Numbers 1:18

Declared their pedigrees. — More literally, announced themselves as having been born — i.e., caused themselves to be enrolled. The people appear to have been enrolled by their polls, i.e., individually, under three heads — (1) according to the tribe to which they belonged; (2) according to the mishpahah, or family, which, as it appears from Numbers 3:22, included in some cases two or three thousand persons; and (3) according to their father’s house. The importance of this enrolment, as affording the means of tracing the genealogy of Christ, must not be overlooked.

According to the number of the names. — The words are the same as in Numbers 1:2, and should be rendered in the same manner.