Numbers 26

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Numbers 26

This book is called Numbers, from the numberings of the children of Israel, of which it gives an account. Once they were numbered at Mount Sinai, in the first year after they came out of Egypt, which we had an account of, Num. 1:1-2:34. And now a second time they were numbered in the plains of Moab, just before they entered Canaan, and of this we have an account in this chapter. We have, I. Orders given for the doing of it, Num. 26:1-4. II. A register of the families and numbers of each tribe... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Numbers 26:1-4

Observe here, 1. That Moses did not number the people but when God commanded him. David in his time did it without a command, and paid dearly for it. God was Israel's king, and he would not have this act of authority done but by his express orders. Moses, perhaps, by this time, had heard of the blessing with which Balaam was constrained, sorely against his will, to bless Israel, and particularly the notice he took of their numbers; and he was sufficiently pleased with that general testimony... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Numbers 26:5-51

This is the register of the tribes as they were now enrolled, in the same order that they were numbered in Num. 1:1-54. Observe, I. The account that is here kept of the families of each tribe, which must not be understood of such as we call families, those that live in a house together, but such as were the descendants of the several sons of the patriarchs, by whose names, in honour of them, their posterity distinguished themselves and one another. The families of the twelve tribes are thus... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Numbers 26:52-56

If any ask why such a particular account is kept of the tribes, and families, and numbers, of the people of Israel, here is an answer for them; as they were multiplied, so they were portioned, not by common providence, but by promise; and, for the support of the honour of divine revelation, God will have the fulfilling of the promise taken notice of both in their increase and in their inheritance. When Moses had numbered the people God did not say, By these shall the land be conquered; but,... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Numbers 26:57-62

Levi was God's tribe, a tribe that was to have no inheritance with the rest in the land of Canaan, and therefore was not numbered with the rest, but by itself; so it had been numbered in the beginning of this book at Mount Sinai, and therefore came not under the sentence passed upon all that were then numbered, that none of them should enter Canaan but Caleb and Joshua; for of the Levites that were not numbered with them, nor were to go forth to war, Eleazar and Ithamar, and perhaps others who... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Numbers 26:63-65

That which is observable in this conclusion of the account is the execution of the sentence passed upon the murmurers (Num. 14:29), that not one of those who were numbered from twenty years old and upwards (and that the Levites were not, but either from a month old or from thirty years old to fifty) should enter Canaan, except Caleb and Joshua. In the muster now made particular directions, no doubt, were given to those of each tribe that were employed in taking the account, to compare these... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 26

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 26 In this chapter an order is given to number the people of Israel a second time, Numbers 26:1 and the account begins with Reuben, the firstborn, and the families that sprung from him, and the number of them, Numbers 26:5 and Dathan and Abiram being of this tribe, the affair of them and Korah is afresh related, Numbers 26:8 , then the tribe of Simeon, its families and number, Numbers 26:12 , next the tribe of Gad, and their families and number, Numbers... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 26:1

And it came to pass after the plague ,.... Related in the preceding chapter; how long after is not certain, perhaps before the war with Midian, exhorted to in the latter part of the foregoing chapter, and of which an account is given, Numbers 31:1 , that the Lord spake unto Moses ; out of the tabernacle, or out of the cloud: and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest ; the Lord had been used to speak to Moses and to Aaron; but now Aaron being dead, and Eleazar his son succeeding... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 26:2

Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel ,.... Excepting the Levites, who were to be numbered by themselves, and at a different age; this sum was to be taken, that it might appear that all of the old generation that came out of Egypt, of the age at which this sum was taken, were now dead, excepting two, as the Lord had threatened; and partly that as they were now about to enter the land of Canaan, it might be divided to them according to their number; as well as to show... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 26:3

And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake with them ,.... With the children of Israel, with the heads of them, their chief and principal, to assist in taking the number of the people; as when they were numbered thirty years ago, when a prince out of each tribe was taken to be with Aaron and Moses in doing that business; but those princes were now all dead, and another race succeeded, who were now employed in this service; so the Targum of Jonathan says, they spoke with the rulers, and ordered... read more

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