And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers.
At Sinai after the tabernacle was erected and its services established, and before Israel left the mount, God directed that Moses and Aaron be joined in numbering the people by a named man from every tribe, each the head of his father's house, so that every tribe was represented by its leader and numbered separately under their oversight. That first numbering marshaled 603,550 men of war age by name, excluding the tribe of Levi and all women and those under twenty, and organized the whole host in order for entrance into Canaan which every man numbered then expected to inherit. Nearly forty years later a second numbering recorded the tribes again, showing increase in some and decrease in others, to set beside the first as its baseline and measure. Of all those first numbered only Caleb and Joshua lived to that second reckoning, for the rest fell in the wilderness under God's oath because of open rebellion, proving that favor and hope of the kingdom do not make sin harmless but bring ruin when cherished.
Context and Census Details
The verse belongs to Israel's first numbering at Sinai at the close of the first year in the wilderness, soon after the coming out of Egypt. It came after the law had been proclaimed from the flaming mount, after the tabernacle had been erected with the ark of God's law in its most holy place and the cloud of glory taking possession of it, after God had given bread from heaven every morning and water from the smitten rock, while the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night remained over the camp. In the connected story it comes after the building of the tabernacle and the establishing of its services and before the leaving of Mount Sinai. It names the tribal leaders who assisted in numbering the people in that first census.
The direction is that with Moses and Aaron there shall be a man of every tribe to assist with the census, every one appointed by name and each one head of the house of his fathers. Each tribe was thus represented by its leader, its ancestral head of household or family, and was numbered separately under careful oversight. This belongs to the opening chapters concerning the numbering of Israel, the arrangement of the encampment, and the appointment of tribal leaders. The account of the numbering, including the appointment of a leader from each tribe, is factual and is not to be dismissed as absurd.
The numbering performed under this direction counted 603,550 men able to go forth to war, giving definite numbers of men of a specified age and taking down all their names. It excluded the tribe of Levi entirely, and excluded all females and all under twenty years of age. It marshaled the vast host in complete order and organized the encampment preparatory to marching into the land of promise. At that time everything indicated speedy entrance into Canaan, and every man numbered expected and might have had an inheritance there because of tokens of loving-kindness such as no other people ever witnessed.
Second Numbering and Warning
The opening census of the book was followed nearly forty years later by a second census in chapter 26 at the close of the forty years of wandering. The first enumeration was taken soon after coming out of Egypt at the beginning of the wandering, and the second at its end. The first provides the baseline and record for comparison with the second, with its definite tribal numbers of men of a specified age set beside the later figures. That comparison shows how the tribes changed in number during the journey, so each tribe can be seen to have gained or lost, some increasing greatly and others decreasing.
Those counted in the first numbering expected to enter the promised land and might have had an inheritance there. Yet not one man save Caleb and Joshua of all that were numbered the first time was alive to witness the second numbering, and every other person had fallen in the wilderness. By a solemn oath God excluded them from the land and doomed them to die there. This happened because the people were wicked, sin was in their midst, and it broke out at last in open, wanton rebellion against God.
Receiving God's favor and having hope of entering the kingdom do not make sin harmless, but sin leads to ruin. The second numbering was calculated to impress that God will fulfill His threatened judgments. The account of the numbering in chapter 1, including the appointment of a leader from each tribe, is factual and should not be dismissed as absurd, for rejecting it is part of the attack on the inspiration of the Bible. The census commanded here was authorized by God, with a representative from each tribe to assist, each one head of his ancestral house, and in this it is contrasted with David's census, which was sinful because he took it without the Lord's consent.
At Sinai after the tabernacle was erected and its services established, and before Israel left the mount, God directed that Moses and Aaron be joined in numbering the people by a named man from every tribe, each the head of his father's house, so that every tribe was represented by its leader and numbered separately under their oversight. That first numbering marshaled 603,550 men of war age by name, excluding the tribe of Levi and all women and those under twenty, and organized the whole host in order for entrance into Canaan which every man numbered then expected to inherit. Nearly forty years later a second numbering recorded the tribes again, showing increase in some and decrease in others, to set beside the first as its baseline and measure. Of all those first numbered only Caleb and Joshua lived to that second reckoning, for the rest fell in the wilderness under God's oath because of open rebellion, proving that favor and hope of the kingdom do not make sin harmless but bring ruin when cherished.
Context and Census Details
The verse belongs to Israel's first numbering at Sinai at the close of the first year in the wilderness, soon after the coming out of Egypt. It came after the law had been proclaimed from the flaming mount, after the tabernacle had been erected with the ark of God's law in its most holy place and the cloud of glory taking possession of it, after God had given bread from heaven every morning and water from the smitten rock, while the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night remained over the camp. In the connected story it comes after the building of the tabernacle and the establishing of its services and before the leaving of Mount Sinai. It names the tribal leaders who assisted in numbering the people in that first census.
The direction is that with Moses and Aaron there shall be a man of every tribe to assist with the census, every one appointed by name and each one head of the house of his fathers. Each tribe was thus represented by its leader, its ancestral head of household or family, and was numbered separately under careful oversight. This belongs to the opening chapters concerning the numbering of Israel, the arrangement of the encampment, and the appointment of tribal leaders. The account of the numbering, including the appointment of a leader from each tribe, is factual and is not to be dismissed as absurd.
The numbering performed under this direction counted 603,550 men able to go forth to war, giving definite numbers of men of a specified age and taking down all their names. It excluded the tribe of Levi entirely, and excluded all females and all under twenty years of age. It marshaled the vast host in complete order and organized the encampment preparatory to marching into the land of promise. At that time everything indicated speedy entrance into Canaan, and every man numbered expected and might have had an inheritance there because of tokens of loving-kindness such as no other people ever witnessed.
Second Numbering and Warning
The opening census of the book was followed nearly forty years later by a second census in chapter 26 at the close of the forty years of wandering. The first enumeration was taken soon after coming out of Egypt at the beginning of the wandering, and the second at its end. The first provides the baseline and record for comparison with the second, with its definite tribal numbers of men of a specified age set beside the later figures. That comparison shows how the tribes changed in number during the journey, so each tribe can be seen to have gained or lost, some increasing greatly and others decreasing.
Those counted in the first numbering expected to enter the promised land and might have had an inheritance there. Yet not one man save Caleb and Joshua of all that were numbered the first time was alive to witness the second numbering, and every other person had fallen in the wilderness. By a solemn oath God excluded them from the land and doomed them to die there. This happened because the people were wicked, sin was in their midst, and it broke out at last in open, wanton rebellion against God.
Receiving God's favor and having hope of entering the kingdom do not make sin harmless, but sin leads to ruin. The second numbering was calculated to impress that God will fulfill His threatened judgments. The account of the numbering in chapter 1, including the appointment of a leader from each tribe, is factual and should not be dismissed as absurd, for rejecting it is part of the attack on the inspiration of the Bible. The census commanded here was authorized by God, with a representative from each tribe to assist, each one head of his ancestral house, and in this it is contrasted with David's census, which was sinful because he took it without the Lord's consent.