Numbers 4

Numbers 4:1 Yahveh spoke to Moses and Aaron, and this is what he said,

Numbers 4:2 “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their clans and their fathers’ houses,

Numbers 4:3 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can come on duty to do the work in the conference tent.

Numbers 4:4 This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the conference tent: the most holy things.

Numbers 4:5 When the camp is preparing to set out, Aaron and his sons will go in and take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the reminder with it.

Numbers 4:6 Then they will cover it with goatskin, spread a blue cloth on top of that, and put in its poles.

Numbers 4:7 And over the table of the Face, they will spread a blue cloth and put on it the plates, the dishes for incense, the bowls, and the bottles for the drink offering; the regular bread will also be on it.

Numbers 4:8 Then they will spread a scarlet cloth over them, cover it with goatskin, and put it on its poles.

Numbers 4:9 And they will take a cloth of blue and cover the lampstand for the light, with its lamps, its tongs, its trays, and all the vessels for oil with which it is supplied.

Numbers 4:10 And they will cover it with goatskin and put it on the carrying frame with all its utensils.

Numbers 4:11 And over the golden altar they will spread a cloth of blue and cover it with a covering of goatskin and will put in its poles.

Numbers 4:12 And they will take all the vessels of the service that are used in the sanctuary and put them in a cloth of blue and cover them with a covering of goatskin and put them on the carrying frame.

Numbers 4:13 And they will take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it.

Numbers 4:14 And they will put on it all the utensils of the altar, which are used for the service there, the fire pans, the forks, the shovels, and the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they will spread on it a covering of goatskin and will put in its poles.

Numbers 4:15 And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath will come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, or else they will die. These are the things in the conference tent that the sons of Kohath are to carry.

Numbers 4:16 “And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest will have charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular tribute offering, and the anointing oil, with the oversight of the whole tabernacle and all that is in it, of the sanctuary and its vessels.”

Numbers 4:17 Yahveh spoke to Moses and Aaron, and this is what he said,

Numbers 4:18 “Do not allow the tribe of the clans of the Kohathites to be eliminated from among the Levites,

Numbers 4:19 but deal in this way with them, so that they may live and not die when they come near to the most holy things: Aaron and his sons will go in and appoint them each to his task and his burden,

Numbers 4:20 but they will not go in to look at the holy things even for a moment, or else they will they die.”

Numbers 4:21 Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,

Numbers 4:22 “Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers’ houses and by their clans.

Numbers 4:23 From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you will list them, all who can come to do duty, to do service in the conference tent.

Numbers 4:24 This is the service of the clans of the Gershonites, in serving and bearing burdens:

Numbers 4:25 they will carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the conference tent with its covering and the covering of goatskin that is on top of it and the screen for the entrance of the conference tent

Numbers 4:26 and the hangings of the court and the screen for the entrance of the gate of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords and all the equipment for their service. And they will do all that needs to be done with regard to them.

Numbers 4:27 All the service of the sons of the Gershonites will be at the command of Aaron and his sons, in all that they are to carry and in all that they have to do. And you will assign to their charge all that they are to carry.

Numbers 4:28 This is the service of the clans of the sons of the Gershonites in the conference tent, and their guard duty is to be under the direction of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.

Numbers 4:29 “As for the sons of Merari, you will list them by their clans and their fathers’ houses.

Numbers 4:30 From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you will list everyone who can come on duty to do the service of the conference tent.

Numbers 4:31 And this is what they are charged to carry, as the whole of their service in the conference tent: the frames of the tabernacle, with its bars, pillars, and bases,

Numbers 4:32 and the pillars around the court with their bases, pegs, and cords, with all their equipment and all their accessories. And you will list by name the objects that they are required to carry.

Numbers 4:33 This is the service of the clans of the sons of Merari, the whole of their service in the conference tent, under the direction of Ithamar, the son of Aaron, the priest.”

Numbers 4:34 And Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of the congregation mustered the sons of the Kohathites, by their clans and their fathers’ houses,

Numbers 4:35 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty for service in the conference tent;

Numbers 4:36 and those mustered by clans were 2,750.

Numbers 4:37 This was the list of the clans of the Kohathites, all who served in the conference tent, whom Moses and Aaron mustered according to Yahveh’s command by Moses.

Numbers 4:38 Those mustered of the sons of Gershon, by their clans and their fathers’ houses,

Numbers 4:39 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty for service in the conference tent —

Numbers 4:40 those mustered by their clans and their fathers’ houses were 2,630.

Numbers 4:41 This was the list of the clans of the sons of Gershon, all who served in the conference tent, whom Moses and Aaron mustered according to Yahveh’s command.

Numbers 4:42 Those mustered of the clans of the sons of Merari, by their clans and their fathers’ houses,

Numbers 4:43 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty for service in the conference tent —

Numbers 4:44 those mustered by clans were 3,200.

Numbers 4:45 This was the list of the clans of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron mustered according to Yahveh’s command by Moses.

Numbers 4:46 All those who were mustered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of Israel mustered, by their clans and their fathers’ houses,

Numbers 4:47 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come to do the service of ministry and the service of bearing burdens in the conference tent,

Numbers 4:48 those mustered were 8,580.

Numbers 4:49 According to Yahveh’s command through Moses, they were mustered, each one with his task of serving or carrying. Thus, they were mustered by him, as Yahveh commanded Moses.

Numbers 4 quotes:

“Numbers 3-4 can thus be read negatively as a claim to power by the descendents of Aaron, who wanted the entrance to the tent of meeting for themselves and reserved the other sides for the tribes of Levi. Or, these chapters can be read positively as indicating the Lord’s willingness, here in Israel’s infancy, to step in and settle incipient disputes before they become dangerous. Like the parent who arranges seating in the car before the trip begins, or the captain who arranges accommodations in a ship before the voyage begins, the Lord of Numbers deigns to stoop down, call out names, assign pegs and poles to the people in God’s flock before the march begins.

Jesus reminded the disciples that such arrangements in the kingdom should be left to God: “To sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father” (Matt. 20:23). Could it be that such seating charts await the end because we have never been comfortable or never agreed with the seats given at the beginning? ‘The Lord is getting everything and everyone in order for this march.”

Boyce Richard Nelson. Leviticus and Numbers. 1st ed. Westminster John Knox Press 2008. p. 118.

“Just as they were specifically told where to pitch their tents and how to set up their camp, so they were given specific duties. Moses instructed them to operate always in an orderly fashion. We can apply this to our own lives: when our lives are orderly we have a sense of quietness and peace, and we can function properly.”

Gutzke, Manford George. Plain Talk on Leviticus and Numbers. Zondervan Pub. House., 1981. p. 68.

“The Levites were to serve in substitution for the offering of the firstborn. Additional money payments are authorized should the number of firstborn be redeemed Exceed the number of Levites available (Numbers 3:40-51). The special responsibilities of three Levitical subgroups, the Kohathites, the Gershonites, and the Merarites (4:1-33), are also described and accompanied by a report of a census of their numbers (Numbers 4:34-49).”

March, W. Eugene. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. Abingdon Press, 2012. p. 71.

“Although the tribes comprised a unified nation, each had its own identity and unique function.”

Martin, Glen, and Max E. Anders. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. Broadman & Holman, 2002. p. 272.

Numbers 4 links:

a place in God’s work
a restrictive vocational system
blue’s clues
curtain crew
helper priests
last, and first
taking extra precautions
those assisting our walk

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Maranatha Daily Devotional – Tuesday, April 27, 2021

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The NUMBERS shelf in Jeff’s library

Numbers 3

Numbers 3:1 These stories tell the history of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Yahveh spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

Numbers 3:2 These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

Numbers 3:3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests.

Numbers 3:4 But Nadab and Abihu died at Yahveh’s face when they offered unauthorized fire to Yahveh’s face in the open country of Sinai, and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of Aaron their father.

Numbers 3:5 And Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,

Numbers 3:6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, so they may serve him.

Numbers 3:7 They will keep guard over him and over the whole assembly at the conference tent, as they serve at the tabernacle.

Numbers 3:8 They will guard all the furnishings of the conference tent, and keep guard over the sons of Israel as they serve at the tabernacle.

Numbers 3:9 And you will give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are totally given to him from among the sons of Israel.

Numbers 3:10 And you will appoint Aaron and his sons, and they will guard their priesthood. But if any unauthorized person comes near, he will be put to death.”

Numbers 3:11 And Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,

Numbers 3:12 “I (you will notice) have purchased the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the uterus among the people of Israel. The Levites will be mine,

Numbers 3:13 because all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both of human and of animal. They will be mine: I am Yahveh.”

Numbers 3:14 And Yahveh spoke to Moses in the open country of Sinai, and this is what he said,

Numbers 3:15 “Muster the sons of Levi, by fathers’ houses and by clans; every male from a month old and upward you will muster.”

Numbers 3:16 So Moses mustered them according to the Yahveh’s word, as he was commanded.

Numbers 3:17 And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari.

Numbers 3:18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei.

Numbers 3:19 And the sons of Kohath by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

Numbers 3:20 And the sons of Merari by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites, by their fathers’ houses.

Numbers 3:21 To Gershon belonged the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these were the clans of the Gershonites.

Numbers 3:22 Their mustering according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was 7,500.

Numbers 3:23 The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west,

Numbers 3:24 with Elyasaph, the son of Lael as chief of the fathers’ house of the Gershonites.

Numbers 3:25 And the guard duty of the sons of Gershon in the conference tent involved the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the conference tent,

Numbers 3:26 the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords– all the service connected with these.

Numbers 3:27 From Kohath came the clan of the Amramites and the clan of the Izharites and the clan of the Hebronites and the clan of the Uzzielites; these are the clans of the Kohathites.

Numbers 3:28 According to the mustering of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, responsible to keep guard over the sanctuary.

Numbers 3:29 The clans of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle,

Numbers 3:30 with Elizaphan the son of Uzziel as general over the fathers’ house of the clans of the Kohathites.

Numbers 3:31 And their guard duty involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the priests serve, and the screen; all the service connected with these.

Numbers 3:32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be general over the generals of the Levites, and to have oversight of those who kept guard over the sanctuary.

Numbers 3:33 To Merari belonged the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites: these are the clans of Merari.

Numbers 3:34 Their mustering according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was 6,200.

Numbers 3:35 And the general from the fathers’ house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.

Numbers 3:36 And the appointed guard duty of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and all their accessories; all the service connected with these;

Numbers 3:37 also the pillars around the court, with their bases and pegs and cords.

Numbers 3:38 Those who were to camp in front of the tabernacle on the east, in front of the conference tent toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, guarding the sanctuary itself, to protect the people of Israel. And any unauthorized person who came near was to be put to death.

Numbers 3:39 All those mustered among the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron mustered at the command of Yahveh, by clans, all the males from a month old and upward, were 22,000.

Numbers 3:40 And Yahveh said to Moses, “Muster all the firstborn males of the sons of Israel, from a month old and upward, taking the number of their names.

Numbers 3:41 And you will take the Levites for me– I am Yahveh– instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the animals of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the animals of the sons of Israel.”

Numbers 3:42 So Moses mustered all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, as Yahveh commanded him.

Numbers 3:43 And all the firstborn males, according to the number of names, from a month old and upward as mustered were 22,273.

Numbers 3:44 And Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,

Numbers 3:45 “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the animals of the Levites instead of their animals. The Levites will be mine: I am Yahveh.

Numbers 3:46 And as the redemption price for the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel, over and above the number of the male Levites,

Numbers 3:47 you will take five shekels per head; you will take them according to the shekel of the sanctuary (that shekel being twenty gerahs),

Numbers 3:48 and give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for those who are over.”

Numbers 3:49 So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those redeemed by the Levites.

Numbers 3:50 From the firstborn of the sons of Israel he took the money, 1,365 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary.

Numbers 3:51 And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of Yahveh, as Yahveh commanded Moses.

Numbers 3 quotes:

“The setting aside of the Levites for tabernacle service is meant to remind the Israelites of their being set aside by God in the exodus. As the Lord had required the lives of the Egyptians but not the Israelites, so legislation was set in place ever afterward to require the firstborn of Israel “for the Lord” (Exod. 13:1-2). However, since those freely dedicated for such service could be redeemed by payment (Lev. 27), those required for consecration were now individually “redeemed” (one for one) by the Levites (with an extra payment for the 273 left over; Num. 3:44-51).”

Boyce Richard Nelson. Leviticus and Numbers. 1st ed. Westminster John Knox Press 2008. p. 117.

“The Levites’ presence as God’s workers was a permanent visual aid to God’s people, signifying two great biblical ideas: surrender and substitution.”

Brown Raymond. The Message of Numbers : Journey to the Promised Land. InterVarsity Press 2002. p. 36.

“Sacrifice of human first-born children, although it may have been practiced in the surrounding Canaanite culture, is never mentioned in the Old Testament as a practice of the Israelites. Instead, the Levites are a substitute for the first-born; they are dedicated to God.”

Deming Lynne M. Numbers and Deuteronomy. Graded Press 1988. p. 17.

“… the Lord separated the tribe of Levi and assigned them specific tasks (3:1-51). Most important were Aaron and his sons, since they were to be “the anointed priests” (3:3; see Exod. 28-29). All the Levites were significant, though, for they were specifically chosen from among the Israelites to serve God. They belonged to the Lord (3:11-13, 45), so they were a separated group within the holy nation. They were not better than the rest of the people. But they were held to higher standards than the others (see Lev. 21-22).”

House, Paul R. Leviticus/Numbers. Broadman & Holman, 1999. p. 58.

Numbers 3 links:

costly free redemption
growing strong together
redeemed and renewed
saints serving unseen
serving the servants
support and service
the troubling truth
they will be mine
those assisting our walk
two jobs, one calling

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Maranatha Daily Devotional – Thursday, April 25, 2019
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Thursday, April 27, 2023

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The NUMBERS shelf in Jeff’s library

Numbers 2

Numbers 2:1 Yahveh spoke to Moses and Aaron, and this is what he said,

Numbers 2:2 “The sons of Israel will camp each by his own standard, with the flags of their fathers’ houses. They will camp around the conference tent[1] at a distance.

Numbers 2:3 Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise will be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the general from the people of Judah being Nachshon the son of Amminadab,

Numbers 2:4 his company as mustered being 74,600.

Numbers 2:5 Those to camp next to him will be the tribe of Issachar, the general from the sons of Issachar being Nethanel, the son of Tsuar,

Numbers 2:6 his company as mustered being 54,400.

Numbers 2:7 Tribe of Zebulun: and the general from the sons of Zebulun is Eliab, the son of Chelon,

Numbers 2:8 his company as mustered being 57,400.

Numbers 2:9 All those mustered of the camp on Judah’s side, by their companies, were 186,400. They will set out first on the march.

Numbers 2:10 “On the south side will be the standard of the camp of Reuben by their companies, the general from the sons of Reuben being Elitsur the son of Shedeur,

Numbers 2:11 his company as mustered being 46,500.

Numbers 2:12 And those to camp next to him will be the tribe of Simeon, the general from the sons of Simeon being Shelumiel the son of Tsurishaddai,

Numbers 2:13 his company as mustered being 59,300.

Numbers 2:14 Then the tribe of Gad, the general from the sons of Gad being Elyasaph the son of Deuel,

Numbers 2:15 his company as listed being 45,650.

Numbers 2:16 All those mustered from the camp of Reuben, by their companies, were 151,450. They will set out second.

Numbers 2:17 “Then the conference tent will set out, with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps; as they camp, so they will set out, each in position, standard by standard.

Numbers 2:18 “On the west side will be the standard of the camp of Ephraim by their companies, the general from the sons of Ephraim being Elishama the son of Ammihud,

Numbers 2:19 his company as mustered being 40,500.

Numbers 2:20 And next to him will be the tribe of Manasseh, the general from the sons of Manasseh being Gamaliel the son of Pedahtsur,

Numbers 2:21 his company as mustered being 32,200.

Numbers 2:22 Then the tribe of Benjamin, the general from the sons of Benjamin being Abidan, the son of Gideoni,

Numbers 2:23 his company as mustered being 35,400.

Numbers 2:24 All those mustered of the camp of Ephraim, by their companies, were 108,100. They will set out third on the march.

Numbers 2:25 “On the north side will be the standard of the camp of Dan by their companies, the general from the sons of Dan being Achiezer the son of Ammishaddai,

Numbers 2:26 his company as mustered being 62,700.

Numbers 2:27 And those to camp next to him will be the tribe of Asher, the general from the people of Asher being Pagiel, the son of Ochran,

Numbers 2:28 his company as mustered being 41,500.

Numbers 2:29 Then the tribe of Naphtali, the general from the sons of Naphtali being Achira the son of Enan,

Numbers 2:30 his company as mustered being 53,400.

Numbers 2:31 All those mustered of the camp of Dan were 157,600. They will set out last, standard by standard.”

Numbers 2:32 These are the sons of Israel as mustered by their fathers’ houses. All those mustered in the camps by their companies were 603,550.

Numbers 2:33 But the Levites were not mustered among the sons of Israel, as Yahveh commanded Moses.

Numbers 2:34 This is what the sons of Israel did. In accordance with all that Yahveh commanded Moses, they followed this pattern of camping by their standards and set out, each one in his clan according to his father’s house.

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[1] ‎ אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֖ד = conference tent. Numbers 1:1; 2:2, 17; 3:7, 8, 25, 38; 4:3, 4, 15, 23, 25, 28, 30, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 47; 6:10, 13, 18; 7:5, 89; 8:9, 15, 19, 22, 24, 26; 9:2, 3, 7, 13; 10:3, 10; 11:16; 12:4; 14:10; 15:3; 16:2, 18, 19, 42, 43, 50; 17:4; 18:4, 6, 21, 22, 23, 31; 19:4; 20:6; 25:6; 27:2; 28:2; 29:39; 31:54.

Numbers 2 quotes:

“It is not enough for the Lord to number the people. Now they must be ordered and arranged, both to order the camp in its resting and to arrange it for the day of march. The same Lord who delights in ordering days and nights (Gen. 1) now takes joy in the arrangement of God’s people, both to sit and to move.”

Boyce, Richard Nelson. Leviticus and Numbers. 1st ed, Westminster John Knox Press, 2008. p. 114.

“The opening section of Numbers describes a radically different ideal. Here, God is supreme and his word honoured. Worship is a priority, life is structured and families matter. Here are people aware of their distinctive identity, strengthened by their corporate solidarity, rejoicing in their spiritual continuity and confident of their promised security. This portraiture of orderly, interdependent corporate life has much to say to fragmenting cultures in a new millennium. With our modern, individualistic preference for ‘believing without belonging’, it challenges today’s churches and units of Christian organizations to be models of loving, supportive, mutually enriching life and service.”

Brown Raymond. The Message of Numbers : Journey to the Promised Land. InterVarsity Press 2002. p. 34.

“… the Lord told Moses how to arrange the tribes when they camped and when they marched (2:1-34). What is striking about both situations is that the symbols of God’s presence had the highest visibility. When Israel stopped, the sanctuary was to rest in the middle of the square encampment (2:2). When the people marched, persons carrying the ark were to lead three tribes, those bearing the tabernacle three tribes, and those conveying the tabernacle furnishings six tribes (2:17). God’s presence could never be forgotten or taken for granted. God’s presence meant He led both from a distance and close at hand.”

House, Paul R. Leviticus/Numbers. Broadman & Holman, 1999. p. 58.

How clear the sense of nation and tribe must have been! The people had no problem in defining their roots, since on a daily basis they saw all the tribal flags and family banners arranged in ever-widening arcs around the Tent of Meeting.

The design of the camp also clearly showed God’s intention for the nation! The camp faced inward toward the Tent of Meeting; it consciously gathered around the place where the glory of the Lord visibly showed its presence. Flowing outward from the Tent of Meeting was the strength and guidance that the Lord provided. Looking inward the camp was designed to focus the religious life of the people toward the Tent of Meeting. In other words the whole scene showed that their lives were to be focused on the Tent of Meeting and the gracious God who was present there.”

Kuske Paul W. Numbers. Northwestern Pub. House 1990. p. 30.

Numbers 2 links:

best foot forward
daybreak
following this pattern
knowledge of God
little one
look behind you
my almighty rock
my lumberjack
my relative is almighty
my relative is glorious
my relative is noble
the rock has redeemed
those walking beside us
trouble

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The NUMBERS shelf in Jeff’s library

Numbers 1

Numbers 1:1 Yahveh[1] spoke to Moses in the open country[2] of Sinai, in the conference tent, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land[3] of Egypt, and this is what he said,

Numbers 1:2 “Take a head count of all the congregation[4] of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, by the number of names, every male, head by head.

Numbers 1:3 From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who can go to war, you and Aaron will list them, by their armies.”[5]

Numbers 1:4 And there will be with you a man, a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers.

Numbers 1:5 And these are the names of the men who will stand with you. From Reuben, Elitsur, the son of Shedeur;

Numbers 1:6 from Simeon, Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai;

Numbers 1:7 from Judah, Nachshon the son of Amminadab;

Numbers 1:8 from Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar;

Numbers 1:9 from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;

Numbers 1:10 from the sons of Joseph, from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud, and from Manasseh, Gamliel the son of Pedahzur;

Numbers 1:11 from Benjamin, Abidan, the son of Gideoni;

Numbers 1:12 from Dan, Achiezer the son of Ammishaddai;

Numbers 1:13 from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran;

Numbers 1:14 from Gad, Elyasaph, the son of Deuel;

Numbers 1:15 from Naphtali, Achira the son of Enan.”

Numbers 1:16 These were the ones called out from the congregation, the leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel.

Numbers 1:17 Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by their names,

Numbers 1:18 and on the first day of the second month, they collected.[6] the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by clans, by patriarchal families, according to the number of names from twenty years old and higher, head by head,

Numbers 1:19 just like the Yahveh had commanded Moses. So, he listed them in the open country of Sinai.

Numbers 1:20 The people of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, referencing their historical lineage, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

Numbers 1:21 those mustered from the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.

Numbers 1:22 Of the sons of Simeon, referencing their historical lineage, by their clans, by their patriarchal houses, those of them who were mustered, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

Numbers 1:23 those mustered of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.

Numbers 1:24 Of the sons of Gad, referencing their historical lineage, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:

Numbers 1:25 those mustered of the tribe of Gad were 45,650.

Numbers 1:26 Of the sons of Judah, referencing their historical lineage, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:

Numbers 1:27 those mustered of the tribe of Judah were 74,600.

Numbers 1:28 Of the sons of Issachar, referencing their historical lineage, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:

Numbers 1:29 those mustered of the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.

Numbers 1:30 Of the sons of Zebulun, referencing their historical lineage, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:

Numbers 1:31 those mustered of the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.

Numbers 1:32 Of the sons of Joseph, namely, of the sons of Ephraim, referencing their historical lineage, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:

Numbers 1:33 those mustered of the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.

Numbers 1:34 Of the sons of Manasseh, referencing their historical lineage, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:

Numbers 1:35 those mustered of the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.

Numbers 1:36 Of the sons of Benjamin, referencing their historical lineage, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:

Numbers 1:37 those mustered of the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.

Numbers 1:38 Of the sons of Dan, referencing their historical lineage, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:

Numbers 1:39 those mustered of the tribe of Dan were 62,700.

Numbers 1:40 Of the sons of Asher, referencing their historical lineage, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:

Numbers 1:41 those mustered of the tribe of Asher were 41,500.

Numbers 1:42 Of the sons of Naphtali, referencing their historical lineage, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war:

Numbers 1:43 those mustered of the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.

Numbers 1:44 These are those who were mustered, whom Moses and Aaron mustered with the help of the generals of Israel, twelve men, each representing his father’s house.

Numbers 1:45 So all those mustered of the people of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel–

Numbers 1:46 all those mustered were 603,550.

Numbers 1:47 But the Levites were not mustered along with them by their ancestral tribe.

Numbers 1:48 Because Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,

Numbers 1:49 “The tribe of Levi is the only exception you will not muster, and you will not take a head count of them among the sons of Israel.

Numbers 1:50 But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the reminder,[7] and over all its furniture, and over all that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furniture, and they will take care of it and camp around it.

Numbers 1:51 When the tabernacle is set out, the Levites will take it down, and when the tabernacle is pitched, the Levites will set it up. And if any outsider comes near, that person will be put to death.

Numbers 1:52 The sons of Israel will camp by their companies, each man in his camp and each man by his standard.

Numbers 1:53 But the Levites will camp around the tabernacle of the reminder so that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the sons of Israel. And the Levites will keep guard over the tabernacle of the reminder.”

Numbers 1:54 This is what the sons of Israel did; they did according to all that Yahveh had commanded Moses.

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[1] יָהְוֶה = Yahveh. Numbers 1:1, 19, 48, 54; 2:1, 33, 34; 3:1, 4, 5, 11, 13, 14, 16, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45, 51; 4:1, 17, 21, 37, 41, 45, 49; 5:1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11, 16, 18, 21, 25, 30; 6:1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 12, 14, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26; 7:3, 4, 11; 8:1, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 20, 21, 22, 23; 9:1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 23; 10:1, 9, 10, 13, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36; 11:1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 16, 18, 20, 23, 24, 25, 29, 31, 33; 12:2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 13, 14; 13:1, 3; 14:3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 26, 28, 35, 37, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44; 15:1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 30, 31, 35, 36, 37, 39, 41; 16:3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, 28, 29, 30, 35, 36, 38, 40, 41, 42, 44, 46; 17:1, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13; 18:1, 6, 8, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29; 19:1, 2, 13, 20; 20:3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 16, 23, 27; 21:2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 14, 16, 34; 22:8, 13, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32, 34, 35; 23:3, 5, 8, 12, 16, 17, 21, 26; 24:1, 6, 11, 13; 25:3, 4, 10, 16; 26:1, 4, 9, 52, 61, 65; 27:3, 5, 6, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23; 28:1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 15, 16, 19, 24, 26, 27; 29:2, 6, 8, 12, 13, 36, 39, 40; 30:1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 12, 16; 31:1, 3, 7, 16, 21, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 47, 50, 52, 54; 32:4, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 29, 31, 32; 33:2, 4, 38, 50; 34:1, 13, 16, 29; 35:1, 9, 34; 36:2, 5, 6, 10, 13.

[2] מִדְבָּר = open country. Leviticus 16:2, 13, 14, 15.

[3]  אֶרֶץ = land, ground. Numbers 1:1; 3:13; 8:17; 9:1, 14; 10:9, 30; 11:31; 13:2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32; 14:2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 24, 30, 31, 34, 36, 37, 38; 15:2, 18, 19, 41; 16:13, 14, 32, 33, 34; 18:13, 20; 20:12, 17, 23, 24; 21:4, 22, 24, 26, 31, 34, 35; 22:5, 6, 11, 13; 26:4, 10, 19, 53, 55; 27:12; 32:1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 17, 22, 29, 30, 32, 33; 33:1, 37, 38, 40, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55; 34:2, 12, 13, 17, 18, 29; 35:10, 14, 28, 32, 33, 34; 36:2.

[4] עֵדָה = congregation. Numbers 1:2, 16, 18, 53; 3:7; 4:34; 8:9, 20; 10:2, 3; 13:26; 14:1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 27, 35, 36; 15:24, 25, 26, 33, 35, 36; 16:2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 16, 19, 21, 22, 24, 26, 40, 41, 42, 45, 46; 19:9; 20:1, 2, 8, 11, 22, 27, 29; 25:6, 7; 26:2, 9, 10; 27:2, 3, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22; 31:12, 13, 16, 26, 27, 43; 32:2, 4; 35:12, 24, 25.

[5] צָבָא = army, war, on duty. Numbers 1:3, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45, 52; 2:3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32; 4:3, 23, 30, 35, 39, 43; 8:24, 25; 10:14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28; 26:2; 31:3, 4, 5, 6, 14, 21, 32, 36, 48, 53; 32:27; 33:1.

[6] קָהַל = collect. Numbers 1:18; 8:9; 10:7; 16:3, 19, 42; 20:2, 8, 10.

[7] עֵדוּת= reminder. Numbers 1:50, 53; 4:5; 7:89; 9:15; 10:11; 17:4, 7, 8, 10; 18:2.

Numbers 1 quotes:

“Numbers is structured by the positioning of the two census records, in Numbers 1 and Numbers 26, respectively. On this basis, chaps. 1-25 are speaking of the Exodus generation, and chaps. 26-36 of the next generation (Milgrom 1989: xiii-xv).”

Levine, Baruch A. Numbers 1-20 : A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. First edition, Doubleday, 1993. p. 59.

“It would be a mistake, however, to hurry beyond these opening chapters in the hope of stumbling across something more interesting. Here are people in community, recalling their roots. All this may not be quite as far from the contemporary scene as it first appears. The fascination with family history and genealogy is fast becoming an obsession. Over 80,000 internet websites are devoted to it and, if the number of hits is anything to go by, the subject is second only to sex in popularity. People are interested in their past. These Israelite registers preserve the convictions and ideals of the world’s most significant people; here in narrative form is an exposition of their God-given theology of an ideal spiritual community.”

Brown Raymond. The Message of Numbers : Journey to the Promised Land. InterVarsity Press 2002. p. 26.

“When we call the fourth book of the Old Testament “Numbers,” we are following the Septuagint. (The Septuagint is a translation of the Old Testament Hebrew into Greek and was made about 285 B.c.) The Septuagint translators wished to indicate that the book records several numberings of the children of Israel.”

Kuske Paul W. Numbers. Northwestern Pub. House 1990. p. 5.

Numbers 1 links:

a friend with us
abiding trust in God
conscientious affirmers
fighting for the right reasons
Following the rock
given by God
God has added
head count
his reward
layers of security
my rock, my friend
name of shame
reflecting his faithfulness
remembering and resolving
seeking leaders who pray
sharing a relationship
standing alone
targeting his will
team players
the warrior child
those walking with us
to stand and defend

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The NUMBERS shelf in Jeff’s library