1 The Israelites had been camped near the foot of Mount Sinai for just over a year. They had received God’s laws, transmitted to them through MOSES, God’s spokesman. The tabernacle had been set up, the priests had been consecrated, and God Him self had come to dwell in their midst (Exodus40:3438). Now the Israelites were ready to move on toward Canaan, the “promised land.”
As part of the Israelites’ final preparation for departure, the LORD spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle) and told him to take a census. As has been true in the books of Exodus and Leviticus, the phrase, “the Lord spoke to Moses,” is repeated in Numbers many times. Idols and false gods do not speak; only the true living God speaks. That He speaks to humans is a sign of His GRACE and His love for us.
In the Old Testament, God usually spoke through individuals like Moses. Today, God speaks to all believers directly through the HOLY SPIRIT. The fact that the Lord repeatedly spoke to Moses is further evidence that Moses was the primary writer of these first five books of the Bible and that they are indeed the inspired word of God.
2–16 Take a census (verse 2). The main purpose of this census was to organize the Israelites into a military force. Only males twenty years old or more were included. The census was taken tribe by tribe; the distinctiveness of Israel’s twelve tribes was to be maintained.2 A leading man was selected from each tribe to assist in the counting (verses 5–16).
17–46 These verses record the results of the census. All of the men counted were described as being able to serve in the army. Along with the privilege of being God’s chosen people came the responsibility to serve God as He directed. Privilege is always joined with duty. Christians likewise are called to serve “in the army,” in Christ’s spiritual army (Ephesians 6:10–13; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 2:3).
Under each tribe, all the men were listed by name. God knew each man, each name. It is the same with us. No matter how big our church or organization might be, God knows and values each one of us; we are all “listed by name” as members of His army.
The grand total of men able to serve in the army was 603,5503 (verse 46). This is the same as the figure given in Exodus 38:26, and is in line with the approximate number given in Exodus 12:37. On the basis of this number of men twenty years and older, the total population of Israelites must have been about two million. In addition, there were many non-Israelites who had joined themselves to Israel (Exodus 12:38)—workers of various kinds, servants, even slaves. However, it appears from the census that only true Israelites were eligible to serve in the army.
The fact that the nation of Israel had should have been a roster of honor became begun with seventy individuals in Egypt only four hundred years earlier and had now grown to two million people (Genesis 46:27; Exodus 1:6–7) was a sure sign that God had kept His promise to multiply the descendants of Abraham and Jacob and form them into a great nation (Genesis 12:2). Indeed, God had promised that Abraham’s descendants would eventually be uncountable, like dust, stars and sand (Genesis 13:16; 15:5; 22:17). At the time of the census, therefore, that promise was yet to be fulfilled. However, a day is coming when it will be fulfilled, a day when a greater census will be taken—a day when all God’s people are finally assembled together before His throne (Revelation 7:9).
Lest we suppose that the great army numbered here was soon to be marching forth into victory, we need to remember that every one of them (save two) died ignominiously in the desert; they never reached the promised land. Thus what The tabernacle was thus surrounded by instead a roster of shame, the shame of disobedience and unbelief.4
47–50 The Levites, descendants of Jacob’s third son Levi, were assigned the task of maintaining and transporting the tabernacle of the Testimony5 (verse 50); therefore, they were exempted from military duty.
51–54 The tents of the Levites were to be set up around the tabernacle, partly to allow the Levites to be near their work and partly to discourage non-Levites from getting too close to the tabernacle and thus losing their lives (verses 51,53). No unauthorized or unconsecrated person was to come near the Lord’s dwelling place. The presence of the Lord in the midst of the Israelites’ camp was a great blessing to those who regarded Him with respect and awe; but to those who had no such respect, the Lord’s presence brought punishment and even death (see Exodus 19:9–13; Numbers 4:17–20 and comments).
1. And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai Although this is the first numbering of the people, of which we have an account, still, inasmuch as God had already imposed a tax upon every person, the amount of which has been recorded, we infer that it was in fact the second. But the reason for thus numbering the people a second time was, because they were very soon about to remove their camp from the wilderness of Sinai to take posession of the promised land. Since, however, their impiety withheld thmn from doing so, there was a third census taken just before their actual entrance into the land, and with this object, that it might be obvious, on comparison, how marvellously the people had been preserved by the springing up of a new generation, in spite of so many plagues and so much slaughter; for although a great proportion of them had been cut off, almost as many persons were found as before.
Further, it must be observed, that the people were not numbered except at God’s command, in order that He might thus assert His supreme dominion over them; and also, that the mode of taking the census was so arranged, that there should be no confusion of ranks either through fraud or irregularity; for this was the reason why each tribe had its superintendents, lest any one should slip into a tribe to which he did not belong; and this is expressly mentioned by way of assurance, since otherwise many might suspect that so great a multitude could hardly be distinguished into classes with certainty, so that the whole sum should be calculated without mistake.
20. And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son If any disputatious person should contend that one family could not increase in 250. years to so great an amount, and thus should reject as nebulous what surpasses the ordinary rule of nature, we must bear in mind what I have already stated, that, inasmuch as this increase depended on the power of God, nothing is more absurd than to measure it by ordinary rules. For the intention of the Spirit is to represent to our eyes the incredible power of God in a conspicuous and signal miracle. Meanwhile, if you compared the tribe of Reuben with some of the others, it presents in its numbers some marks of the curse, so that we may gather that Reuben was degraded from the honors of his primogeniture; for the tribes of Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali were more numerous, whilst from Joseph alone, who was one of the youngest, a posterity descended which almost doubled it in numbers. God’s blessing, however, is most conspicuous in the tribe of Judah, in correspondence with the prophecy of Jacob; for by this prerogative, as it were, it was already called to the right of primogeniture and to supremacy, inasmuch as it surpassed all the principal ones.
47. But the Levites, after the tribe of their fathers We shall indeed hereafter see that they also were numbered, but Moses means that they were not included in the general census of the people, because God had chosen them to be His own property, and thus had severed them from the rest of the people. He writes, therefore, that they “were not numbered in the midst of the others,” (419) i.e., so as promiscuously to form a part of the multitude. Now, lest any one should object that Moses acted ambitiously in thus bestowing on his own tribe extraordinary distinction, he declares that he did not do this spontaneously, but that it was at God’s bidding that the Levites had a separate class assigned to them; for translators render this passage amiss, “And God said to Moses,” (420) as if he stated that the tribe of Levi was then first set apart when the sum of the people was taken, since it would have been absurd to omit a part, unless God’s will had been already declared. Moses, therefore, shews why he passed over his own tribe, via, because God had consecrated the Levites for the keeping and service of the tabernacle. Now, if it was not lawful for the tabernacle to be carried or set up by all persons indiscriminately, its sanctity was enforced by this symbol; for religion would not have been held in so much reverence, if it had been allowable for all without distinction to meddle with the sacred things. Meanwhile, the Israelites were reminded that all without, exception were unworthy to present themselves before God, when they were forbidden from access to the sanctuary; whereas the dignity which was conferred upon a single tribe was no ground for boasting, since it depended merely on the good pleasure of God. God, then, gave the Levites access to His tabernacle, not because they had deserved that honor by any virtue of their own, but in order to afford a testimony of His gratuitous favor. At the same time, under this image He represented the future priesthood of Christ, in order that believers might be assured that the Mediator, by whom others might have access to God, was to be of the human race; and therefore God declares by Isaiah that He would take the Levites under the kingdom of Christ from the general and dispersed body of the people. (Isa 66:21.) As to what relates to their office, let it be sought in its proper place.
Num 1:1. And the Lord spake unto Moses- The Israelites had now left Egypt about thirteen months, and had resided near Mount Sinai almost a year, (compare Exo 19:1 with this verse) receiving all the foregoing laws and injunctions before they left this place. The Almighty orders a general muster to be made, and an exact poll to be taken of all the Israelitish men, from twenty years old and upwards, the Levites excepted; and a careful distinction to be observed in the tribes, families, and households; for these reasons: 1st, That every one might know, and deliver to his posterity, a clear account from what tribe he descended, and to what family he belonged: 2nd, That the Israelites might see how fully he had made good his promise to Abraham, of multiplying his seed: 3rdly, That they might know what strength they had for war, in case of any attack from their enemies: 4thly, That they might better dispose of their camp about the tabernacle, now that it was erected, and march more regularly when they removed from mount Sinai: and, 5thly, That hereby the genealogy of the Messiah, who was to be born of this nation, might be fully ascertained. It appears from Exo 40:17 that the tabernacle was erected on the first day of the first month of the second year after their coming out of Egypt; and, as this muster was to be taken on the first day of the second month of the same year, it appears, that what is related in the foregoing book, must have passed in the space of that first month.
Num 1:2. Take ye the sum- See Exo 30:12; Exo 38:26 and the 26th chapter of this book. The tribes were divided into families, the families into houses or households, Jos 7:16-18 but here the house of their fathers seems of the same import with the tribes of their fathers: so in Num 1:4 the princes of the tribes, are called, heads of the houses of their fathers; and Num 1:44 the house of their fathers is the same as the tribe of their fathers, Num 1:47.
Num 1:3. All that are able to go forth to war- Hence it appears, that the aged and infirm, such as were unable to go to war, were not numbered: and, accordingly, Josephus tells us, that after fifty years they were not obliged to pay the half shekel which was due upon such musters. Among several other nations, as well as the Jews, particularly the Romans, all who were of age to bear arms were obliged, upon some occasions, to go forth to battle. Hence it is, that we read of the kings of Israel bringing such numerous armies into the field.
Num 1:5. And these are the names of the men, &c.- It is observable, that the tribes are placed not in the order of their birth, but of their mothers; first, the children of Leah, then of Rachel, and, after them, those of the two hand-maids. One cannot help remarking from most of the names here, how much God was in the thoughts of those who imposed them upon their children; for Elizur signifies, my God a rock; Shelumiel, God my peace; Zuri-shaddai, my God all-sufficient; Nethaneel, the gift of God; Gamaliel, God is my reward; and so of the rest. Deuel, mentioned in the 14th verse, is called Reuel, ch. Num 2:14 the letters daleth and resh being sometimes put one for the other.
Num 1:16. These were the renowned, &c.- Houbigant renders this, these were called from the multitude, convocati; which is agreeable to the Hebrew. From ch. Num 7:2, &c. we see, that these must have been persons of the first distinction.
Note; 'Tis not our being among professors, but our being born of God, and Abraham's children by faith, which entities us to a place in the church of the Redeemed.
Num 1:46. Even all they that were numbered, &c.- Upon an exact poll, wherein every man's name was distinctly set down and his pedigree stated, the number of true-born Israelites, from twenty years old and upwards, stood thus in the gross: (for there seems no room to doubt, that a few odd numbers were neglected, in order to make the several sums round as we find them; see Calmet, and Exo 38:26.)
In the tribe of Reuben 46,500
Simeon 59,300
Gad 45,650
Judah 74,600
Issachar 54,400
Zebulun 57,400
Ephraim 40,500
Manasseh 32,200
Benjamin 35,400
Dan 62,700
Asher 41,500
Naphtali 53,400
Total 603,550
Num 1:47. But the Levites-were not numbered- We find in chap. Num 3:16, &c. that the Levites were to keep a distinct register of their own; though, as being separated from the rest of their brethren for the service of the tabernacle, and therefore excused from war, they are not numbered here with those who were to go to war, Num 1:3. In all nations, the ministers of religion have been exempted from war, as incongruous to their profession. Strabo notes this custom to have been as old as Homer's time; and Caesar observes of the ancient Druids in Britain, that they were freed not only from the wars, but from tribute also: Druides a bello abesse consueverunt; neque tributa una cum reliquis pendunt, militiae vacationem omniumque rerum habent immunitatem. "The Druids were never engaged in military affairs, neither did they bear any part of the public taxes, but were allowed a perfect immunity and leisure, both from war, and from all civil employments." Caes. de Bell. Gall. lib. vi. c. 13.
Num 1:53. That there be no wrath- The service of the Levites, respecting the tabernacle, being mentioned in the preceding verses, it is here particularly enjoined, that they should pitch their tents round about it, that no man might approach nearer than was allowed, and thus incur the Divine wrath or displeasure.
REFLECTIONS.-1st, As the Israelites were about to march, they must be regimented. Order in an army is of the last importance. Those who were commanded were expeditious in their work, and in less than three weeks the review, and the register, were completed. Zeal to serve God makes quick work. Every tribe gave account of the families in it; every family, of the houses; every house, the number and age of the males. And in their numbers we see the prophecies eminently fulfilled, in Judah's increase, in Ephraim's surpassing Manasseh, and in Reuben, though the eldest, being inferior to many others. Thus they might confirm their faith in future promises, by seeing the fulfilment of past predictions.
2nd, The sum total is exactly the same as when they were numbered before, Exo 38:26. If the Levites were then reckoned, so many of the other tribes had come of age as equalled their number; or they who died were supplied by those who were now passed their twentieth year. God's providence continues to keep up a proportion between births and burials; and if one militant saint or minister is gone, another springs up in his stead. We may observe here,
1. How fully God accomplished his promise to Abraham. Against every human probability, faith waits patiently, and is fully answered at last.
2. All these, except two, died in the wilderness for their unbelief. Death, the wages of sin, makes dreadful havock; let us fear lest we fall after the same example of unbelief.
3. When God's Israel shall go up to possess their inheritance in glory, they shall be such a multitude as no man can number.
3rdly, The Levites, being a kind of body-guard to the tabernacle, must not be numbered with the host. Their office was to take down and carry in their marches the holy things; nor must any of the other tribes, on pain of death, intrude into their business. Whilst each man pitched his tent under his own standard, the Levites encamped around the tabernacle, to prevent profane intrusion, and to be ready in waiting on the service. Note; 1. It must be every minister's care to restrain the people from sin. 2. They who are called to the service of God, should have no other engagements, that they may wholly give themselves up to the work of the ministry.
