The verse names the chief counted for the tribe of Simeon in Israel's first census, giving both his parentage and his tribal place in the separate numbering of the tribes. That numbering was the first of two under Moses, taken at Sinai about a year after leaving Egypt after the law was given and the tabernacle was set up, while God fed Israel with manna, gave water from the rock, and led them by cloud and fire in full order for a speedy entrance into Canaan. It counted only men twenty years old and upward able to go to war, 603,550 in all apart from Levi, and every man so counted might have received his inheritance in the promised land. Set beside the second census thirty-eight years later in the plains of Moab, Simeon is seen to have fallen from 59,300 to 22,200, a loss of 37,100 answering to the foretold scattering of Simeon in Israel. Of all those first counted only Caleb and Joshua lived to the second numbering, because the rest rose in open rebellion against God and were shut out of the land by His oath to die in the wilderness.
First Census Setting
Of Simeon the man counted is Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, named as the leader and representative listed for that tribe in Israel's first census. His tribal affiliation and ancestry are supplied as part of the separate and careful numbering of each tribe by itself.
The numbering to which the verse belongs is the first of two numberings under Moses, made at Sinai when Israel had been in the desert about one year, at the close of the first year. It took place after the law had been proclaimed from Sinai, after the tabernacle had been erected with the ark of God's law placed in its most holy place, and after the cloud of glory had taken possession of it. At that time God gave bread from heaven every morning and water from the smitten rock, and kept the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night continually over the camp. Their names were taken down and their host was marshaled in complete order preparatory to marching into the land of promise, with everything indicating speedy entrance into Canaan.
The census counted men able to go forth to war as Israel prepared to enter the promised land, 603,550 in all. It did not include the tribe of Levi at all, nor any females, nor any under twenty years of age, but gave the numbers of men of a specified age. Every man numbered expected an inheritance in the land of promise and might have had it after witnessing tokens of God's loving-kindness such as no other people witnessed.
The census Moses took was at the Lord's command and brought no trouble, unlike David's later census, which was taken without the Lord's consent and from pride and confidence in military strength. The numbering follows the building of the tabernacle and the establishing of its services and the sin of Nadab and Abihu, and comes before Israel leaving Mount Sinai. It is retained as suitable material for children in a simple, clean, connected telling of the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation with practical moral lessons woven in.
Two Numberings Compared
The census in this chapter stands at the beginning of the forty years of wandering and is set over against the second census in Numbers 26 at the end of the wandering, so that the two numberings show how the tribes changed. The first numbering was taken at Sinai, while the other was taken in the plains of Moab thirty-eight years later. Comparison of the two reveals gain and loss by tribe, with some increasing and others decreasing.
Simeon stood at 59,300 in the first census and fell afterward to 22,200, a decrease of 37,100. Its scattering is connected with Jacob's prophecy that Simeon and Levi would be divided and scattered in Israel.
The first numbering of the host opens the book of Numbers and gives the book its name. Not one man counted in that first numbering, save Caleb and Joshua, was alive to witness the second numbering; nearly every other person had fallen and died in the wilderness. The first census had counted men able to go to war as Israel prepared to enter the promised land.
So terrible a failure came because the people were wicked, with sin in their midst breaking out at last in open, wanton rebellion against God. By solemn oath He therefore excluded them from the land and doomed them to die in the wilderness. The second numbering thus impresses the fact that God will fulfill His threatened judgments.
The verse names the chief counted for the tribe of Simeon in Israel's first census, giving both his parentage and his tribal place in the separate numbering of the tribes. That numbering was the first of two under Moses, taken at Sinai about a year after leaving Egypt after the law was given and the tabernacle was set up, while God fed Israel with manna, gave water from the rock, and led them by cloud and fire in full order for a speedy entrance into Canaan. It counted only men twenty years old and upward able to go to war, 603,550 in all apart from Levi, and every man so counted might have received his inheritance in the promised land. Set beside the second census thirty-eight years later in the plains of Moab, Simeon is seen to have fallen from 59,300 to 22,200, a loss of 37,100 answering to the foretold scattering of Simeon in Israel. Of all those first counted only Caleb and Joshua lived to the second numbering, because the rest rose in open rebellion against God and were shut out of the land by His oath to die in the wilderness.
First Census Setting
Of Simeon the man counted is Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, named as the leader and representative listed for that tribe in Israel's first census. His tribal affiliation and ancestry are supplied as part of the separate and careful numbering of each tribe by itself.
The numbering to which the verse belongs is the first of two numberings under Moses, made at Sinai when Israel had been in the desert about one year, at the close of the first year. It took place after the law had been proclaimed from Sinai, after the tabernacle had been erected with the ark of God's law placed in its most holy place, and after the cloud of glory had taken possession of it. At that time God gave bread from heaven every morning and water from the smitten rock, and kept the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night continually over the camp. Their names were taken down and their host was marshaled in complete order preparatory to marching into the land of promise, with everything indicating speedy entrance into Canaan.
The census counted men able to go forth to war as Israel prepared to enter the promised land, 603,550 in all. It did not include the tribe of Levi at all, nor any females, nor any under twenty years of age, but gave the numbers of men of a specified age. Every man numbered expected an inheritance in the land of promise and might have had it after witnessing tokens of God's loving-kindness such as no other people witnessed.
The census Moses took was at the Lord's command and brought no trouble, unlike David's later census, which was taken without the Lord's consent and from pride and confidence in military strength. The numbering follows the building of the tabernacle and the establishing of its services and the sin of Nadab and Abihu, and comes before Israel leaving Mount Sinai. It is retained as suitable material for children in a simple, clean, connected telling of the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation with practical moral lessons woven in.
Two Numberings Compared
The census in this chapter stands at the beginning of the forty years of wandering and is set over against the second census in Numbers 26 at the end of the wandering, so that the two numberings show how the tribes changed. The first numbering was taken at Sinai, while the other was taken in the plains of Moab thirty-eight years later. Comparison of the two reveals gain and loss by tribe, with some increasing and others decreasing.
Simeon stood at 59,300 in the first census and fell afterward to 22,200, a decrease of 37,100. Its scattering is connected with Jacob's prophecy that Simeon and Levi would be divided and scattered in Israel.
The first numbering of the host opens the book of Numbers and gives the book its name. Not one man counted in that first numbering, save Caleb and Joshua, was alive to witness the second numbering; nearly every other person had fallen and died in the wilderness. The first census had counted men able to go to war as Israel prepared to enter the promised land.
So terrible a failure came because the people were wicked, with sin in their midst breaking out at last in open, wanton rebellion against God. By solemn oath He therefore excluded them from the land and doomed them to die in the wilderness. The second numbering thus impresses the fact that God will fulfill His threatened judgments.