Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Dan, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred.
Numbers 1:39 records that 62,700 men of the tribe of Dan were counted in Israel's first census at Sinai soon after leaving Egypt. The count included only males twenty years old and upward who were able to go forth to war, with the whole host of 603,550 marshaled in order in expectation of speedily entering the promised land. It gives the baseline to be compared with the second numbering in Numbers 26 at the close of the forty years, when Dan had increased by 1,700 to 64,400. That later census showed that none of those first counted survived apart from Caleb and Joshua, demonstrating that God fulfills His threatened judgments and that rebellion brings ruin. It was taken at God's command, showing that numbering the people was not in itself sinful as David's census was, which he conducted without the Lord's consent in pride and confidence in military strength.
Census Wording and Setting
Numbers 1:39 records 62,700 men of the tribe of Dan counted in Israel's first census, the numbering at Sinai taken soon after leaving Egypt at the beginning of the forty years of wandering. This first numbering under Moses came at the close of about one year in the wilderness. It followed the proclaiming of the law from Sinai, the erecting of the tabernacle with the ark of the law in the most holy place, the taking possession of it by the cloud of glory, the giving of bread from heaven each morning and water from the rock, with the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night remaining over the camp.
The count included only males twenty years old and upward who were able to go forth to war. It excluded the tribe of Levi entirely, with all females and all under twenty. The whole number counted was 603,550 men of war. Their names were taken down and their host was marshaled in complete order in preparation for marching into the promised land, every man expecting an inheritance he might have received after tokens of loving-kindness shown to no other people, with everything indicating speedy entrance into Canaan.
It was a careful, tribe-by-tribe numbering in which each tribe was numbered separately under appointed inspectors. It belongs to the first of the two censuses that give the book its name, the numbering made at Sinai. The Greek name Arithmoi, from which comes the word arithmetic, fits because of such numberings.
The second numbering was made in the plains of Moab thirty-eight years later, forty years after the first. The verse stands in the opening chapters that continue Leviticus before the narrative of Israel encamped at Sinai is resumed. It is part of The Numbering of the People in the story of building the tabernacle and establishing its services, which follows the sin of Nadab and Abihu and comes before leaving Mount Sinai.
Comparison and Moral Lessons
The count of 62,700 for Dan in the first numbering in Numbers 1 gives the baseline to be compared with the second numbering in Numbers 26, taken at the close of the forty years. The first numbering at the beginning of the forty years of wandering stands forty years before the second, and the two are set together to note the difference and to see how each tribe gained or lost members and how Dan's population changed during the wilderness journey. The tribe-by-tribe figures of the first census are thus for comparison with the census at the end of the forty years to show how some tribes fell off in number and others increased. Compared with the later census, Dan had increased by 1,700, to 64,400, illustrating the wider pattern in which some tribes increased greatly while others declined.
The first census numbered men able to go to war, as Israel prepared to enter the promised land. Those counted then had reason to hope for that inheritance. But the later census showed that all who rebelled against God had died in the wilderness, and that apart from Caleb and Joshua none of those first counted survived. In this the numbering illustrates that God fulfills His threatened judgments against the rebellious generation and that sin brings ruin.
It is one of the censuses Moses took at God's command, showing that numbering the people was not in itself sinful. David's census was sinful because he conducted it without the Lord's consent, in pride and confidence in military strength.
Numbers 1:39 records that 62,700 men of the tribe of Dan were counted in Israel's first census at Sinai soon after leaving Egypt. The count included only males twenty years old and upward who were able to go forth to war, with the whole host of 603,550 marshaled in order in expectation of speedily entering the promised land. It gives the baseline to be compared with the second numbering in Numbers 26 at the close of the forty years, when Dan had increased by 1,700 to 64,400. That later census showed that none of those first counted survived apart from Caleb and Joshua, demonstrating that God fulfills His threatened judgments and that rebellion brings ruin. It was taken at God's command, showing that numbering the people was not in itself sinful as David's census was, which he conducted without the Lord's consent in pride and confidence in military strength.
Census Wording and Setting
Numbers 1:39 records 62,700 men of the tribe of Dan counted in Israel's first census, the numbering at Sinai taken soon after leaving Egypt at the beginning of the forty years of wandering. This first numbering under Moses came at the close of about one year in the wilderness. It followed the proclaiming of the law from Sinai, the erecting of the tabernacle with the ark of the law in the most holy place, the taking possession of it by the cloud of glory, the giving of bread from heaven each morning and water from the rock, with the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night remaining over the camp.
The count included only males twenty years old and upward who were able to go forth to war. It excluded the tribe of Levi entirely, with all females and all under twenty. The whole number counted was 603,550 men of war. Their names were taken down and their host was marshaled in complete order in preparation for marching into the promised land, every man expecting an inheritance he might have received after tokens of loving-kindness shown to no other people, with everything indicating speedy entrance into Canaan.
It was a careful, tribe-by-tribe numbering in which each tribe was numbered separately under appointed inspectors. It belongs to the first of the two censuses that give the book its name, the numbering made at Sinai. The Greek name Arithmoi, from which comes the word arithmetic, fits because of such numberings.
The second numbering was made in the plains of Moab thirty-eight years later, forty years after the first. The verse stands in the opening chapters that continue Leviticus before the narrative of Israel encamped at Sinai is resumed. It is part of The Numbering of the People in the story of building the tabernacle and establishing its services, which follows the sin of Nadab and Abihu and comes before leaving Mount Sinai.
Comparison and Moral Lessons
The count of 62,700 for Dan in the first numbering in Numbers 1 gives the baseline to be compared with the second numbering in Numbers 26, taken at the close of the forty years. The first numbering at the beginning of the forty years of wandering stands forty years before the second, and the two are set together to note the difference and to see how each tribe gained or lost members and how Dan's population changed during the wilderness journey. The tribe-by-tribe figures of the first census are thus for comparison with the census at the end of the forty years to show how some tribes fell off in number and others increased. Compared with the later census, Dan had increased by 1,700, to 64,400, illustrating the wider pattern in which some tribes increased greatly while others declined.
The first census numbered men able to go to war, as Israel prepared to enter the promised land. Those counted then had reason to hope for that inheritance. But the later census showed that all who rebelled against God had died in the wilderness, and that apart from Caleb and Joshua none of those first counted survived. In this the numbering illustrates that God fulfills His threatened judgments against the rebellious generation and that sin brings ruin.
It is one of the censuses Moses took at God's command, showing that numbering the people was not in itself sinful. David's census was sinful because he conducted it without the Lord's consent, in pride and confidence in military strength.