John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Numbers Chapter 1
What is Numbers 1 about?
Israel's forty-year wilderness journey from Sinai to the plains of Moab — testing, rebellion, and God's faithfulness. The complete chapter text below provides the immediate literary context for study.
Text — American Standard Version (1901)
American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. For original Hebrew/Greek interlinear text, open in BibleWord.ai.
1And Jehovah spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
2Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers` houses, according to the number of the names, every male, by their polls;
3from twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel, thou and Aaron shall number them by their hosts.
4And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of his fathers` house.
5And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you. Of Reuben: Elizur the son of Shedeur.
6Of Simeon: Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
7Of Judah: Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
8Of Issachar: Nethanel the son of Zuar.
9Of Zebulun: Eliab the son of Helon.
10Of the children of Joseph: Of Ephraim: Elishama the son of Ammihud. Of Manasseh: Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
11Of Benjamin: Abidan the son of Gideoni.
12Of Dan: Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
13Of Asher: Pagiel the son of Ochran.
14Of Gad: Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
15Of Naphtali: Ahira the son of Enan.
16These are they that were called of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel.
17And Moses and Aaron took these men that are mentioned by name:
18And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by their fathers` houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.
19As Jehovah commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.
20And the children of Reuben, Israel`s first-born, their generations, by their families, by their fathers` houses, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
21those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.
22Of the children of Simeon, their generations, by their families, by their fathers` houses, those that were numbered thereof, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
23those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred.
24Of the children of Gad, their generations, by their families, by their fathers` houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
25those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Gad, were forty and five thousand six hundred and fifty.
26Of the children of Judah, their generations, by their families, by their fathers` houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
27those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Judah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred.
28Of the children of Issachar, their generations, by their families, by their fathers` houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
29those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.
30Of the children of Zebulun, their generations, by their families, by their fathers` houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
31those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred.
32Of the children of Joseph, [namely], of the children of Ephraim, their generations, by their families, by their fathers` houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
33those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred.
34Of the children of Manasseh, their generations, by their families, by their fathers` houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
35those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred.
36Of the children of Benjamin, their generations, by their families, by their fathers` houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
37those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred.
38Of the children of Dan, their generations, by their families, by their fathers` houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
39those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Dan, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred.
40Of the children of Asher, their generations, by their families, by their fathers` houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
41those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Asher, were forty and one thousand and five hundred.
42Of the children of Naphtali, their generations, by their families, by their fathers` houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
43those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.
44These are they that were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men: they were each one for his fathers` house.
45So all they that were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers` houses, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel;
46even all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.
47But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.
48For Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
49Only the tribe of Levi thou shalt not number, neither shalt thou take the sum of them among the children of Israel;
50but appoint thou the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all the furniture thereof, and over all that belongeth to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the furniture thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.
51And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
52And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, according to their hosts.
53But the Levites shall encamp round about the tabernacle of the testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.
54Thus did the children of Israel; according to all that Jehovah commanded Moses, so did they.
What do historical commentaries say about this chapter?
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Related study paths
Sources and verification
- Scripture text: American Standard Version (1901), public domain.
- Commentary excerpts are attributed to their named historical source and are not presented as a BibleWord.ai doctrinal position.