. 41,500 men.See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:42Ver. 42. Of the children of Naphtali, throughout their generations,.... See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:43Ver. 43. Those that were numbered of them, [even] of the tribe of Naphtali, [were] fifty and three thousand and four hundred. 53,400 men. See Gill on "Nu 1:20". Numbers 1:44Ver. 44. These [are] those that were numbered,.... Or, as the Targum of Jonathan, these are the sums of the numbers; namely, those before given of the several respective tribes:which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, [being] twelve men; for though the tribe of Levi was not numbered, yet Joseph having a double portion, his two sons are reckoned as distinct tribes; so that one out of each tribe made up the number twelve:each one for the house of his fathers; for the tribe he belonged to, with which it might reasonably be supposed he was best acquainted, and could more readily take the number of them. Numbers 1:45Ver. 45. So were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel,.... Of all the tribes, excepting Levi, that is, all the sums of the number of the children of Israel; all put together made the sum total given in the next verse:by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel; all in every tribe, family, and house, that were above twenty years of age, healthful and strong, and fit for war. Numbers 1:46Ver. 46. Even all they that were numbered,.... Of whom an account was taken, and their names set down in a book or register: were 603,550; which was exactly the number of them, when taken about seven months before this, when they were assessed for defraying the expenses of the tabernacle, Ex 38:26; so that it should seem not one person had died during that time; for though there were three that died a violent death in that compass of time, yet two of them were of the tribe of Levi, not now numbered; and the other was not an Israelite by the father's side; see Le 10:1; but it is not very probable, among such a vast number of people, that not one above twenty years of age should die in that time: some therefore are of opinion, that the tribe of Levi was numbered before, though not now; and that there was such an increase in that time among the other tribes as to equal the number of males of twenty years and upwards, in that tribe taken into the service of God, by which they were no losers. Numbers 1:47Ver. 47. But the Levites,.... The tribe of Levi were excepted from this muster, they being employed in a kind of warfare, and therefore not to be engaged in another:after the tribe of their fathers, were not numbered among them: the rest of the tribes; the reason follows. Numbers 1:48Ver. 48. For the Lord had spoken unto Moses,.... Not to number the Levites, when he gave him the orders to number the rest of the tribes: this is observed, lest it should be thought that this was what Moses did of himself, out of affection to the tribe he was of, and to spare it, that it might not be obliged to go forth to war when others did; not that they were forbid to engage in war, or that it was unlawful for them so to do, for when necessity required, and they were of themselves willing to engage in it, they might, as appears in the case of the Maccabees, but they might not be forced into it; they were, as Josephus {e} says, exempted from it; and so all concerned in religious service, both among Heathens and Christians, have always been excused bearing arms:saying; as follows.{e} Antiqu. l. 3. c. 12. sect. 4. Numbers 1:49Ver. 49. Only thou shall not number the tribe of Levi,.... That is, along with the other tribes, for it might be numbered by itself, as it afterwards was, Nu 3:43;neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel; which confirms what is before observed: now this being the declared will of God clears Moses from all partiality to his own tribe, he doing nothing but what he had a command of God for it. Numbers 1:50Ver. 50. But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony,.... So called from the ark in it, in which was the law of God, which was a testimony of the will of God to his people:and over all the vessels thereof; the candlestick, table: and altars, as Aben Ezra notes:and over all things that [belong] to it; the vessels of vessels, as the same writer calls them; for the candlestick, shewbread table, and the two altars of incense and burnt offering had vessels appertaining to them:they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; carry them from place to place when needful:and they shall minister unto it; by taking care of the instruments of it and the vessels in it, but not by doing any part of the priestly office in it, as offering sacrifice, burning incense, and the like:and shall encamp round about the tabernacle; they were a sort of camp or army of themselves, and their station was around the tabernacle, which was a kind of royal palace to God the King of kings; so that as they were the king's legion, and to be numbered alone, as Jarchi observes, in Nu 1:49, so they were a guard about his palace, and were placed between that and the camp of Israel. Numbers 1:51Ver. 51. And when the tabernacle setteth forward,.... Or was about to set forward; that is, the congregation were about to journey, and take the tabernacle with them, as they always did, when and wherever they journeyed:the Levites shall take it down; unpin it, take the boards and pillars out of their sockets, and the bars out of their places, and the whole into pieces, in order to be put into wagons prepared to carry them, of which mention is made in a following chapter;and when the tabernacle is pitched, the Levites shall set it up; at whatsoever place the congregation encamped and took up their abode for any time: the tabernacle was pitched in the manner as tents are, when the Levites put the several parts together, laid the sockets, put in the boards and the bars, and also the pillars of the court and elsewhere, and hung the hangings upon them; and set the candlestick, tables, altars, ark, and all the vessels of the sanctuary in their proper places:and the stranger that cometh nigh; to meddle with or touch the above things, to assist in taking down or setting up the tabernacle, or bearing any of the vessels of it: by a stranger is meant, not one of another nation, nor a proselyte, whether of the gate or of righteousness; but, as Aben Ezra interprets it, one that is a stranger from the sons of Levi, who is not of that tribe, even though an Israelite:shall be put to death; either the sanhedrim or court of judicature shall condemn and put him to death, as the same writer observes; or he shall die by the hand of heaven, as Jarchi; that is, by the immediate hand of God, or with flaming fire from before the Lord, as the Targum of Jonathan; as Uzzah was smote, and died by the ark of God for touching it, 2Sa 5:6. Numbers 1:52Ver. 52. And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp,.... There were four, unless every tribe was a camp, and so then there were twelve camps, besides the camp of the Levites: the Targum of Jonathan is,"by the house of his troop,''the regiment to which he belonged, every tribe or camp having various troops or regiments in it:and every man by his own standard throughout their hosts; there were four standards, and three tribes to each standard, which were placed east, west, north, and south of the tabernacle, as is at large described in the following chapter. Numbers 1:53Ver. 53. But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony,.... Between the tabernacle and the camps of Israel, to guard the tabernacle and preserve the things in it, and to keep persons from going into it that should not, to pollute or plunder it: these were placed in like manner as the four living creatures round the throne, Re 4:6; where the allusion seems to be to this situation of the Levites:that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel; that is, from the Lord, should any of them approach too near, or meddle with and touch what they had nothing to do with, or go where they should not; such wrath as came upon Uzzah for his error and transgression before observed:and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony; the several things in it committed to their charge; see Nu 3:8. Numbers 1:54Ver. 54. And the children of Israel did according to all the Lord commanded Moses,.... Pitched their tents by their own camps and standards; did not come near the tabernacle but kept at a proper distance from it, and did not meddle with things they had no concern, with, and which were peculiar to the Levites:so they did; which is repeated to show how readily, punctually, and perfectly they observed the command of God with respect to this affair.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.