Numbers 1

A Census of Israel’s Warriors

1 The Lord spoke to Moses *ch. 10:11,12;Ex. 19:1in the wilderness of Sinai, *Ex. 25:22in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 *Ex. 30:12;38:26;2 Sam. 24:2;1 Chr. 21:2;See ch. 26:2-51"Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, *ver. 18, 20, 22;ch. 3:47;1 Chr. 23:3,24by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. 3 *ch. 14:29;Ex. 30:14From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, *Ex. 12:51company by company. 4 And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers. 5 And these are the names of the men who shall assist you. From Reuben, *ch. 7:30Elizur the son of Shedeur; 6 from Simeon, *ch. 7:36Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; 7 from Judah, *See Ex. 6:23Nahshon the son of Amminadab; 8 from Issachar, *ch. 7:18Nethanel the son of Zuar; 9 from Zebulun, *ch. 7:24Eliab the son of Helon; 10 from the sons of Joseph, from Ephraim, *ch. 7:48;1 Chr. 7:26Elishama the son of Ammihud, and from Manasseh, *ch. 7:54Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; 11 from Benjamin, *ch. 7:60Abidan the son of Gideoni; 12 from Dan, *ch. 7:66Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai; 13 from Asher, *ch. 7:72Pagiel the son of Ochran; 14 from Gad, Eliasaph the son of *ch. 7:42Deuel; 15 from Naphtali, *ch. 7:78Ahira the son of Enan." 16 These were the ones *ch. 26:9chosen from the congregation, *ch. 7:2;[Ex. 18:21,25]; See 1 Chr. 27:16-22the chiefs of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel.

17 Moses and Aaron took these men *1 Chr. 12:31;16:41;2 Chr. 28:15;31:19;Ezra 8:20who had been named, 18 and on the first day of the second month, they assembled the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head, 19 as the Lord commanded Moses. So he listed them in the wilderness of Sinai.

20 The people of *For ver. 20-46, see ch. 2:3-32Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: 21 those listed of the tribe of Reuben were *[ch. 26:7]46,500.

22 Of the people of Simeon, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, those of them who were listed, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: 23 those listed of the tribe of Simeon were *[ch. 26:14]59,300.

24 Of the people of Gad, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: 25 those listed of the tribe of Gad were *[ch. 26:18]45,650.

26 Of the people of Judah, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 27 those listed of the tribe of Judah were *[ch. 26:22;2 Sam. 24:9]74,600.

28 Of the people of Issachar, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 29 those listed of the tribe of Issachar were *[ch. 26:25]54,400.

30 Of the people of Zebulun, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 31 those listed of the tribe of Zebulun were *[ch. 26:27]57,400.

32 Of the people of Joseph, namely, of the people of Ephraim, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 33 those listed of the tribe of Ephraim were *[ch. 26:37]40,500.

34 Of the people of Manasseh, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 35 those listed of the tribe of Manasseh were *[ch. 26:34]32,200.

36 Of the people of Benjamin, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 37 those listed of the tribe of Benjamin were *[ch. 26:41]35,400.

38 Of the people of Dan, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 39 those listed of the tribe of Dan were *[ch. 26:43]62,700.

40 Of the people of Asher, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 41 those listed of the tribe of Asher were *[ch. 26:47]41,500.

42 Of the people of Naphtali, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 43 those listed of the tribe of Naphtali were *[ch. 26:50]53,400.

44 *ch. 26:64These are those who were listed, whom Moses and Aaron listed with the help of the chiefs of Israel, twelve men, each representing his fathers’ house. 45 So all those listed of the people of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel— 46 all those listed were *Ex. 38:26;[ch. 11:21; 26:51; Ex. 12:37]603,550.

Levites Exempted

47 But *ch. 2:33;[ch. 26:57,58,62]; See ch. 3; ch. 4;1 Chr. 6the Levites were not listed along with them by their ancestral tribe. 48 For the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 49 "Only the tribe of Levi you shall not list, and you shall not take a census of them among the people of Israel. 50 *ch. 3:7,8;Ex. 38:21;See ch. 4:15-33But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it *See ch. 3:23-38and shall camp around the tabernacle. 51 *ch. 10:17,21When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. *ch. 3:10,38;18:22;[1 Sam. 6:19;2 Sam. 6:6,7;1 Chr. 13:10]And if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death. 52 The people of Israel shall pitch their tents by their companies, each man in his own camp and *ch. 2:2,34each man by his own standard. 53 But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there may be no *ch. 8:19;16:46;18:5wrath on the congregation of the people of Israel. *ch. 3:7,8,38;8:26;9:19,23;18:3-5;31:30,47;1 Chr. 23:32;[2 Chr. 13:11]And the Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the testimony." 54 Thus did the people of Israel; they did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses.