Numbers 26:52

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Numbers 26:52 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
Numbers 26:52 — American Standard Version

Context — Numbers 26

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
52And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the Lord spake unto Moses, etc.] After the sum of the people of Israel had been taken: saying; as follows.”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“26:52-56 The second registration, like the first, was a military one, but it also provided the basis for distributing land to Israel’s tribes in proportion to the tribes’ populations (cp. Josh 15–19). • assign the land by lot: Lots were used to seek divine guidance and avoid favoritism in important matters (e.g., Num 27:21; 1 Sam 10:20; 14:41-42; Prov 18:18; Acts 1:26).”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“Instructions concerning the Distribution of the Land. - In Num 26:53, Num 26:54, the command is given to distribute the land as an inheritance among the twelve tribes ("unto these"), according to the number of the names (Num 1:2-18), i.e., to the tribes and families that contained only a few persons, they were to make it small; to every one according to the measure of its mustered persons (ל must be repeated before אישׁ). In Num 26:55, Num 26:56, it is still further commanded that the distribution should take place by lot. "According to the names on their paternal tribes shall they (the children of Israel) receive it (the land) for an inheritance." The meaning of these words can only be,…”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification