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Numbers 26

1 - After the plague, the LORD spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,
2 - "Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers' houses, all who are able to go out to war in Israel."
3 - Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,
4 - "Take a census, from twenty years old and upward; as the LORD commanded Moses and the children of Israel."These are those that came out of the land of Egypt.
5 - Reuben, the firstborn of Israel; the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;
6 - of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.
7 - These are the families of the Reubenites; and those who were counted of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred thirty.
8 - The sons of Pallu: Eliab.
9 - The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. These are that Dathan and Abiram, who were called by the congregation, who rebelled against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they rebelled against The LORD,
10 - and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died; at the time the fire devoured two hundred fifty men, and they became a sign.
11 - Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah didn't die.
12 - The sons of Simeon after their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites;
13 - of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.
14 - These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand two hundred.
15 - The sons of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites;
16 - of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites;
17 - of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites.
18 - These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were counted of them, forty thousand and five hundred.
19 - The sons of Judah: Er and Onan. Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
20 - The sons of Judah after their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.
21 - The sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.
22 - These are the families of Judah according to those who were counted of them, seventy-six thousand five hundred.
23 - The sons of Issachar after their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the family of the Punites;
24 - of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.
25 - These are the families of Issachar according to those who were counted of them, sixty-four thousand three hundred.
26 - The sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Seredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.
27 - These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were counted of them, sixty thousand five hundred.
28 - The sons of Joseph after their families: Manasseh and Ephraim.
29 - The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir became the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.
30 - These are the sons of Gilead: of Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites;
31 - and Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;
32 - and Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.
33 - Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
34 - These are the families of Manasseh. Those who were counted of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.
35 - These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.
36 - These are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.
37 - These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were counted of them, thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families.
38 - The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites;
39 - of Shephupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.
40 - The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.
41 - These are the sons of Benjamin after their families; and those who were counted of them were forty-five thousand six hundred.
42 - These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.
43 - All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were counted of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.
44 - The sons of Asher after their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Berites.
45 - Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.
46 - The name of the daughter of Asher was Serah.
47 - These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were counted of them, fifty-three thousand and four hundred.
48 - The sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites;
49 - of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.
50 - These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were counted of them were forty-five thousand four hundred.
51 - These are those who were counted of the children of Israel, six hundred one thousand seven hundred thirty.
52 - The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
53 - "To these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.
54 - To the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance. To everyone according to those who were counted of him shall his inheritance be given.
55 - Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
56 - According to the lot shall their inheritance be divided between the more and the fewer."
57 - These are those who were counted of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.
58 - These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites. Kohath became the father of Amram.
59 - The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. She bore to AmramAaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.
60 - To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
61 - Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before The LORD.
62 - Those who were counted of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and upward; for they were not counted among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.
63 - These are those who were counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who counted the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.
64 - But among these there was not a man of them who were counted by Moses and Aaron the priest, who counted the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.
65 - For the LORD had said of them, "They shall surely die in the wilderness." There was not a man left of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
Numbers Images and Notes

The Book of Numbers

Numbers 14:14 - And they will tell [it] to the inhabitants of this land: [for] they have heard that thou LORD [art] among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and [that] thy cloud standeth over them, and [that] thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.

The Old Testament - A Brief Overview

Bible Survery - Numbers
Hebrew Name - Bemidhbar "in the wilderness"
Greek Name - Numbers "numberings"
Author - Moses
Date - From 1490-1451 BC Approximately
Theme - The Journey to the Promised Land
Types and Shadows - In Numbers Jesus is the Pillar of Cloud by Day and the Pillar of Fire by Night

Photo of the Sinai Wilderness
Photo of the Sinai Wilderness

Summary of The Book of Numbers

The book of Numbers takes its name from the account of the census that happened two times among the congregation of Israel in Numbers 1-4 and Numbers 26. The Greek title was used even though there is really no connection with the "numberings." The original Hebrew title which means "in the wilderness," is much more accurate, because the book of Numbers is it's really an accurate history of the events that happened during the period of wandering in the wilderness and not necessarily a book about statistics. The book of Numbers seems to follow naturally after the book of Leviticus in the order of the books of Moses in the Old Testament. After the children of Israel received the laws at Mount Sinai, they began the journey as described in the book of Exodus, and they were ready to march directly into the land of Canaan. The book of Numbers reveals how the children of Israel became prepared, and went to various trials, and how they were sinful in not trusting the Lord. Their sinful ways resulted in 37 years of wandering through the harsh wilderness. The book of Numbers concludes with the children of Israel once again at the edge of the land of Canaan, where they received instructions for the conquest of Canaan and the division of the land.

Quick Reference Map
Map of the Route of the Exodus
Map of the Possible Route of the Exodus (Click to Enlarge)

The principle divisions of the book are as follows:

Outline of the Book of Numbers

1) The preparation for the departure from Sinai (1:1-10:10). The events described here took place in nineteen days. In this time a census was taken of all men who were over twenty and who could serve in military efforts (1-4). The total obtained was 603,550 (1:46). This would indicate that the total population of the group was probably near three million. The census was followed by the cleansing and blessing of the congregation (5-6), the offering of gifts from the various tribes (7), the consecration of the Levites (8) and the observance of the Passover at Sinai (9:1-14).

2 ) The journey from Sinai to Kadesh-barnea (10:11-14:45). This section includes the account of the coming of the quail (11), the rebellion against Moses by Miriam and Aaron (12), and the fateful mission of the spies (13, 14).

3) The wanderings of the desert wilderness (15-19). As noted above, this covered a period of thirty-seven years, from the end of the second to the beginning of the fortieth year in the wilderness. Ch. 15 includes various laws and a record of capital punishment for Sabbath breaking. The rebellion of Korah (ch. 16) and the budding of Aaron's rod (ch. 17) are also mentioned here.

4 ) The history of the last year, from the second arrival of the Israelites at Kadesh till they reach "the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho" (20-36: 13). Notable sections of this are the story of Balaam (22:2-24:25), the zeal of Phinehas (ch. 25), the second census (26:1-51) , instructions for dividing the land (26:52-27: 11), the appointment of Joshua as Moses' successor (27: 12-23), various laws concerning offerings and vows ( 28-30 ), the war with Midian (ch. 31), the settlement of the tribes east of the Jordan (ch. 32), a review of the locations at which Israel had camped during their wanderings (33: 1-49), more instructions concerning the conquest and division of Canaan (33:50-34:29 ), the appointment of the cities of refuge (ch. 35) and instructions concerning the marriage of land-owning Israelite women (ch. 36).

ARCHAEOLOGY

Ancient Bronze Snake

Bronze Snake from Lachish

Bronze Snake from Lachish, Late Bronze Age

Quick Reference Maps - Numbers

The Exodus of the Hebrews

Mount Horeb

The Red Sea

Canaan Before Joshua

Kadesh barnea

Moab and Ammon

 

Numbers Resources

The Wilderness Wanderings

More About the Book of Numbers
Numbers in the Picture Study Bible
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