Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Judah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred.
The verse records that 74,600 men of the tribe of Judah were counted in Israel's first wilderness census at Sinai. The counting enrolled only men twenty years old and upward who were able to go to war, leaving out the tribe of Levi, all women, and all under twenty, in a careful tribe-by-tribe numbering of 603,550 men of war. Taken by Moses at God's command, it was the first of the two numberings that give the book of Numbers its name, and shows that numbering Israel was not sinful in itself, unlike David's census taken without the Lord's consent. It stands forty years before the second numbering in the plains of Moab and gives the baseline for seeing which tribes gained or lost, with Judah rising by 1,900 to 76,500. Those men were organized to march toward Canaan and might have inherited the land, but apart from Caleb and Joshua none of them lived to the second census, because that generation rebelled and died in the wilderness under God's judgment.
First Census at Sinai
Those numbered of the tribe of Judah were 74,600 men in Israel's first wilderness census. That numbering was one of the two censuses that give the book of Numbers its name.
The counting embraced only men twenty years old and upward who were able to go forth to war, excluding the tribe of Levi altogether and excluding all females and all under twenty years of age. Every man's name was recorded in a careful tribe-by-tribe numbering conducted under appointed inspectors, and Judah's 74,600 stood as part of a total of 603,550 men of war.
It took place at Sinai at the close of the first year in the wilderness, about a year after Israel entered the wilderness. By then the law had been proclaimed from Sinai, the tabernacle had been erected with the ark of God's law in its most holy place, the cloud of glory had taken possession of it, God had given bread from heaven each morning and water from the smitten rock, and the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night stood over the camp. The numbering marshaled the host in complete order preparatory to marching toward Canaan when speedy entrance into the land of promise seemed assured. In the order of the story it comes after the building of the tabernacle and establishing its services and the sin of Nadab and Abihu and before leaving Mount Sinai.
It stands in the opening chapters that continue Leviticus, before the narrative of the journey from Sinai toward Kadesh-barnea is resumed beginning with chapter 9, with the second numbering in the plains of Moab thirty-eight years later. Taken by Moses at God's command, it shows that numbering Israel was not sinful in itself, unlike David's census, which was taken without the Lord's consent. The census is factual Scripture rather than an absurdity to be rejected. It forms part of the connected story of Israel told for children, with practical moral lessons drawn where needed. Every man thus numbered expected an inheritance in the promised land and might have had it because of tokens of God's loving-kindness no other people had witnessed.
Comparison With Second Census
The numbering in Numbers 1 came forty years before the second numbering in Numbers 26. It records the count of men of a specified age from Judah at the beginning of Israel's forty years of wandering, 74,600 men. It provides the baseline for comparison with the census at the end of the forty years, to be set against the later numbering to note the difference in the tribes. That comparison shows which tribes gained or lost by the end of the wandering and how their numbers changed.
Compared with the later census, Judah's number rose by 1,900, from 74,600 to 76,500.
The first census was taken as Israel was organized and prepared to march toward Canaan and enter the land when speedy entrance seemed assured. Every man thus numbered expected an inheritance in the promised land and might have had it. Apart from Caleb and Joshua, none of those counted survived to the second census, because the people rebelled and God's judgment excluded that generation from the land. That rebellious generation died in the wilderness.
The verse records that 74,600 men of the tribe of Judah were counted in Israel's first wilderness census at Sinai. The counting enrolled only men twenty years old and upward who were able to go to war, leaving out the tribe of Levi, all women, and all under twenty, in a careful tribe-by-tribe numbering of 603,550 men of war. Taken by Moses at God's command, it was the first of the two numberings that give the book of Numbers its name, and shows that numbering Israel was not sinful in itself, unlike David's census taken without the Lord's consent. It stands forty years before the second numbering in the plains of Moab and gives the baseline for seeing which tribes gained or lost, with Judah rising by 1,900 to 76,500. Those men were organized to march toward Canaan and might have inherited the land, but apart from Caleb and Joshua none of them lived to the second census, because that generation rebelled and died in the wilderness under God's judgment.
First Census at Sinai
Those numbered of the tribe of Judah were 74,600 men in Israel's first wilderness census. That numbering was one of the two censuses that give the book of Numbers its name.
The counting embraced only men twenty years old and upward who were able to go forth to war, excluding the tribe of Levi altogether and excluding all females and all under twenty years of age. Every man's name was recorded in a careful tribe-by-tribe numbering conducted under appointed inspectors, and Judah's 74,600 stood as part of a total of 603,550 men of war.
It took place at Sinai at the close of the first year in the wilderness, about a year after Israel entered the wilderness. By then the law had been proclaimed from Sinai, the tabernacle had been erected with the ark of God's law in its most holy place, the cloud of glory had taken possession of it, God had given bread from heaven each morning and water from the smitten rock, and the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night stood over the camp. The numbering marshaled the host in complete order preparatory to marching toward Canaan when speedy entrance into the land of promise seemed assured. In the order of the story it comes after the building of the tabernacle and establishing its services and the sin of Nadab and Abihu and before leaving Mount Sinai.
It stands in the opening chapters that continue Leviticus, before the narrative of the journey from Sinai toward Kadesh-barnea is resumed beginning with chapter 9, with the second numbering in the plains of Moab thirty-eight years later. Taken by Moses at God's command, it shows that numbering Israel was not sinful in itself, unlike David's census, which was taken without the Lord's consent. The census is factual Scripture rather than an absurdity to be rejected. It forms part of the connected story of Israel told for children, with practical moral lessons drawn where needed. Every man thus numbered expected an inheritance in the promised land and might have had it because of tokens of God's loving-kindness no other people had witnessed.
Comparison With Second Census
The numbering in Numbers 1 came forty years before the second numbering in Numbers 26. It records the count of men of a specified age from Judah at the beginning of Israel's forty years of wandering, 74,600 men. It provides the baseline for comparison with the census at the end of the forty years, to be set against the later numbering to note the difference in the tribes. That comparison shows which tribes gained or lost by the end of the wandering and how their numbers changed.
Compared with the later census, Judah's number rose by 1,900, from 74,600 to 76,500.
The first census was taken as Israel was organized and prepared to march toward Canaan and enter the land when speedy entrance seemed assured. Every man thus numbered expected an inheritance in the promised land and might have had it. Apart from Caleb and Joshua, none of those counted survived to the second census, because the people rebelled and God's judgment excluded that generation from the land. That rebellious generation died in the wilderness.