Numbers26
New King James Version
1And it came to pass, after the plague, that the Lord spoke to Moses and 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 above, by their fathers’ houses, all who are able to go to war in Israel.”
3So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho, saying:
4“Take a census of the people from twenty years old and above, just as the Lord commanded Moses and the children of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt.”
5Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. The children of Reuben were: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;
6of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.
7These are the families of the Reubenites: those who were numbered of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred and thirty.
8And the son of Pallu was Eliab.
9The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram, representatives of the congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the Lord;
10and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died, when the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men; and they became a sign.
11Nevertheless the children of Korah did not die.
12The sons of Simeon according to their families were: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites;
13of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.
14These are the families of the Simeonites: twenty-two thousand two hundred.
15The sons of Gad according to their families were: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites;
16of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites;
17of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites.
18These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered of them: forty thousand five hundred.
19The sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
20And the sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Parzites; of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.
21And the sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.
22These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of them: seventy-six thousand five hundred.
23The sons of Issachar according to their families were: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puah, the family of the Punites;
24of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.
25These are the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered of them: sixty-four thousand three hundred.
26The sons of Zebulun according to their families were: of Sered, the family of the Sardites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.
27These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered of them: sixty thousand five hundred.
28The sons of Joseph according to their families, by Manasseh and Ephraim, were:
29The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir begot Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.
30These are the sons of Gilead: of Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites;
31of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;
32of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.
33Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters; and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
34These are the families of Manasseh; and those who were numbered of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.
35These are the sons of Ephraim according to their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites; of Becher, the family of the Bachrites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.
36And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.
37These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them: thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph according to their families.
38The sons of Benjamin according to their families were: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites;
39of Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.
40And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.
41These are the sons of Benjamin according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand six hundred.
42These are the sons of Dan according to their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan according to their families.
43All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were numbered of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.
44The sons of Asher according to their families were: of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites; of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites; of Beriah, the family of the Beriites.
45Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.
46And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah.
47These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them: fifty-three thousand four hundred.
48The sons of Naphtali according to their families were: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites;
49of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.
50These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand four hundred.
51These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel: six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.
52Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
53“To these the land shall be divided as an inheritance, according to the number of names.
54To a large tribe you shall give a larger inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a smaller inheritance. Each shall be given its inheritance according to those who were numbered of them.
55But the land shall be divided by lot; they shall inherit according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.
56According to the lot their inheritance shall be divided between the larger and the smaller.”
57And these are those who were numbered of the Levites according to their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.
58These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, and the family of the Korathites. And Kohath begot Amram.
59The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and to Amram she bore Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam.
60To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
61And Nadab and Abihu died when they offered profane fire before the Lord.
62Now those who were numbered of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and above; for they were not numbered among the other children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given to them among the children of Israel.
63These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho.
64But among these there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Sinai.
65For the Lord had said of them, “They shall surely die in the wilderness.” So there was not left a man of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Numbers 26.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Numbering of Israel in the plains of Moab. (1–51). The division of the land. (52–56). Number of the Levites. (57–62). None remaining of the first numbering. (63–65).
vv1-51
Moses did not number the people but when God commanded him. We have here the families registered, as well as the tribes. The total was nearly the same as when numbered at mount Sinai. Notice is here taken of the children of Korah; they died not, as the children of Dathan and Abiram; they seem not to have joined even their own father in rebellion. If we partake not of the sins of sinners, we shall not partake of their plagues. (Nu 26:52-56)
vv52-56
In distributing these tribes, the general rule of equity is prescribed; that to many should be given more, and to fewer less. Though it seems left to the prudence of their prince, the matter at last must be settled by the providence of God, with which all must be satisfied.
vv57-62
Levi was God's tribe; therefore it was not numbered with the rest, but alone. It came not under the sentence, that none of them should enter Canaan excepting Caleb and Joshua.
Key Words
אַחַר: properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)
מַגֵּפָה: a pestilence; by analogy, defeat
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
אֶלְעָזָר: Elazar, the name of seven Israelites
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
אַהֲרוֹן: Aharon, the brother of Moses
כֹּהֵן: literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman)
נָשָׂא: to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative
רֹאשׁ: the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.)
כֹּל: properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
Cross References
Numbers 26Details the literal opening of the earth and the fire consuming the 250 men.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Direct sequel where the daughters of Zelophehad petition Moses for their inheritance.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Direct fulfillment of God's threat that the Sinai generation would fall in the wilderness.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Refers to the immediate historical trigger of the new census, 'the plague' which swept away many.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Poetic historical remembrance of the earth opening to swallow Dathan and Abiram.
Supported by JFB
Clarifies that while Korah's house was swallowed, his actual children did not die.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Fulfillment of Zelophehad's daughters receiving their inheritance in the division of Canaan.
Supported by JFB
Restates the divine mandate to distribute the land proportionally to the size of each tribe.
Confirms that the division of land by lot was ultimately directed and determined by the Lord.
Supported by JFB
Explicit fulfillment of the divine oath that only Caleb and Joshua would enter the land.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Points to the first census at Sinai 38 years prior, showing population shifts.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Confirms the exact geographical location of this census in the plains of Moab.
Supported by Matthew Poole
References the rebellion of Korah's company in the context of inheritance rights.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Traces the lineage of Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, back to Genesis.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Jacob's blessing on Joseph's sons, predicting their great numerical growth.
Supported by JFB
Parallels the genealogy of Manasseh, Machir, and Gilead in the Chronicles registry.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Allows comparison of Benjamin's descendants listed here with the original list in Egypt.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Compares the final total of the second census with the initial census at Mount Sinai.
Supported by JFB, Matthew Poole
Provides the structural baseline for the Levitical families numbered here in the plains of Moab.
Supported by JFB
Corroborates the parentage of Aaron, Moses, and Miriam from Amram and Jochebed.
The original account of Nadab and Abihu offering unauthorized fire before the Lord.
The divine judgment of fire that consumed Nadab and Abihu for their transgression.
Provides the earlier Levite census count, showing an increase of one thousand males.
Supported by JFB
New Testament warning highlighting how the rebellious generation was overthrown in the wilderness.
Asks with whom God was angry for forty years, identifying those whose bodies fell.
Confirms that Joshua and Caleb survived the plague and the wilderness journey.
Verifies that the fire devoured the 250 men who offered incense.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The sons of Korah survived to write and lead classic temple worship liturgy.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Explains the historical background of why Judah's sons Er and Onan died in Canaan.
Supported by JFB
Confirms the sons of Pharez as Hezron and Hamul in Judah's genealogy.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Traces Issachar's families back to the names of his sons who entered Egypt.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Traces Zebulun's families back to Sered, Elon, and Jahleel in Genesis.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Confirms Machir as the firstborn of Manasseh and father of Gilead in partition.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Traces the development of the Benjamite families from the original sons of Benjamin listed in Genesis.
Identifies Dan's sole ancestral line, called Hushim in Genesis and Shuham here.
Aligns with the earlier list of Asher's sons and his daughter Serah.