Numbers 1-2    Listen

Reckon how many we're runnin'...anyway? (Numbers 1)

1 ¶ Now the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying:
2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male individually,
3 from twenty years old and above—all who are able to go to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
4 And with you there shall be a man from every tribe, each one the head of his father’s house.

We're 13 months out of Egypt when God requires Moses to get a count of the fighting men of Israel. This count consists of all men above 20 years of age who are not Levites. The Levites were exempt from military service.

Step #1: Determine the names of the leaders of each tribe

5 ¶ “These are the names of the men who shall stand with you: from Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;
6 from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;
7 from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;
8 from Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar;
9 from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;
10 from the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur;
11 from Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;
12 from Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;
13 from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ocran;
14 from Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel;
15 from Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.”
16 These were chosen from the congregation, leaders of their fathers’ tribes, heads of the divisions in Israel.

Step #2: Arrange all the people under their tribal respective leader

17 ¶ Then Moses and Aaron took these men who had been mentioned by name,
18 and they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they recited their ancestry by families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, each one individually.
19 As the LORD commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai.

Step #3: Count the men twenty years of age and older

Reuben - 46, 500

20 ¶ Now the children of Reuben, Israel’s oldest son, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:
21 those who were numbered of the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred.

Simeon - 59,300

22 ¶ From the children of Simeon, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, of those who were numbered, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:
23 those who were numbered of the tribe of Simeon were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

Gad - 45,650

24 ¶ From the children of Gad, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:
25 those who were numbered of the tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

Judah - 74,600

26 ¶ From the children of Judah, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:
27 those who were numbered of the tribe of Judah were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

Issachar - 54,400

28 ¶ From the children of Issachar, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:
29 those who were numbered of the tribe of Issachar were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

Zebulun - 57,400

30 ¶ From the children of Zebulun, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:
31 those who were numbered of the tribe of Zebulun were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

Ephraim - Joseph's son - 40,500

32 ¶ From the sons of Joseph, the children of Ephraim, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:
33 those who were numbered of the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred.

Manasseh - Joseph's son - 32,200

34 ¶ From the children of Manasseh, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:
35 those who were numbered of the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

Benjamin - 35,400

36 ¶ From the children of Benjamin, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:
37 those who were numbered of the tribe of Benjamin were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

Dan - 62,700

38 ¶ From the children of Dan, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:
39 those who were numbered of the tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

Asher - 41,500

40 ¶ From the children of Asher, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:
41 those who were numbered of the tribe of Asher were forty-one thousand five hundred.

Naphtali - 53,400

42 ¶ From the children of Naphtali, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:
43 those who were numbered of the tribe of Naphtali were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

But what about the Levites - the sons of Levi?

44 ¶ These are the ones who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, with the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each one representing his father’s house.
45 So all who were numbered of the children of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war in Israel—
46 all who were numbered were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.
47 ¶ But the Levites were not numbered among them by their fathers’ tribe;
48 for the LORD had spoken to Moses, saying:
49 “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor take a census of them among the children of Israel;
50 but you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, over all its furnishings, and over all things that belong to it; they shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they shall attend to it and camp around the tabernacle.
51 And when the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The outsider who comes near shall be put to death.
52 The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, everyone by his own camp, everyone by his own standard, according to their armies;
53 but the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony.”
54 ¶ Thus the children of Israel did; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they did.

How appropriate that the Book of Numbers begins with...numbers. Here we're going to get a count of how many in each Tribe of Israel...with a couple of exceptions. Our count found here will include only men (20 years of age and older). And one more thing - no Levites are counted here; we'll get their count in Numbers 3-4 (see notes). Why the age of 20? Verse 3 specifies, "all that are able to go forth to war." The Levites were the keepers of the Tabernacle; they were special (verses 49-54).

So, here are your population figures for the Tribes of Israel 13 months after the Exodus:

• Reuben - 46,500
• Simeon - 59,300
• Gad - 45,650
• Judah - 74,600
• Issachar - 54,400
• Zebulun - 57,400
• Ephraim - 40,500
• Manasseh - 32,200
• Benjamin - 35,400
• Dan - 62,700
• Asher - 41,500
• Naphtali - 53,400

This gives us a total of 603,550 men, 20 years of age and older. This total is also given in Exodus 38:21-26 (see notes). You will notice that without the Levites, we still have 12 tribes because of the two adopted sons of Jacob from Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh in Genesis 48:5-22 (see notes). Incidentally, the setting apart of the Levites for ministry service seems to have been determined after the golden-calf incident in Exodus 32:26-29 (see notes). By the time we get to Exodus 38:21 (see notes), it seems to already be understood that the Levites have this special place among the Hebrews.

This chapter contains the count in the second year following the exile. To see the count after forty years in the wilderness just prior to entering Canaan, click here to see the table which accompanies the notes on Numbers 26.

And where do we set up our tents? (Numbers 2)

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:
2 “Everyone of the children of Israel shall camp by his own standard, beside the emblems of his father’s house; they shall camp some distance from the tabernacle of meeting.

On the east side of the camp - 186,400
Lead tribe - Judah
Flanked by Issachar and Zebulon

3 On the east side, toward the rising of the sun, those of the standard of the forces with Judah shall camp according to their armies; and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be the leader of the children of Judah.”
4 And his army was numbered at seventy-four thousand six hundred.
5 ¶ “Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, and Nethanel the son of Zuar shall be the leader of the children of Issachar.”
6 And his army was numbered at fifty-four thousand four hundred.
7 ¶ “Then comes the tribe of Zebulun, and Eliab the son of Helon shall be the leader of the children of Zebulun.”
8 And his army was numbered at fifty-seven thousand four hundred.
9 “All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Judah, one hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred—these shall break camp first.

On the south side of the camp - 151,450
Lead tribe - Reuben
Flanked by Simeon and Gad

10 ¶ “On the south side shall be the standard of the forces with Reuben according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur.”
11 And his army was numbered at forty-six thousand five hundred.
12 ¶ “Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, and the leader of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.”
13 And his army was numbered at fifty-nine thousand three hundred.
14 ¶ “Then comes the tribe of Gad, and the leader of the children of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel.”
15 And his army was numbered at forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.
16 “All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Reuben, one hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty—they shall be the second to break camp.
17 ¶ “And the tabernacle of meeting shall move out with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps; as they camp, so they shall move out, everyone in his place, by their standards.

On the west side of the camp - 108,100
Lead tribe - Ephraim
Flanked by Manasseh and Benjamin

18 ¶ “On the west side shall be the standard of the forces with Ephraim according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud.”
19 And his army was numbered at forty thousand five hundred.
20 ¶ “Next to him comes the tribe of Manasseh, and the leader of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.”
21 And his army was numbered at thirty-two thousand two hundred.
22 ¶ “Then comes the tribe of Benjamin, and the leader of the children of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni.”
23 And his army was numbered at thirty-five thousand four hundred.
24 “All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Ephraim, one hundred and eight thousand one hundred—they shall be the third to break camp.

On the north side of the camp - 157,600
Lead tribe - Dan
Flanked by Asher and Naphtali

25 ¶ “The standard of the forces with Dan shall be on the north side according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.”
26 And his army was numbered at sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
27 ¶ “Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, and the leader of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ocran.”
28 And his army was numbered at forty-one thousand five hundred.
29 ¶ “Then comes the tribe of Naphtali, and the leader of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan.”
30 And his army was numbered at fifty-three thousand four hundred.
31 “All who were numbered of the forces with Dan, one hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred—they shall break camp last, with their standards.”

The grand total (only men, but no Levites) - 603,550

32 ¶ These are the ones who were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses. All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.
33 But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel, just as the LORD commanded Moses.
34 ¶ Thus the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses; so they camped by their standards and so they broke camp, each one by his family, according to their fathers’ houses.

This chapter deals with the arrangement of the camp in the wilderness. I have prepared a visual below to illustrate the numeric strength of the tribes along with their positioning in the camp. You'll notice that on each side of the Tabernacle Judah, Reuben, Ephraim and Dan were each flanked by two other tribes. The formation was orderly and deliberate.