Introduction

The five books of Moses were collectively called the Pentateuch, a word of Greek origin meaning ‘the five-fold book.’ The Jews called them the Torah, i.e., ‘the law.’ It’s probable that the division of the Torah into five books proceeded from the Greek translators of the Old Testament.

The names by which these several books are generally known are Greek. Genesis through to Deuteronomy is known as the Torah, which means Law. In Greek, the word Pentateuch is ‘Pente’, which means five and ‘uch’, which means Law.

All the events recorded in the Book of Numbers took place around eleven months after the Israelites arrived at the foot of Mount Sinai. The book itself is appropriately named Numbers because within it, there is a lot of counting.

There are three censuses recorded in the Pentateuch, the first one is recorded when Israel was at Mount Sinai, and a census was taken to organise the Israelite families in order to establish a regular support for the Levitical priesthood, Exodus 30:11-16.

The second census was taken before departing from Mount Sinai in order to count the military men of the nation, Numbers 1-4. And finally, the third census was taken just before Israel entered Canaan, Numbers 26.

AUTHOR

It is generally accepted that Moses is the author of the book, and when we read through the book, we find the words, ‘the Lord spoke to Moses’ no less than eighty times.

Throughout the book, we find Moses taking on several roles within Israel, he is the lawgiver, the counsellor, the provider, the intercessor, the peacemaker, the religious and civil leader, and the servant of God on behalf of Israel.

DATE

We know the book covers a period of around thirty-nine years, which started with Israel leaving Mount Sinai, to the time they were getting ready to enter Canaan.

If the book was written shortly before Israel entered Canaan, and if we accept the date of the exodus from Egypt to be around 1445 B.C., then Numbers was probably written sometime around 1,400 B.C.

OUTLINE

Israel gets ready for the journey to Canaan, Numbers 1:1-10:10
The Israelites start complaining about everything, Miriam and Aaron dispute with Moses, and Israel refuse to listen to Joshua and Caleb and refuse to enter the Promised Land, Numbers 10:11-14:45
Israel wanders in the desert for forty years as a punishment for not trusting God, Numbers 15:1-21:35
As Israel approaches Canaan again, a king tries to hire Balaam to put a curse on Israel. Balaam is able only to bless the Israelites, not curse them, Numbers 22:1-26:1
Moses takes another census of the people, Moses commissions Joshua to succeed him, and God gives instructions on offerings and feasts, Numbers 26:1-30:16
The Israelites take vengeance on the Midianites, Numbers 31:1-36:13

The Text

‘The LORD spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Desert of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. He said: “Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one. You and Aaron are to count according to their divisions all the men in Israel who are twenty years old or more and able to serve in the army.’ Numbers 1:1-3

THE CENSUS

Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.

‘A month had passed since the setting up of the tabernacle, Exodus 40:2 / Exodus 40:17, and the Sinaitic legislation was now complete, Leviticus 27:34.’

The text begins with the words, ‘the LORD spoke to Moses’, Numbers 1:1, which occurs around eighty through the book. He spoke to Moses at the tent of meeting, Numbers 1:1, that is, the tabernacle and told him to take a census of every male, that is, men who were able to fight in the army, Numbers 1:2-3.

Notice that these men had to be twenty years of age or older, Numbers 1:3. This could be significant, because no one over this age actually entered the Promised Land, because if we remember, they refused to enter Canaan when God commanded them to, except Joshua and Caleb, Numbers 14:29-30 / Numbers 32:11.

Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.

‘In this census, no women were reckoned, nor children, nor strangers, nor the Levites, nor old men, which, collectively, must have formed an immense multitude; the Levites alone amounted to 22,300. True-born Israelites only are reckoned, such as were able to carry arms and were expert in war.’

‘One man from each tribe, each of them the head of his family, is to help you. These are the names of the men who are to assist you: from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur; from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai; from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab; from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar; from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon; from the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur; from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni; from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai; from Asher, Pagiel son of Okran; from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel; from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.” These were the men appointed from the community, the leaders of their ancestral tribes. They were the heads of the clans of Israel. Moses and Aaron took these men whose names had been specified, and they called the whole community together on the first day of the second month. The people registered their ancestry by their clans and families, and the men twenty years old or more were listed by name, one by one, as the LORD commanded Moses. And so he counted them in the Desert of Sinai.’ Numbers 1:4-19

The counting was done according to the heads of each tribe, family, and household of Israel, Numbers 1:4. The reason for counting the families was probably for the benefit of future generations.

Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.

‘The princes of the tribes, selected Numbers 1:4, under divine direction, were for the most part the same persons as those chosen a few months previously at the counsel of Jethro, Exodus 18:21-26. Nahshon, prince of Judah, is mentioned in Exodus 6:23, and Elishama, in 1 Chronicles 7:26-27. The peers of men like these were no doubt entitled, among their fellows, to the epithet ‘renowned,’ Numbers 1:16.’

Nahshon son of Amminadab, was the head of Judah, Numbers 1:7 / Matthew 1:4. Eliasaph, the son of Deuel, Numbers 1:14 is called Reuel, Numbers 2:14 / Numbers 10:20.

The heads of each tribe would stand with Moses and represent their own tribe, Numbers 1:16. We’re not told how they went about choosing a head for each tribe, but it’s certainly possible they chose the individual from among themselves.

‘From the descendants of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Reuben was 46,500. From the descendants of Simeon: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were counted and listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Simeon was 59,300. From the descendants of Gad: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Gad was 45,650. From the descendants of Judah: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Judah was 74,600. From the descendants of Issachar: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Issachar was 54,400. From the descendants of Zebulun: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Zebulun was 57,400. From the sons of Joseph: From the descendants of Ephraim: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Ephraim was 40,500. From the descendants of Manasseh: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200. From the descendants of Benjamin: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Benjamin was 35,400. From the descendants of Dan: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Dan was 62,700. From the descendants of Asher: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Asher was 41,500. From the descendants of Naphtali: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Naphtali was 53,400. These were the men counted by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family. All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families. The total number was 603,550.’ Numbers 1:20-46

Here we read that only those who were twenty years old and older were to be chosen, Numbers 1:20 / Numbers 1:3 / Numbers 1:18 / Numbers 1:20 / Numbers 1:22 / Numbers 1:24 / Numbers 1:26 / Numbers 1:28 / Numbers 1:30 / Numbers 1:32 / Numbers 1:34 / Numbers 1:36 / Numbers 1:38 / Numbers 1:40 / Numbers 1:42 / Numbers 1:45.

Some have noted that there are twelve tribes mentioned, but not Levi. However, when we count Jacob’s son Joseph as two, that is, Ephraim and Manasseh, Numbers 1:32-33 / Numbers 1:10 / Joshua 14:4, then we have twelve.

Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.

‘Ephraim, as he was blessed beyond his eldest brother Manasseh, Genesis 48:20, so here he is increased by thousands more than Manasseh, and more than the whole tribe of Benjamin, and his blessing continued above his brother, Deuteronomy 33:17. And thus the prophecy, Genesis 48:19, was fulfilled: His younger brother (Ephraim) shall be greater than he, (Manasseh.).’

Those who are good at maths will notice that there were 603,550 men of war chosen, Numbers 1:46.

Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.

‘What an astonishing increase from seventy souls that went down into Egypt, Genesis 46:27, about 215 years before, where latterly they had endured the greatest hardships! But God’s promise cannot fail, Genesis 16:5, and who can resist his will, and bring to nought his counsel?’

When a later census is taken, Numbers 26, this number falls to 601,730.

‘The ancestral tribe of the Levites, however, was not counted along with the others. The LORD had said to Moses: “You must not count the tribe of Levi or include them in the census of the other Israelites. Instead, appoint the Levites to be in charge of the tabernacle of the covenant law—over all its furnishings and everything belonging to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they are to take care of it and encamp around it. Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall do it. Anyone else who approaches it is to be put to death. The Israelites are to set up their tents by divisions, each of them in their own camp under their standard. The Levites, however, are to set up their tents around the tabernacle of the covenant law so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelite community. The Levites are to be responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the covenant law.” The Israelites did all this just as the LORD commanded Moses.’ Numbers 1:47-54

Earlier, we noted that Levi wasn’t counted among the twelve tribes, but here they are mentioned, but weren’t to be counted among the fighting men, Numbers 1:47-49.

This is because they were to be totally dedicated to service within the tabernacle, and they were to offer the services on behalf of the people, Numbers 1:50-54. God Himself would be their inheritance, and they wouldn’t inherit land in Canaan, Numbers 3:1-4:49.

The Levites were to be in charge of the tabernacle of the covenant law, over all its furnishings and everything belonging to it, Numbers 1:50. They were to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they were to take care of it and encamp around it, Numbers 1:50.

Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites are responsible for doing this, Numbers 1:51. Notice the warning: if anyone else approaches the tabernacle, they are to be put to death, Numbers 1:51.

The Israelites are to set up their tents by divisions, each of them in their own camp under their standard, Numbers 1:52. However, the Levites are to set up their tents around the tabernacle so that God’s wrath doesn’t fall on the Israelite community, Numbers 1:53. The Israelites did all this just as the LORD commanded Moses, Numbers 1:54.

Spencer, in his commentary, says the following.

‘Numbers 1:49-53 clearly outlines the requirements for the militaristic protection of the tabernacle by the Levites.’

Coffman, in his commentary, says the following concerning the census.

‘As already noted, another census of Israel was taken after about forty years, Numbers 26, and this is a convenient place to present the information gathered from that numbering, along with this.

Counting Manasseh and Ephraim together as the posterity of Joseph, it is evident that the families of these two patriarchs predominate in the makeup of Israel. Also, the surprising losses of Simeon during the wilderness journeys are compensated by substantial increases in the tribes of Manasseh, Issachar, Benjamin, and Asher.’

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