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a Or treaty, or testimony; Heb eduth
b Or treaty, or testimony; Heb eduth
c Or treaty, or testimony; Heb eduth
1.1–54 Moses, Aaron, and one man from each tribe are commanded to take a census of all males age twenty and older who are able to serve in the military. The expeditions envisioned are the battles to conquer the promised land, but in fact, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, these are the men of the generation who will die in the wilderness because of their lack of faith (see chs. 13–14). The similar census reported in ch. 26 then counts a new generation of men to fight those battles (26.64–65).
1.1 The setting of the beginning of the book of Numbers is the wilderness of Sinai, where the Israelites have been encamped since the third month after the exodus (Ex 19.1–2). Tent of meeting, the goat-hair tent that covers the tabernacle, which houses the ark of the covenant, first described in Ex 26.7. The date is one month after the setting up of the tabernacle (Ex 40.17).
1.2 A tribe in Israel is made up of several clans, and each clan of several ancestral houses. Each individual male counted is to be identified by ancestral house and clan within each tribe.
1.3 Ex 30.11–12 reports the belief that a military census could result in a plague (see 2 Sam 24; 1 Chr 21), and so a tax was to be paid to the sanctuary as a “ransom” for the lives of those counted. (See also Ex 38.25–28.) Company, also translated “army” or “host,” a group organized for war.
1.5–15 These same names also occur in lists in 2.3–31; 7.12–83; 10.14–28. The order in which the tribes are listed in these verses is based for the most part on subgroupings characterized as Jacob’s sons born of the same mother, according to Gen 29.31–30.24; 35.16–18. Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun were sons of Leah. Levi was Leah’s third son, but the tribe of Levi is not here listed as part of the military census (see Num 1.47–54). To compensate for the loss of Levi and preserve the number twelve for the total number of tribes, the tribe of Joseph is divided into Ephraim and Manasseh (see Gen 48.8–20) and listed along with Benjamin. Joseph and Benjamin were Rachel’s sons in Genesis. Of the final four tribes, Dan and Naphtali were the sons of Rachel’s maid Bilhah, and Gad and Asher were the sons of Leah’s maid Zilpah. (Naphtali and Asher have switched positions in the list here.)
1.17–46 The tribes are listed in the same order as in vv. 5–15, except that Gad has shifted position. Gad occupies the third slot in this list, right after Reuben and Simeon. This shift seems to be based on Gad’s position in the arrangement of tribes in the camp described in ch. 2. There Gad is joined with Simeon and Reuben on the south side (see 2.10–16). The total of 603, 550 military men (v. 46) has seemed unrealistically high to commentators, as has the similar number, 601, 730, in the second census in ch. 26 (v. 51).
1.47–54 The tribe of Levi is to be considered separately from the “landed” tribes and dedicated entirely to service at the tabernacle (see also, e.g., Deut 10.8–9; 12.12; Josh 13.14, 33). Levi is left out of the tribal list in the poem in Judg 5.
1.50, 53 The tabernacle is called tabernacle of the covenant elsewhere only in Ex 38.21; Num 10.11.
1.51 Outsider, here anyone who is not a Levite (see also 3.10, 38; 18.7; cf. 16.40).
1.52 The word translated regiment probably originally referred to a standard or banner that was used to mark a military unit and then was extended to denote the unit itself, as here (cf. the translation, standard, of the same word in 10.14, 18, 22, 25). In fifth-century BCE texts from the Jewish colony at Elephantine in Egypt, this word can even represent a larger legal entity that includes the families of military men.
1.53 The wrath of the Lord would be brought on by any nonlevitical trespasser who came into contact with the tabernacle. The Levites are literally its guards.
NUMBERS 2
The Order of Encampment and Marching
1The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2The Israelites shall camp each in their respective regiments, under ensigns by their ancestral houses; they shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side. 3Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the regimental encampment of Judah by companies. The leader of the people of Judah shall be Nahshon son of Amminadab, 4with a company as enrolled of seventy-four thousand six hundred. 5Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar. The leader of the Issacharites shall be Nethanel son of Zuar, 6with a company as enrolled of fifty-four thousand four hundred. 7Then the tribe of Zebulun: The leader of the Zebulunites shall be Eliab son of Helon, 8with a company as enrolled of fifty-seven thousand four hundred. 9The total enrollment of the camp of Judah, by companies, is one hundred eighty-six thousand four hundred. They shall set out first on the march.
10On the south side shall be the regimental encampment of Reuben by companies. The leader of the Reubenites shall be Elizur son of Shedeur, 11with a company as enrolled of forty-six thousand five hundred. 12And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon. The leader of the Simeonites shall be Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, 13with a company as enrolled of fifty-nine thousand three hundred. 14Then the tribe of Gad: The leader of the Gadites shall be Eliasaph son of Reuel, 15with a company as enrolled of forty-five thousand six hundred fifty. 16The total enrollment of the camp of Reuben, by companies, is one hundred fifty-one thousand four hundred fifty. They shall set out second.
17The tent of meeting, with the camp of the Levites, shall set out in the center of the camps; they shall set out just as they camp, each in position, by their regiments.
18On the west side shall be the regimental encampment of Ephraim by companies. The leader of the people of Ephraim shall be Elishama son of Ammihud, 19with a company as enrolled of forty thousand five hundred. 20Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh. The leader of the people of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, 21with a company as enrolled of thirty-two thousand two hundred. 22Then the tribe of Benjamin: The leader of the Benjaminites shall be Abidan son of Gideoni, 23with a company as enrolled of thirty-five thousand four hundred. 24The total enrollment of the camp of Ephraim, by companies, is one hundred eight thousand one hundred. They shall set out third on the march.
25On the north side shall be the regimental encampment of Dan by companies. The leader of the Danites shall be Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, 26with a company as enrolled of sixty-two thousand seven hundred. 27Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher. The leader of the Asherites shall be Pagiel son of Ochran, 28with a company as enrolled of forty-one thousand five hundred. 29Then the tribe of Naphtali: The leader of the Naphtalites shall be Ahira son of Enan, 30with a company as enrolled of fifty-three thousand four hundred. 31The total enrollment of the camp of Dan is one hundred fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They shall set out last, by companies.a
32This was the enrollment of the Israelites by their ancestral houses; the total enrollment in the camps by their companies was six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty. 33Just as the LORD had commanded Moses, the Levites were not enrolled among the other Israelites.
34The Israelites did just as the LORD had commanded Moses: They camped by regiments, and they set out the same way, everyone by clans, according to ancestral houses.
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a Compare verses 9, 16, 24: Heb by their regiments
2.1–34 The tabernacle within the tent of meeting stands at the center of the camp in this description (cf. Ex 33.7–11, where the tent is set up outside the camp). At each of the cardinal points around the tent are three tribes, separated from the tent by Levites (v. 17; 1.52–53). Each group of three is arranged in a camp named for the dominant tribe of the three. The order in which they camp is also the order in which they march, the tribes on the east leading the march. The sequence in which the tribes are named in this chapter is based on the genealogically organized list in 1.5–15 with minor changes; see vv. 3–9, 10–16. The leaders are those in the lists in 1.5–15; 7.12–83; 10.
14–28.
2.2 Ensigns, or “signs,” here suggests that each ancestral house had its own symbol that could be displayed.
2.3–9 Judah is the preeminent tribe in this scheme: it is the first tribe listed on the east side of the tabernacle and so leads the march. Judah takes with it Issachar and Zebulun from the list in ch. 1 to make up the camp of Judah (v. 9).
2.10–16 The tribes on the south side are next, headed by Reuben, the traditional firstborn. Since Judah is now at the head of the entire list, the camp of Reuben (v. 16) includes Gad in the position Judah held in the list in ch. 1. Gad is the tribe to be moved up either because Reuben and Gad are associated as Transjordanian tribes or because the earlier tribes have all been “Leah” tribes (see 1.5–15) and Gad is the firstborn of Leah’s maid Zilpah (Gen 30.9–11).
2.14 For Reuel, read “Deuel,” following 1.14 and several ancient manuscripts.
2.18–24 Ephraim heads the western camp because in Genesis he became the dominant son of Jacob’s favorite son, Joseph (Gen 48.13–20).
2.25–31 Dan is first in the northern camp because he was the eldest son born to a concubine of Jacob (Bilhah, Gen 30.1–6).
2.33 See 1.48–49.
NUMBERS 3
The Sons of Aaron
1This is the lineage of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar; 3these are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to minister as priests. 4Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered unholy fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of their father Aaron.
The Duties of the Levites
5Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 6Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, so that they may assist him. 7They shall perform duties for him and for the whole congregation in front of the tent of meeting, doing service at the tabernacle; 8they shall be in charge of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and attend to the duties for the Israelites as they do service at the tabernacle. 9You shall give the Levites to Aaron and his descendants; they are unreservedly given to him from among the Israelites. 10But you shall make a register of Aaron and his descendants; it is they who shall attend to the priesthood, and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death.
11Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 12I hereby accept the Levites from among the Israelites as substitutes for all the firstborn that open the womb among the Israelites. The Levites shall be mine, 13for all the firstborn are mine; when I killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both human and animal; they shall be mine. I am the LORD.
A Census of the Levites
14Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying: 15Enroll the Levites by ancestral houses and by clans. You shall enroll every male from a month old and upward. 16So Moses enrolled them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded. 17The following were the sons of Levi, by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei. 19The sons of Kohath by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20The sons of Merari by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites, by their ancestral houses.
21To Gershon belonged the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these were the clans of the Gershonites. 22Their enrollment, counting all the males from a month old and upward, was seven thousand five hundred. 23The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west, 24with Eliasaph son of Lael as head of the ancestral house of the Gershonites. 25The responsibility of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting was to be the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26the hangings of the court, the screen for the entrance of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords—all the service pertaining to these.
27To Kohath belonged the clan of the Amramites, the clan of the Izharites, the clan of the Hebronites, and the clan of the Uzzielites; these are the clans of the Kohathites. 28Counting all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred, attending to the duties of the sanctuary. 29The clans of the Kohathites were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle, 30with Elizaphan son of Uzziel as head of the ancestral house of the clans of the Kohathites. 31Their responsibility was to be the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and the screen—all the service pertaining to these. 32Eleazar son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites, and to have oversight of those who had charge of the sanctuary.
33To Merari belonged the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites: these are the clans of Merari. 34Their enrollment, counting all the males from a month old and upward, was six thousand two hundred. 35The head of the ancestral house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36The responsibility assigned to the sons of Merari was to be the frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and all their accessories—all the service pertaining to these; 37also the pillars of the court all around, with their bases and pegs and cords.
38Those who were to camp in front of the tabernacle on the east—in front of the tent of meeting toward the east—were Moses and Aaron and Aaron’s sons, having charge of the rites within the sanctuary, whatever had to be done for the Israelites; and any outsider who came near was to be put to death. 39The total enrollment of the Levites whom Moses and Aaron enrolled at the commandment of the LORD, by their clans, all the males from a month old and upward, was twenty-two thousand.
The Redemption of the Firstborn
40Then the LORD said to Moses: Enroll all the firstborn males of the Israelites, from a month old and upward, and count their names. 41But you shall accept the Levites for me—I am the LORD—as substitutes for all the firstborn among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites as substitutes for all the firstborn among the livestock of the Israelites. 42So Moses enrolled all the firstborn among the Israelites, as the LORD commanded him. 43The total enrollment, all the firstborn males from a month old and upward, counting the number of names, was twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.
44Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 45Accept the Levites as substitutes for all the firstborn among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites as substitutes for their livestock; and the Levites shall be mine. I am the LORD. 46As the price of redemption of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the Israelites, over and above the number of the Levites, 47you shall accept five shekels apiece, reckoning by the shekel of the sanctuary, a shekel of twenty gerahs. 48Give to Aaron and his sons the money by which the excess number of them is redeemed. 49So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those redeemed by the Levites; 50from the firstborn of the Israelites he took the money, one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels, reckoned by the shekel of the sanctuary; 51and Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
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3.1–51 The duties, arrangement, and numbers of the tribe of Levi.
3.1 Aaron is listed before Moses here because Aaron is the firstborn. This verse is set at Mount Sinai (cf. 1.1; 3.14), when Nadab and Abihu were alive (see v. 4). In reverting to Mount Sinai for a few verses, the narrative implies that the information in vv. 5–13 was already understood at the time the rest of the activity in this chapter takes place.
3.2 See also Ex 6.23.
3.3 He. It was Moses who ordained the sons of Aaron (Lev 8.30; see also Ex 29.21; 30.30; 40.12–15; cf. Lev 8.12).
3.4 See Lev 10.1–2.
3.5–10 A distinction is made between Aaron and his de
scendants (the anointed priests) and the rest of the tribe of Levi, to which both Aaron and Moses belong. The rest of the Levites will assist (v. 6) Aaron and his descendants.
3.7–8 One of the duties of the Levites is to guard the tabernacle from intrusion.
3.9 Instead of to him, several manuscripts have “to me,” as in 8.16; see also 3.12; 18.6.
3.10 Outsider. See 1.51.
3.11–13 See 8.16–18.
3.12 Earlier laws had required that human firstborn (males are usually specified) be consecrated to the Lord (to a life of religious service), redeemed, or perhaps even sacrificed, presumably to ensure continued fertility (see Ex 13.2, 11–15; 22.29b–30; 34.19–20; see also Num 18.15).
3.14–39 Census of the Levites and recording of their duties.
3.14 This verse returns to the narrative’s present time and place, in the wilderness of Sinai.
3.15–16 Cf. 1.47–49. The prohibition apparently does not extend to a separate census of the Levites.
3.15 By ancestral houses and by clans. Note the reverse order in 1.2 and throughout ch. 1. Unlike the earlier military census, which counted males twenty and older, this census of the Levites counts every male from a month old and upward, because they will be substitutes for Israelite firstborn males a month old and upward (vv. 40–41). One month seems to be the age at which personhood was believed to begin; see Lev 27.6.
3.17–20 See Gen 46.11; Ex 6.16–19.
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