AFTER THE PLAGUE the LORD said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, 2“Take a census of the whole Israelite community by families—all those twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army of Israel.” 3So on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them and said, 4“Take a census of the men twenty years old or more, as the LORD commanded Moses.”
These were the Israelites who came out of Egypt:
5The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel, were:
through Hanoch, the Hanochite clan;
through Pallu, the Palluite clan;
6through Hezron, the Hezronite clan;
through Carmi, the Carmite clan.
7These were the clans of Reuben; those numbered were 43,730.
8The son of Pallu was Eliab, 9and the sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan and Abiram. The same Dathan and Abiram were the community officials who rebelled against Moses and Aaron and were among Korah’s followers when they rebelled against the LORD. 10The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire devoured the 250 men. And they served as a warning sign. 11The line of Korah, however, did not die out.
12The descendants of Simeon by their clans were:
through Nemuel, the Nemuelite clan;
through Jamin, the Jaminite clan;
through Jakin, the Jakinite clan;
13through Zerah, the Zerahite clan;
through Shaul, the Shaulite clan.
14These were the clans of Simeon; there were 22,200 men.
15The descendants of Gad by their clans were:
through Zephon, the Zephonite clan;
through Haggi, the Haggite clan;
through Shuni, the Shunite clan;
16through Ozni, the Oznite clan;
through Eri, the Erite clan;
17through Arodi, the Arodite clan;
through Areli, the Arelite clan.
18These were the clans of Gad; those numbered were 40,500.
19Er and Onan were sons of Judah, but they died in Canaan.
20The descendants of Judah by their clans were:
through Shelah, the Shelanite clan;
through Perez, the Perezite clan;
through Zerah, the Zerahite clan.
21The descendants of Perez were:
Hezron, the Hezronite clan;
Hamul, the Hamulite clan.
22These were the clans of Judah; those numbered were 76,500.
23The descendants of Issachar by their clans were: through Tola, the Tolaite clan;
through Puah, the Puite clan;
24through Jashub, the Jashubite clan;
through Shimron, the Shimronite clan.
25These were the clans of Issachar; those numbered were 64,300.
26The descendants of Zebulun by their clans were:
through Sered, the Seredite clan;
through Elon, the Elonite clan;
through Jahleel, the Jahleelite clan.
27These were the clans of Zebulun; those numbered were 60,500.
28The descendants of Joseph by their clans through Manasseh and Ephraim were:
29The descendants of Manasseh:
through Makir, the Makirite clan (Makir was the father of Gilead);
through Gilead, the Gileadite clan.
30These were the descendants of Gilead:
Iezer, the Iezerite clan;
Helek, the Helekite clan;
31through Asriel, the Asrielite clan;
Shechem, the Shechemite clan;
32through Shemida, the Shemidaite clan;
through Hepher, the Hepherite clan.
33(Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons; he had
only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah,
Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.)
34These were the clans of Manasseh; those numbered were 52,700.
35These were the descendants of Ephraim by their clans: through Shuthelah, the Shuthelahite clan;
through Beker, the Bekerite clan;
through Tahan, the Tahanite clan.
36These were the descendants of Shuthelah:
through Eran, the Eranite clan.
37These were the clans of Ephraim; those numbered were 32,500.
These were the descendants of Joseph by their clans.
38The descendants of Benjamin by their clans were:
through Bela, the Belaite clan;
through Ashbel, the Ashbelite clan;
through Ahiram, the Ahiramite clan;
39through Shupham, the Shuphamite clan;
through Hupham, the Huphamite clan.
40The descendants of Bela through Ard and Naaman were:
Ard, the Ardite clan;
Naaman, the Naamite clan.
41These were the clans of Benjamin; those numbered were 45,600.
42These were the descendants of Dan by their clans:
through Shuham, the Shuhamite clan.
These were the clans of Dan: 43All of them were Shuhamite clans; and those numbered were 64,400.
44The descendants of Asher by their clans were:
through Imnah, the Imnite clan;
through Ishvi, the Ishvite clan;
through Beriah, the Beriite clan;
45and through the descendants of Beriah:
Heber, the Heberite clan;
Malkiel, the Malkielite clan.
46(Asher had a daughter named Serah.)
47These were the clans of Asher; those numbered were 53,400.
48The descendants of Naphtali by their clans were:
Jahzeel, the Jahzeelite clan;
Guni, the Gunite clan;
49through Jezer, the Jezerite clan;
Shillem, the Shillemite clan.
50These were the clans of Naphtali; those numbered were 45,400.
51The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730.
52The LORD said to Moses, 53“The land is to be allotted to them as an inheritance based on the number of names. 54To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one; each is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those listed. 55Be sure that the land is distributed by lot. What each group inherits will be according to the names for its ancestral tribe. 56Each inheritance is to be distributed by lot among the larger and smaller groups.”
57These were the Levites who were counted by their clans:
through Gershon, the Gershonite clan;
through Kohath, the Kohathite clan;
through Merari, the Merarite clan.
58These also were Levite clans:
the Libnite clan,
the Hebronite clan,
the Mahlite clan,
the Mushite clan,
the Korahite clan.
(Kohath was the forefather of Amram; 59the name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, a descendant of Levi, who was born to the Levites in Egypt. To Amram she bore Aaron, Moses and their sister Miriam. 60Aaron was the father of Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 61But Nadab and Abihu died when they made an offering before the LORD with unauthorized fire.)
62All the male Levites a month old or more numbered 23,000. They were not counted along with the other Israelites because they received no inheritance among them.
63These are the ones counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. 64Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai. 65For the LORD had told those Israelites they would surely die in the desert, and not one of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
Original Meaning
“AFTER THE PLAGUE” (Num. 26:1) at Shittim, which reduced the number of Israelites by 24,000 (25:9), the Lord commands a military census of men twenty years old and older, as in chapter 1 (26:1–4; cf. 1:3). The second census of Numbers 26 shows that the torch has passed to the new generation. Rather than enumerating tribal leaders to assist Moses and Eleazar with the census (cf. 1:4–16), chapter 26 lists clans within each tribe that receive their names from the earliest descendants of the twelve patriarchs. Thus the chapter reads like a combination of genealogy and census.
With the genealogical component are some notices of special circumstances that affected certain lines of descendants: the rebellion and deaths of Reubenites Dathan and Abiram with Korah & Co. (26:9–11; cf. ch. 16); the deaths, also divinely administered, of Judah’s oldest sons Er and Onan in Canaan (26:19; cf. Gen. 38:7–10), and the fact that Zelophehad of Manasseh has only daughters (Num. 26:33). The significance of these daughters will come to light in chapters 27 and 36.
The order of tribes in this second census report is the same as in the first report of 1:20–43, except that Manasseh is placed before Ephraim (26:29–37; cf. 1:32–35). Numbers 26:51 adds up the total number of Israelite fighting men twenty years of age and older as 601,730. This is slightly less than the total of the first census: 603,550 (1:46).
Census 1 (1:20–46) | Census 2 (26:5–51) |
Reuben: 46,500 | Reuben: 43,730 |
Simeon: 59,300 | Simeon: 22,200 |
Gad: 45,650 | Gad: 40,500 |
Judah: 74,600 | Judah: 76,500 |
Issachar: 54,500 | Issachar: 64,300 |
Zebulun: 57,400 | Zebulun: 60,500 |
Ephraim: 40,500 | Manasseh: 52,700 |
Manasseh: 32,200 | Ephraim: 32,500 |
Benjamin: 45,600 | |
Dan: 62,700 | Dan: 64,400 |
Asher: 41,500 | Asher: 53,400 |
Naphtali: 53,400 | Naphtali: 45,400 |
Total: 603,550 | Total: 601,730 |
The numbers tell how the various tribes fared during the decades of desert wandering. Some flourished, such as Manasseh. Others declined, most notably Simeon, the tribe of Zimri (slain by Phinehas; 25:6–8, 14), which lost more than half its number. A serious factor was retributive justice meted out by the Lord on rebellious Israelites, which took out 14,700 at Kadesh (16:49) and 24,000 at Shittim alone (25:9). Since the last of the condemned older generation already died within thirty-eight years after the people left Kadesh (Deut. 2:14; cf. Num. 21:12–13) and before the Baal of Peor incident (Num. 25), the 24,000 slain in the plague at Shittim (25:9) belonged to the younger generation.
In addition to its military function, the second census is to determine the size of the territories that will be allotted to the tribes when they conquer the land (26:52–56). Distribution of inheritances by casting lots will be fair in that the Israelites will be distributed evenly throughout the Promised Land. However, some tribes will have more land than others, just as some states in the U.S. have more members in the House of Representatives than others. By making sizes of territories proportional to tribal populations, which were affected by loyalty/disloyalty to the Lord during the desert period, he rewards the tribes according to their levels of faithfulness during that time.
As earlier in Numbers, Levites are counted separately because they do not serve in the regular army, and their males are counted from the age of one month instead of twenty years (cf. ch. 3). Furthermore, they will not inherit land along with the other tribes (26:62; see also 18:20–24). Numbers 26:57–62 reports the second census of Levites, who total 23,000 (26:62), as compared with 22,000 earlier (3:39).
The second census gives the Israelites a new beginning. About to conquer Canaan, they are back to the same situation as at the time of the first census, after losing nearly four decades. Aside from determining the strength of the military and Levite forces, assessing the relative growth or decline of the respective tribes, and establishing a basis for division of the land, the second census has another important purpose: to make sure that the entire generation excluded from Canaan because of the rebellion at Kadesh (ch. 14) is dead. So the end of chapter 26 delivers this crucial piece of information: Except for Caleb and Joshua, the second military census includes none counted in the first census (26:63–65). At last, the Israelites will be permitted to enter the Promised Land.
Bridging Contexts
WARNING SIGN AND amazing grace. Numbers 26:10 says that Korah & Co. became a nes. Usually this word refers to a “signal/standard” to which people should rally (cf. Isa. 5:26; 11:10, 12; 13:2). After the Israelites defeated the Amalekites at Rephidim, “Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner [nes]. He said, ‘For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD’” (Ex. 17:15–16).1 But in Numbers 26:10, Korah & Co. become a sign/signal of warning.
As elsewhere in the Bible, negative examples are useful for deterring people from evil and destructive courses of action. For example, in Ezekiel 23:48 the Lord speaks to the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, who are allegorically represented as two sisters, regarding the result of their punishment: “So I will put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you” (cf. 5:15). For the Christian church setting, Paul advises Timothy: “Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning” (1 Tim. 5:20). Nevertheless, Paul views even severe church discipline as having a potentially redemptive purpose for the offender (1 Cor. 5:4–5).
In ancient Israel, although capital punishment did not allow for rehabilitation of an offender, the Lord could accomplish redemption for and through his descendants. In fact, there was such redemption for the family of Korah, the ringleader of revolt. Numbers 26:11 provides a piece of information not included in the chapter 16 account of Korah’s rebellion: The sons of Korah (named in Ex. 6:24) did not die. So for some unstated reason, unlike the families of Dathan and Abiram (cf. Num. 16:27, 32–33), Korah’s line of descendants was not cut off.
The fact that Korah’s line continued explains how descendants of Korah came to be authors of no less than eleven of the Psalms: 42, 44–49, 84–85, 87–88. These include some of the greatest expressions of faith and praise in the Bible, which have inspired some of our most beloved hymns and songs, such as Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress” (Ps. 46). As Korah’s descendants sang, ultimately the Lord prevails and brings good out of evil, even out of Korah. That is amazing grace!
For congregational singing to go with a sermon I preached in Paw Paw, Michigan, I chose the hymn, “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy.” But the church bulletin came out with a typo: “There’s a Wildness in God’s Mercy.” That was serendipitous, reminding us that God’s mercy is truly wild!
Contemporary Significance
EVEN THE STRONG are not indispensable. Tony Campolo describes his experience as a counselor at a junior high camp. The counselors tried every way they could to get the kids interested in the Lord. They even brought in baseball players whose batting averages had improved since they had started praying. But nothing was working.
At the camp there was a little boy named Billy, who suffered from cerebral palsy. The other children loved to pick on him by imitating his grotesque body movements and mimicking his contorted stammer. On the morning that it was the turn of Billy’s cabin to provide a speaker for devotions, they had chosen Billy so they could make fun of him.
As he dragged his way to the front, you could hear the giggles rolling over the crowd. It took little Billy almost five minutes to say seven words. “Jesus . . . loves . . . me . . . and . . . I . . . love . . . Jesus.”
When he finished, there was dead silence. I looked over my shoulder and saw junior high boys bawling all over the place. A revival broke out in that camp after Billy’s short testimony. And as I travel over the world, I find missionaries and preachers who say, “Remember me? I was converted at that junior high camp.”2
If the Lord can’t accomplish his purposes through the strong, he turns to the weak. When the Israelites lamented that any attempted invasion of Canaan would result in their children being taken captive by the enemy (Num. 14:3), God responded by saying that he would give the Promised Land to those same defenseless children (14:31–32). If he cannot use some people to carry out his goals, he turns to others, even if they seem inadequate and even if he must wait for another generation. While the Lord inexorably moves his plans for human beings through to fulfillment, none of us is indispensable for carrying out his will.
John the Baptist stormed the pride of those who thought they were essential when he thundered: “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham” (Matt. 3:8–9). Nor are Jesus’ followers indispensable. When some demanded that he rebuke his disciples for joyfully praising God when he triumphantly rode into Jerusalem, he replied: “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out” (Luke 19:40).
The fact that none of us is indispensable calls for individual and corporate humility. No matter how lofty the pretensions or how powerful the influence, no human being or group of human beings owns God’s plan for Planet Earth. If this one point were understood and accepted in place of all the dogmas and -isms of human concoction, we would see a lot more peace in the world.
While we are privileged to participate in God’s plan, our realization that its success does not depend on us provides rest and security. We are to bear each other’s burdens (Gal. 6:2), but no matter how important our positions of leadership may be, the Herculean weight of responsibility for the world does not rest on our shoulders, as if anything that puts us out of action will bring everything crashing down. There is another who carries the weight, and he is indispensable because he is not an ordinary human being: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6; emphasis supplied).