Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.
The verse records 46,500 men of the tribe of Reuben counted in Israel's first wilderness census. Only males twenty years old and upward who were able to go forth to war were numbered, with the tribe of Levi, all females, and all under twenty excluded. The numbering was made under Moses at the close of the first year in the wilderness while Israel was still encamped at Sinai after the law was proclaimed and the tabernacle was erected, as part of a total of 603,550 men arranged to march toward the promised land when every man numbered expected an inheritance there. Compared with the second numbering taken in the plains of Moab thirty-eight years later, Reuben's number had fallen by 2,770, and not one man numbered that first time, save Caleb and Joshua, lived to witness it. Their failure was due to wickedness breaking out in open rebellion against God so that He excluded them from the land by solemn oath, showing that His favors and promises do not make rebellion harmless, yet the census itself was taken at God's command and was not sinful like David's census taken without the Lord's consent in pride and confidence in military strength.
First Census Record
Numbers 1:21 records 46,500 men of the tribe of Reuben counted in Israel's first wilderness census. The census counted only males twenty years old and upward who were able to go forth to war, with the tribe of Levi, all females, and all under twenty excluded. The numbering took down all their names and marshaled the host in complete order, with each tribe numbered separately under careful supervision by appointed inspectors.
The numbering was made under Moses at the close of the first year in the wilderness, soon after leaving Egypt, while Israel was still encamped at Sinai. It followed the proclaiming of the law from the flaming mount, the erecting of the tabernacle with the ark containing the law placed in the most holy place, and the cloud of glory taking possession of the building. At that time God gave bread from heaven every morning and water from the smitten rock, and the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night remained with the camp. Reuben's count was part of a total of 603,550 men arranged to march toward the promised land, when everything indicated speedy entrance into Canaan and every man numbered expected and might have had an inheritance there after such tokens of loving-kindness.
The verse belongs to the first of the two censuses that give the book its name, taken at Sinai, with the second taken in the plains of Moab thirty-eight years later. The title Numbers is appropriate because the book contains these two numberings, called Arithmoi in Greek, from which comes the word arithmetic. Its opening chapters continue Leviticus while Israel was still encamped at Sinai, before the Exodus journey narrative is resumed. It comes after the building of the tabernacle and the establishing of its services and the sin of Nadab and Abihu and before Israel leaving Mount Sinai and the wilderness history that follows, retold as part of the connected story of the whole Bible given simply with practical moral lessons woven in.
Comparison and Warning
The numbering at the beginning of the forty years of wandering was made again at the end of the forty years in the second numbering in Numbers 26. The first was taken at Sinai and the second in the plains of Moab thirty-eight years later, and these two censuses give the book its name. The title Numbers is fitting because the book contains these two numberings, called Arithmoi in Greek, from which comes the word arithmetic.
The first and second numberings are to be compared to note the difference in the tribes. The count of 46,500 men from Reuben provides a baseline for comparing how Reuben's numbers changed by the end of the wandering. The comparison shows how each tribe gained or lost, with some tribes increasing and others declining, some falling off in number and others increasing. Compared with the later census, Reuben's number had fallen by 2,770, the first census having been taken soon after Israel left Egypt.
Not one man numbered that first time, save Caleb and Joshua, lived to witness the second numbering; every other person fell in the wilderness. The reason for the failure was wickedness, with sin in their midst breaking out in open, wanton rebellion against God. By solemn oath He excluded them from the land and doomed them to die in the wilderness. The second numbering thus shows that God will fulfill His threatened judgments. Those counted had the prospect of inheriting the promised land as men able to go to war prepared to enter it, but their later destruction shows that God's favors and promises do not make rebellion harmless.
The census belonged to a numbering taken at God's command, showing that numbering Israel was not itself sinful. David's sin was taking a census without the Lord's consent, in pride and confidence in military strength.
The verse records 46,500 men of the tribe of Reuben counted in Israel's first wilderness census. Only males twenty years old and upward who were able to go forth to war were numbered, with the tribe of Levi, all females, and all under twenty excluded. The numbering was made under Moses at the close of the first year in the wilderness while Israel was still encamped at Sinai after the law was proclaimed and the tabernacle was erected, as part of a total of 603,550 men arranged to march toward the promised land when every man numbered expected an inheritance there. Compared with the second numbering taken in the plains of Moab thirty-eight years later, Reuben's number had fallen by 2,770, and not one man numbered that first time, save Caleb and Joshua, lived to witness it. Their failure was due to wickedness breaking out in open rebellion against God so that He excluded them from the land by solemn oath, showing that His favors and promises do not make rebellion harmless, yet the census itself was taken at God's command and was not sinful like David's census taken without the Lord's consent in pride and confidence in military strength.
First Census Record
Numbers 1:21 records 46,500 men of the tribe of Reuben counted in Israel's first wilderness census. The census counted only males twenty years old and upward who were able to go forth to war, with the tribe of Levi, all females, and all under twenty excluded. The numbering took down all their names and marshaled the host in complete order, with each tribe numbered separately under careful supervision by appointed inspectors.
The numbering was made under Moses at the close of the first year in the wilderness, soon after leaving Egypt, while Israel was still encamped at Sinai. It followed the proclaiming of the law from the flaming mount, the erecting of the tabernacle with the ark containing the law placed in the most holy place, and the cloud of glory taking possession of the building. At that time God gave bread from heaven every morning and water from the smitten rock, and the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night remained with the camp. Reuben's count was part of a total of 603,550 men arranged to march toward the promised land, when everything indicated speedy entrance into Canaan and every man numbered expected and might have had an inheritance there after such tokens of loving-kindness.
The verse belongs to the first of the two censuses that give the book its name, taken at Sinai, with the second taken in the plains of Moab thirty-eight years later. The title Numbers is appropriate because the book contains these two numberings, called Arithmoi in Greek, from which comes the word arithmetic. Its opening chapters continue Leviticus while Israel was still encamped at Sinai, before the Exodus journey narrative is resumed. It comes after the building of the tabernacle and the establishing of its services and the sin of Nadab and Abihu and before Israel leaving Mount Sinai and the wilderness history that follows, retold as part of the connected story of the whole Bible given simply with practical moral lessons woven in.
Comparison and Warning
The numbering at the beginning of the forty years of wandering was made again at the end of the forty years in the second numbering in Numbers 26. The first was taken at Sinai and the second in the plains of Moab thirty-eight years later, and these two censuses give the book its name. The title Numbers is fitting because the book contains these two numberings, called Arithmoi in Greek, from which comes the word arithmetic.
The first and second numberings are to be compared to note the difference in the tribes. The count of 46,500 men from Reuben provides a baseline for comparing how Reuben's numbers changed by the end of the wandering. The comparison shows how each tribe gained or lost, with some tribes increasing and others declining, some falling off in number and others increasing. Compared with the later census, Reuben's number had fallen by 2,770, the first census having been taken soon after Israel left Egypt.
Not one man numbered that first time, save Caleb and Joshua, lived to witness the second numbering; every other person fell in the wilderness. The reason for the failure was wickedness, with sin in their midst breaking out in open, wanton rebellion against God. By solemn oath He excluded them from the land and doomed them to die in the wilderness. The second numbering thus shows that God will fulfill His threatened judgments. Those counted had the prospect of inheriting the promised land as men able to go to war prepared to enter it, but their later destruction shows that God's favors and promises do not make rebellion harmless.
The census belonged to a numbering taken at God's command, showing that numbering Israel was not itself sinful. David's sin was taking a census without the Lord's consent, in pride and confidence in military strength.