UNROLL
First light over the Israelite camp in the Wilderness of Sinai: long rows of black goat-hair tents run toward a dark granite mountain, and small figures in wool cloaks walk in twos and threes toward the center of the camp.

The Book of

Numbers 1

A year out of Egypt, God counts His people one by one: every man, by name.

54 verses≈ 8 min3 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–10Ready at SinaiCounted and orderedChapter 1
  2. 11–14GrumblingTo Kadesh and refusal
  3. 15–21Forty yearsRebellion and mercy
  4. 22–25BalaamA curse turned to blessing
  5. 26–36A new generationReady for the land

The First Census of Israel

On the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting in the Wilderness of Sinai. He said:

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God
God

“Take a census of the whole congregation of Israel by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one.

You and Aaron are to number those who are twenty years of age or older by their divisions—everyone who can serve in Israel’s army. And one man from each tribe, the head of each family, must be there with you.

The Leaders of the Tribes

Twelve older men in plain wool cloaks stand in a loose row on the sand before two old men at the door of a tent, seen from behind in morning light.

The leaders

Twelve leaders

  1. Reuben: Elizur son of Shedeur

    These are the names of the men who are to assist you:

    From the tribe of Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;

  2. Simeon: Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai

    from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;

  3. Judah: Nahshon son of Amminadab

    from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;

  4. Issachar: Nethanel son of Zuar

    from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;

  5. Zebulun: Eliab son of Helon

    from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon;

  6. Ephraim, Manasseh

    Joseph: Elishama and Gamaliel

    from the sons of Joseph:

    from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud,

    and from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;

  7. Benjamin: Abidan son of Gideoni

    from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;

  8. Dan: Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai

    from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;

  9. Asher: Pagiel son of Ocran

    from Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran;

  10. Gad: Eliasaph son of Deuel

    from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;

  11. Naphtali: Ahira son of Enan

    and from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.”

  12. Heads of the clans of Israel

    These men were appointed from the congregation; they were the leaders of the tribes of their fathers, the heads of the clans of Israel.

Pray

Known by name

God told Moses to count Israel “listing every man by name, one by one.” No one was lost in the crowd. Thank God that He knows you by name too. Then pray, by name, for a few people He has put around you: family, friends, and someone who is hard to love.

The Number of Every Tribe

Dawn on a wide plain below the granite mountain: a vast, quiet crowd of men in wool cloaks seen from behind, tents behind them, and far ahead two old men with twelve leaders.

So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name, and on the first day of the second month they assembled the whole congregation and recorded their ancestry by clans and families, counting one by one the names of those twenty years of age or older, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So Moses numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai:

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Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

The count

Every tribe counted

  1. Firstborn of Israel

    Reuben: 46,500

    From the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, according to the records of their clans and families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

    those registered to the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.

  2. Simeon: 59,300

    From the sons of Simeon, according to the records of their clans and families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

    those registered to the tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300.

  3. Gad: 45,650

    From the sons of Gad, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

    those registered to the tribe of Gad numbered 45,650.

  4. The largest

    Judah: 74,600

    From the sons of Judah, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

    those registered to the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600.

  5. Issachar: 54,400

    From the sons of Issachar, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

    those registered to the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.

  6. Zebulun: 57,400

    From the sons of Zebulun, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

    those registered to the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400.

  7. Sons of Joseph

    Ephraim: 40,500

    From the sons of Joseph:

    From the sons of Ephraim, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

    those registered to the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500.

  8. Manasseh: 32,200

    And from the sons of Manasseh, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

    those registered to the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200.

  9. Benjamin: 35,400

    From the sons of Benjamin, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

    those registered to the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400.

  10. Dan: 62,700

    From the sons of Dan, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

    those registered to the tribe of Dan numbered 62,700.

  11. Asher: 41,500

    From the sons of Asher, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

    those registered to the tribe of Asher numbered 41,500.

  12. Naphtali: 53,400

    From the sons of Naphtali, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,

    those registered to the tribe of Naphtali numbered 53,400.

These were the men numbered by Moses and Aaron, with the assistance of the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family. So all the Israelites twenty years of age or older who could serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families. And all those counted totaled 603,550.

Numbers 1:44–46

Reflect

Counted for the road ahead

Every man was counted who “could serve in Israel’s army.” God was readying His people for the journey to the land He had promised. Before long, this same generation would refuse to go in. Being counted among God’s people is a gift; walking with Him to the end is the road. What is God readying you for right now, and what would trusting Him in it look like? Write it down.

The Exemption of the Levites

The Levites, however, were not numbered along with them by the tribe of their fathers. For the LORD had said to Moses:

God
God
God

The Israelites are to camp by their divisions, each man in his own camp and under his own standard. But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the tabernacle of the Testimony.”

Thus the Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Two counts, two generations

Counted atSinaiyear 2 · 603,550 menRefusal atKadeshchapter 14 · theywill not go inForty yearsa year for each dayCounted inMoabyear 40 · 601,730menOnly Caleb andJoshuacounted both times

Whiteboard

This first count was taken at Sinai in the second year. At Kadesh that generation refused to enter the land, and God gave them forty years in the wilderness, a year for each day the spies were away (14:34). On the plains of Moab He counted their children (chapter 26). Of every man counted here, only Caleb and Joshua were counted again (26:64–65). Numbers is the story of how.

Question

Quick question

Moses and Aaron counted the fighting men of Israel, tribe by tribe, with one leader from each tribe beside them.

Which tribe was not counted with the others?

But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the tabernacle of the Testimony.

Numbers 1:53

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Numbers 1

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A verse to carry with you

But the Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the congregation of Israel. So the Levites are responsible for the tabernacle of the Testimony.

Numbers 1:53

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