And of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites: and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.
The verse records two family divisions of Manasseh in Israel's census, the Shemidaites sprung from Shemida and the Hepherites sprung from Hepher. It is part of the census taken near the end of the forty years in the wilderness, identifying those families of Shemida and Hepher within the whole numbering. That numbering is the second numbering of Israel in Numbers 26, taken in the plains of Moab just before entering Canaan at the end of the forty years, nearly forty years after leaving Egypt and about thirty-eight years after the first numbering in Numbers 1 at Sinai. Compared with the numbering in Numbers 1, it belongs to the close of the wandering rather than its beginning at Sinai.
Comparison of the two numberings shows how the tribes changed during the wandering, with some falling off or declining and others increasing or growing greatly. The total number of adult males changed little, from 603,550 to 601,730, while the numbers of the separate tribes changed considerably. Manasseh showed the most pronounced growth among the tribes. The census is therefore to be read against the earlier count to note which tribes gained or lost population during the wilderness journey.
The second numbering proves that God's threatened judgment was fulfilled. Apart from Caleb and Joshua, not one man counted in the first numbering was alive to be counted again, for every other person had fallen in the wilderness. The cause was that the people were wicked, with sin in their midst breaking out in open, wanton rebellion against God, so that by a solemn oath He excluded that wicked generation from the land and doomed them to die in the wilderness. It is an instance of Moses taking a census at the Lord's command, showing that numbering Israel was not sinful in itself, unlike David's census which was taken without the Lord's consent. With its surrounding laws and ordinances, this second numbering gives valuable instruction and makes diversified reading of interest and profit.
The verse records two family divisions of Manasseh in Israel's census, the Shemidaites sprung from Shemida and the Hepherites sprung from Hepher. It is part of the census taken near the end of the forty years in the wilderness, identifying those families of Shemida and Hepher within the whole numbering. That numbering is the second numbering of Israel in Numbers 26, taken in the plains of Moab just before entering Canaan at the end of the forty years, nearly forty years after leaving Egypt and about thirty-eight years after the first numbering in Numbers 1 at Sinai. Compared with the numbering in Numbers 1, it belongs to the close of the wandering rather than its beginning at Sinai.
Comparison of the two numberings shows how the tribes changed during the wandering, with some falling off or declining and others increasing or growing greatly. The total number of adult males changed little, from 603,550 to 601,730, while the numbers of the separate tribes changed considerably. Manasseh showed the most pronounced growth among the tribes. The census is therefore to be read against the earlier count to note which tribes gained or lost population during the wilderness journey.
The second numbering proves that God's threatened judgment was fulfilled. Apart from Caleb and Joshua, not one man counted in the first numbering was alive to be counted again, for every other person had fallen in the wilderness. The cause was that the people were wicked, with sin in their midst breaking out in open, wanton rebellion against God, so that by a solemn oath He excluded that wicked generation from the land and doomed them to die in the wilderness. It is an instance of Moses taking a census at the Lord's command, showing that numbering Israel was not sinful in itself, unlike David's census which was taken without the Lord's consent. With its surrounding laws and ordinances, this second numbering gives valuable instruction and makes diversified reading of interest and profit.