Matthew Poole and continuators on Numbers 1

1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai , in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

Where now they had been a full year or near it, as may be gathered by comparing this place with Exod. 19. 1. and 40. 17. and other places.

From the mercy-seat.

2 Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel , after their families, by the house of their fathers, , with the number of their names, every male by their poll:

This is not the same muster with that Exod. 38. 26. as plainly appears because that was before the building of the Tabernacle, which was built and setup on the first day of the first moneth, Exod. 40. 2. but this was after it, to wit, on the first day of the second moneth, as is said ver. 1. And they were for differing ends, that was to tax them for the charges of the Tabernacle, but this was for other ends, partly that the great number of the people might be known to the praise of Gods faithfulness in making good his promises of multiplying them, and to their own comfort and encouragement, partly for the better ordering of their camp and march, for they were now beginning their journey, and partly that this account might be compared with the other in the close of the book, where we read that not one of all this vast number, except Caleb and Ioshua, were left alive, which was an evident discovery of the mischievous nature of sin, by which so vast a company were destroyed, and a fair warning to all future generations to take heed of rebelling against the Lord for which their ancestours had been so dreadfully plagued even to extirpation. It is true the sums and numbers agree in this and that computation, which is not strange, because there was not much time between the two numbrings and no eminent sin among the people in that interval, whereby God was provoked to diminish their numbers. Some conceive, that in that number, Exod. 30. and 38. the Levites were included, which are here excepted ver. 47. and that in that interval of time there were grown up as many more men of those years as there were Levites of the same age.

So the strangers mixed with them were not numbred.

The people were divided into twelve Tribes, the Tribes into great Families Num. 26. 5. these great Families into lesser Families called the houses of their fathers, because they were distinguished one from another by their fathers.

Marginal references: Exod. 30. 12.

4 And with you there shall be a man of every tribe ▪ every one head of the house of his fathers.

To inspect the work, that it might be faithfully and impartially done.

5 And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you : of the tribe of Reuben ; Elizur the son of Shedeur.

To wit, with Moses and Aaron, who were the chief managers of the work.

The Tribes are here numbred according to the order or quality of their birth, first the children of Leah, then of Rachel, and then of the handmaids.

14 Of Gad; Eliasaph the son of Deuel .

Called Reuel, Numb. 2. 14. the Hebrew letters Daleth and Resh being very like and oft changed.

16 These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel.

Heb. the named or called, to wit, by Moses and by Gods appointment, to manage this affair and others as there was occasion. Compare Numb. 16. 2. and 26. 9.

See Exod. 18. 21. Numb. 10. 4.

20 And the children of Reuben, Israels eldest son, by their generations , after their families, by the house of their fathers, 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.

Heb. to wit, their generations, i. e. the persons begotten of Reubens immediate Children, who are here subdivided into families, and they into houses, and they into particular persons.

27 Those that were numbred of them, even of the tribe of Judah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred .

Far more than any other tribe, in accomplishing of Iacobs prophecy, Gen. 49.

33 Those that were numbred of them, even of the tribe of Ephraim, were fourty thousand and five hundred .

Above 8000 more than Manasseh, towards the accomplishment of that promise Gen. 48. 20. which the Devil in vam attempted to defeat by stirring up the men of Gath against them, i Chron. 7. 21, 22.

37 Those that were numbred of them, even of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred .

The smallest number except one, though Benjamin had more immediate children than any of his brethren, Gen. 46. 21. whereas Dan had but one immediate son, Gen. 46. 23. yet now his number is the biggest but one of all the Tribes, and is almost double to that of Benjamin. Such great and strange changes God easily can, and frequently doth, make in families, 1 Sam 2. 5. And therefore let none boast or please themselves too much in their numerous off-spring.

49 Onely thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi , neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel.

Because they were not generally to go out to war, which was the thing principally eyed in this muster, ver. 3, 20, 45. but were to attend upon the service of the Tabernacle, and therefore are reserved to another distinct muster, Numb. 3. 15. and 4. 2. &c. And least this should be thought to be designed and done through Moses his ambition to give his own Tribe the preeminence, he assures them it was done by Gods express command.

50 But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony , and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof, and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.

So called here and Exod. 38. 21. because it was made chiefly for the sake of the Ark of the Testimony, 2 Sam. 7. 2. which is oft called the Testimony, as hath been observed before.

51 And 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.

The stranger elsewhere is one of another Nation, here one of another Tribe, one no Levite.

So as to do the offices mentioned ver. 50.

53 But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of 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 testimony.

To wit, from God, who is very tender of his worship, and will not suffer the profaners of it to go unpunished, whose wrath is called simply Wrath by way of eminency, as the most terrible kind of wrath.

(i. e.) Shall suffer no stranger to approach through curiosity or any other motive.