These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel.
These were the acknowledged leaders of the people, tribal princes and commanders over thousands in Israel. They served as appointed overseers for a careful, tribe-by-tribe count ordered by God through Moses at Sinai near the close of the first year after leaving Egypt, after the tabernacle was set up and before the march toward Canaan. The count enrolled only men of war age, leaving out the Levites, women, and those under twenty, totaling 603,550 men organized in hope of an inheritance in Canaan. This first numbering at the start of the forty years stands opposite the second numbering in the plains of Moab thirty-eight years later, whose exact totals show the gain or loss of each tribe. Except for Caleb and Joshua, every man in the first count died in the wilderness for open rebellion, so the second count stands as proof that God carries out His threatened judgment.
Census Setting and Leaders
The men designated here were the renowned of the congregation, the recognized leaders chosen to represent Israel, princes of the tribes of their fathers and heads of thousands in Israel. They were appointed for the tribal census that opens the forty years of wandering. That census was careful, with each tribe numbered separately under appointed inspectors.
It was taken by Moses at God's command, in contrast to David's census taken without the Lord's consent. It was the first numbering of Israel, ordered by God at Sinai near the end of the people's first year in the wilderness soon after leaving Egypt. In the connected story it comes after the building of the tabernacle and the establishing of its services and the sin of Nadab and Abihu, and before leaving Mount Sinai, the sending of the quails, and the continuing wilderness history. Those numbered were men able to go to war, excluding the Levites, females, and those under twenty. The count was 603,550, and the people were thus organized in preparation for entering Canaan, with each counted man expecting an inheritance there.
First and Second Numberings
The book takes its name from its two enumerations of the people, one recorded in Numbers 1 and the other in Numbers 26. The first census to which the verse belongs was taken at Sinai soon after the people left Egypt, at the beginning of Israel's forty years of wandering. The second numbering stood at the end of those forty years in the plains of Moab, thirty-eight years later. The first numbering is therefore the comparison for the numbering in Numbers 26 at the close of the forty years.
The chapter gives definite counts of men of a specified age that can later be set beside the counts at the end of the forty years. Comparing the two numberings shows how each tribe gained or lost during the wilderness journey. Some tribes increased while others fell off in population.
Of all those counted in the first numbering that opens the book, not one man except Caleb and Joshua was alive to witness the second numbering. Every other person had fallen in the wilderness. The second numbering thus proves that God fulfills His threatened judgments. The cause of that terrible failure was wickedness, with sin in their midst breaking out at last in open, wanton rebellion against God, so that by a solemn oath He excluded them from the land and doomed them to die in the wilderness.
These were the acknowledged leaders of the people, tribal princes and commanders over thousands in Israel.
They served as appointed overseers for a careful, tribe-by-tribe count ordered by God through Moses at Sinai near the close of the first year after leaving Egypt, after the tabernacle was set up and before the march toward Canaan.
The count enrolled only men of war age, leaving out the Levites, women, and those under twenty, totaling 603,550 men organized in hope of an inheritance in Canaan.
This first numbering at the start of the forty years stands opposite the second numbering in the plains of Moab thirty-eight years later, whose exact totals show the gain or loss of each tribe.
Except for Caleb and Joshua, every man in the first count died in the wilderness for open rebellion, so the second count stands as proof that God carries out His threatened judgment.
Census Setting and Leaders
The men designated here were the renowned of the congregation, the recognized leaders chosen to represent Israel, princes of the tribes of their fathers and heads of thousands in Israel. They were appointed for the tribal census that opens the forty years of wandering. That census was careful, with each tribe numbered separately under appointed inspectors.
It was taken by Moses at God's command, in contrast to David's census taken without the Lord's consent. It was the first numbering of Israel, ordered by God at Sinai near the end of the people's first year in the wilderness soon after leaving Egypt. In the connected story it comes after the building of the tabernacle and the establishing of its services and the sin of Nadab and Abihu, and before leaving Mount Sinai, the sending of the quails, and the continuing wilderness history. Those numbered were men able to go to war, excluding the Levites, females, and those under twenty. The count was 603,550, and the people were thus organized in preparation for entering Canaan, with each counted man expecting an inheritance there.
First and Second Numberings
The book takes its name from its two enumerations of the people, one recorded in Numbers 1 and the other in Numbers 26. The first census to which the verse belongs was taken at Sinai soon after the people left Egypt, at the beginning of Israel's forty years of wandering. The second numbering stood at the end of those forty years in the plains of Moab, thirty-eight years later. The first numbering is therefore the comparison for the numbering in Numbers 26 at the close of the forty years.
The chapter gives definite counts of men of a specified age that can later be set beside the counts at the end of the forty years. Comparing the two numberings shows how each tribe gained or lost during the wilderness journey. Some tribes increased while others fell off in population.
Of all those counted in the first numbering that opens the book, not one man except Caleb and Joshua was alive to witness the second numbering. Every other person had fallen in the wilderness. The second numbering thus proves that God fulfills His threatened judgments. The cause of that terrible failure was wickedness, with sin in their midst breaking out at last in open, wanton rebellion against God, so that by a solemn oath He excluded them from the land and doomed them to die in the wilderness.