Numbers

The LORD spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai, in the tent where God met with the people. It was the first day of the second month of the second year after they came out of the land of Egypt. He said:

1And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

NoteThe tent where God met with the people is the tabernacle, a portable tent-sanctuary that was carried from campsite to campsite; KJV "tabernacle of the congregation" is better understood as "tent of meeting," the place of appointed meeting. "Wilderness" (desert) here means dry, thinly grassed grazing country, not sand dunes. The date counts from the exodus: Israel left Egypt in the first month, so this is about a year later, one month after the tabernacle was first set up.

2"Take a count of the whole community of Israel. List them by their clans and by their fathers' households, writing down the name of every male, one by one.

2Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls;

NoteKJV "take the sum" renders a Hebrew idiom meaning literally "lift the head of," i.e. take a head-count. "By their polls" uses "poll" in its old sense of "head": one head at a time, individually. The three levels of the count are standard Israelite social units, from largest to smallest: tribe, then clan (a group of related families), then "father's household," the extended household descended from one named ancestor and living together.

3Count everyone twenty years old and older, all in Israel who are able to go out to war. You and Aaron are to count them by their divisions.

3From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.

NoteTwenty was the age at which a man became liable for military service, so this is a register of men fit to fight rather than a count of the whole population, which would have been several times larger. The word behind "armies" or "divisions" means an organized body of men mustered for service. Aaron, named alongside Moses, is his older brother and the head of the priesthood.

4One man from each tribe is to be with you, each of them the head of his father's household.

4And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers.

5These are the names of the men who are to stand with you: from the tribe of Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;

5And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben; Elizur the son of Shedeur.

6from the tribe of Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;

6Of Simeon; Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

7from the tribe of Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;

7Of Judah; Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

8from the tribe of Issachar, Nethaneel son of Zuar;

8Of Issachar; Nethaneel the son of Zuar.

9from the tribe of Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon;

9Of Zebulun; Eliab the son of Helon.

10from the descendants of Joseph: from the tribe of Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; from the tribe of Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;

10Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim; Elishama the son of Ammihud: of Manasseh; Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

NoteJoseph is not counted as a tribe himself; his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh each head a tribe. This keeps the total at twelve even though Levi is left out of the count (verse 47).

11from the tribe of Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;

11Of Benjamin; Abidan the son of Gideoni.

12from the tribe of Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;

12Of Dan; Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

13from the tribe of Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran;

13Of Asher; Pagiel the son of Ocran.

14from the tribe of Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;

14Of Gad; Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

15from the tribe of Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan."

15Of Naphtali; Ahira the son of Enan.

16These were the men called out from the community. They were the leaders of their fathers' tribes and the heads of Israel's clans.

16These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel.

Note"Princes" here does not mean royalty; the word means tribal chieftains or leading men. KJV "renowned of the congregation" translates a phrase meaning literally "the called ones," i.e. men summoned or designated for the task. "Heads of thousands" uses the Hebrew word 'eleph, which means both the number one thousand and a clan or military unit of a tribe, so the phrase can be read as "chiefs of the clans."

17So Moses and Aaron took these men, who had been named one by one,

17And Moses and Aaron took these men which are expressed by their names:

18and on the first day of the second month they gathered the whole community together. The people gave their family lines by their clans and by their fathers' households, and the names of those twenty years old and older were listed one by one.

18And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.

NoteKJV "declared their pedigrees" means they had themselves registered by descent, stating publicly which clan and household they belonged to. It is an enrollment, not a claim of noble ancestry.

19Moses counted them in the Desert of Sinai, just as the LORD had commanded him.

19As the LORD commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.

20From the descendants of Reuben, Israel's oldest son, listed by their family records, by their clans and by their fathers' households: the names were counted one by one, every male twenty years old and older who was able to go out to war.

20And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

NoteReuben's tribe heads the list because Reuben was Jacob's (Israel's) eldest son. The firstborn son normally held first rank among the brothers and received a double share of the inheritance.

21Those counted from the tribe of Reuben came to 46,500.

21Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.

22From the descendants of Simeon, listed by their family records, by their clans and by their fathers' households, those counted were listed by name, one by one, every male twenty years old and older who was able to go out to war.

22Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

23Those counted from the tribe of Simeon came to 59,300.

23Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred.

24From the descendants of Gad, listed by their family records, by their clans and by their fathers' households: the names were counted, everyone twenty years old and older who was able to go out to war.

24Of the children of Gad, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

25Those counted from the tribe of Gad came to 45,650.

25Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Gad, were forty and five thousand six hundred and fifty.

26From the descendants of Judah, listed by their family records, by their clans and by their fathers' households: the names were counted, everyone twenty years old and older who was able to go out to war.

26Of the children of Judah, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

27Those counted from the tribe of Judah came to 74,600.

27Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Judah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred.

NoteIn the King James wording a "score" is twenty, so "threescore" is sixty and "threescore and fourteen thousand" is 74,000.

28From the descendants of Issachar, listed by their family records, by their clans and by their fathers' households: the names were counted, everyone twenty years old and older who was able to go out to war.

28Of the children of Issachar, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

29Those counted from the tribe of Issachar came to 54,400.

29Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.

30From the descendants of Zebulun, listed by their family records, by their clans and by their fathers' households: the names were counted, everyone twenty years old and older who was able to go out to war.

30Of the children of Zebulun, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

31Those counted from the tribe of Zebulun came to 57,400.

31Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred.

32From the descendants of Joseph, that is, from the descendants of Ephraim, listed by their family records, by their clans and by their fathers' households: the names were counted, everyone twenty years old and older who was able to go out to war.

32Of the children of Joseph, namely, of the children of Ephraim, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

33Those counted from the tribe of Ephraim came to 40,500.

33Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred.

34From the descendants of Manasseh, listed by their family records, by their clans and by their fathers' households: the names were counted, everyone twenty years old and older who was able to go out to war.

34Of the children of Manasseh, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

35Those counted from the tribe of Manasseh came to 32,200.

35Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred.

36From the descendants of Benjamin, listed by their family records, by their clans and by their fathers' households: the names were counted, everyone twenty years old and older who was able to go out to war.

36Of the children of Benjamin, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

37Those counted from the tribe of Benjamin came to 35,400.

37Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred.

38From the descendants of Dan, listed by their family records, by their clans and by their fathers' households: the names were counted, everyone twenty years old and older who was able to go out to war.

38Of the children of Dan, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

39Those counted from the tribe of Dan came to 62,700.

39Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Dan, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred.

40From the descendants of Asher, listed by their family records, by their clans and by their fathers' households: the names were counted, everyone twenty years old and older who was able to go out to war.

40Of the children of Asher, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

41Those counted from the tribe of Asher came to 41,500.

41Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Asher, were forty and one thousand and five hundred.

42From the descendants of Naphtali, listed through their family records, by their clans and by their fathers' households: the names were counted, everyone twenty years old and older who was able to go out to war.

42Of the children of Naphtali, throughout their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

43Those counted from the tribe of Naphtali came to 53,400.

43Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.

44These are the men who were counted. Moses and Aaron counted them, along with the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each one standing for his father's household.

44These are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men: each one was for the house of his fathers.

45So all the Israelites twenty years old and older, everyone in Israel who was able to go out to war, were counted by their fathers' households.

45So were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel;

46All those counted came to 603,550.

46Even all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.

NoteThe Hebrew word translated "thousand" ('eleph) can also mean a clan or a military squad, and some readers of the Hebrew have taken the figures in that sense, which would give a much smaller total. The text as it stands reads straightforwardly as numbers of men.

47But the Levites were not counted among them by the tribe of their fathers.

47But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.

NoteThe Levites are the descendants of Jacob's son Levi, the tribe set apart to look after the sanctuary and its worship. Moses and Aaron themselves belong to it. Because the census counted men liable for military duty, and Levi's duty lay elsewhere, they are registered separately.

48For the LORD had said to Moses:

48For the LORD had spoken unto Moses, saying,

49"Only the tribe of Levi you shall not count; do not include them in the count of the Israelites.

49Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel:

50Instead, put the Levites in charge of the tabernacle of the testimony, all its equipment, and everything that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its equipment, care for it, and camp around it.

50But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.

Note"Tabernacle" translates a word meaning "dwelling place." "Of the testimony" refers to the two inscribed stone tablets kept in the chest (the ark) inside it; "testimony" here means that deposited document, not a spoken statement.

51When the tabernacle is to move on, the Levites are to take it down, and when it is to be set up, the Levites are to put it up. Anyone else who comes near it must be put to death.

51And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

NoteKJV "the stranger" translates a word meaning an outsider to a particular office or duty. It does not mean a foreigner or a visitor: any Israelite who was not a Levite counted as an outsider to this work.

52The Israelites are to set up their tents by their divisions, each man in his own camp and under his own banner.

52And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts.

NoteA "standard" is a tribal banner or ensign marking the position a group of tribes camped in, so that the whole camp had a fixed layout around the tabernacle. "Hosts" or "divisions" is the same word used earlier for a body mustered for service.

53But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that no anger will fall on the community of Israel. The Levites are to take care of the tabernacle of the testimony."

53But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.

Note"Keep the charge of" is an older English phrase meaning to stand guard over and take responsibility for. The Levite ring of tents kept others from straying into the sanctuary and so incurring the outbreak of anger the verse mentions.

54The Israelites did all of this. They did just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

54And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.