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John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Numbers 26

Numbers 26 - Introduction

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 26 In this chapter an order is given to number the people of Israel a second time, Numbers 26:1 and the account begins with Reuben, the firstborn, and the families that sprung from him, and the number of them, Numbers 26:5 and Dathan and Abiram being of this tribe, the affai... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:1

AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THE PLAGUE,.... Related in the preceding chapter; how long after is not certain, perhaps before the war with Midian, exhorted to in the latter part of the foregoing chapter, and of which an account is given, Numbers 31:1: THAT THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES; out of the tabernac... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:2

TAKE THE SUM OF ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,.... Excepting the Levites, who were to be numbered by themselves, and at a different age; this sum was to be taken, that it might appear that all of the old generation that came out of Egypt, of the age at which this sum was taken, were... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:3

AND MOSES AND ELEAZAR THE PRIEST SPAKE WITH THEM,.... With the children of Israel, with the heads of them, their chief and principal, to assist in taking the number of the people; as when they were numbered thirty years ago, when a prince out of each tribe was taken to be with Aaron and Moses in doi... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:4

[TAKE THE SUM OF THE PEOPLE], FROM TWENTY YEARS OLD AND UPWARD,.... At the same age at which the sum was taken before, Numbers 1:3 so that there could not be one that was more than sixty years of age, of all those that went into the land of Canaan, except Joshua and Caleb, and besides some few in th... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:5

REUBEN, THE ELDEST SON OF ISRAEL,.... the number of his tribe is taken first on that account; there were four families that descended from him, the Hanochite, Palluite, Hesronite, and Carmite, and the number of men from twenty years old and upwards, fit for war, were 43,730; so that, since the last... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:8

AND THE SONS OF PALLU,.... Or son, the plural for the singular, Pallu having but one son, whose name was Eliab, the father of Dathan and Abiram; Numbers 26:9.... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:9

AND THE SONS OF ELIAB; NEMUEL, AND DATHAN, AND ABIRAM,.... Of Nemuel we nowhere else read either he died without children, or he and his family perished with his brethren, being concerned with them in the conspiracy; or the family of the Palluite was in his line; one of the same name may be observed... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:10

AND THE EARTH OPENED HER MOUTH, AND SWALLOWED THEM UP,.... Not only Dathan and Abiram, but their wives and children, their houses and tents, and all their goods, see Numbers 16:32 together with Korah; the words being thus rendered, and standing in such close connection with the preceding, some have... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:11

NOTWITHSTANDING, THE CHILDREN OF KORAH DIED NOT. Neither of the pestilence, nor by fire, nor by the swallowing up of the earth; they not being in the counsel of their father, but followed the doctrine of Moses the prophet, as the Targum of Jonathan; they either disliked their father's scheme, or, if... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:12

Ver. 12-14. THE SONS OF SIMEON, AFTER THEIR FAMILIES,.... This tribe was next numbered, not only because Simeon was next to Reuben by birth, but because his tribe was under the standard of Reuben; two of his sons are a little differently named here than they are in Genesis 46:10, there the eldest i... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:15

Ver. 15-18. THE CHILDREN OF GAD, AFTER THEIR FAMILIES TRIBE WAS NUMBERED NEXT TO SIMEON,.... because it lay encamped with that under the standard of Reuben. There is a little variation in the names of two or three of his sons, from those by which they are called Genesis 46:16, instead of Ziphion, he... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:19

Ver. 19-22. AND THE SONS OF JUDAH WERE ER AND ONAN,.... And besides these he had Shelah, Pharez, and Zerah, from whom families sprang, but none from the two first: for ER AND ONAN DIED IN THE LAND OF CANAAN; where they were born; and that because of their sins, as the Targum of Jonathan adds, see G... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:23

Ver. 23-25. OF THE SONS OF ISSACHAR, AFTER THEIR FAMILIES,.... This tribe was numbered next to Judah, because it was under his standard. Two of his sons are a little differently named than they are Genesis 46:13 instead of Phuvah one is called Pua, and instead of Job another is called here Jashub;... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:26

Ver. 26,27. OF HE SONS OF ZEBULUN, AFTER THEIR FAMILIES,.... This is numbered next to Issachar, because it was encamped under the standard of Judah; it consisted of three families, whose numbers were 60,500, so that this tribe was increased 3100.... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:28

Ver. 28-34. THE SONS OF JOSEPH, AFTER THEIR FAMILIES, WERE MANASSEH AND EPHRAIM. Manasseh is here mentioned first, though Ephraim was preferred to him by Jacob, and the standard belonged to him; not because he was the firstborn, but because he had now the greater increase, though he had but one son,... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:35

Ver. 35-37. THESE ARE THE SONS OF EPHRAIN, AFTER THEIR FAMILIES,.... Which were but three, the Shuthalhite, the Bachrite, and the Tahanite, only from the former sprung another family, called the Eranite; the number of the whole was 32,500; there was a decrease in this tribe of 8000.... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:38

Ver. 38-41. THE SONS OF BENJAMIN, AFTER THEIR FAMILIES,.... This tribe was numbered next to Ephraim, being under his standard. Five of the sons of Benjamin are omitted, perhaps because they died without issue, and so no families sprang from them; the names of the five sons mentioned vary a little fr... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:42

Ver. 42,43. THESE ARE THE SONS OF DAN, AFTER THEIR FAMILIES,.... Though he had but one son, the plural being put for the singular; or by sons are meant his posterity; his son's name was Shuham, and by transposition Hushim, in Genesis 46:23 from him was the family of the Shulamite; and yet, though bu... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:44

Ver. 44-47. OF THE CHILDREN OF ASHER, AFTER THEIR FAMILIES,.... This tribe was numbered next to Dan, because it was under his standard; one of his sons is omitted, very probably dying childless, and so had no family; from the rest sprang the families of the Iimnite, Jesuite, and Benite; and, from th... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:48

Ver. 48-50. OF THE SONS OF NAPHTALI, AFTER THEIR FAMILIES,.... This tribe, which is the last of them, was numbered next to Asher, because it was with that under the standard of Dan; it had four families in it, the Jahzeelite, Gunite, Jezerite, and Shillemite, and its number was 45,400, being less by... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:51

THESE WERE THE NUMBERED OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,.... The twelve tribes, consisting of so many families, as above named; and the sum total of persons in them of twenty years old and upwards, and fit for war, was SIX HUNDRED AND ONE THOUSAND AND SEVEN HUNDRED AND THIRTY; so that though all those th... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:53

UNTO THESE THE LAND SHALL BE DIVIDED FOR AN INHERITANCE,.... That were numbered, and to none else: ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF THEIR NAMES; and for this end was the number of them now taken, that the land might be equally divided among them; women and minors, or such as were under twenty years of ag... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:54

TO MANY THOU SHALT GIVE THE MORE INHERITANCE, AND TO FEW THOU SHALT GIVE THE LESS INHERITANCE,.... To a tribe more numerous, and consisting of more and larger families, a greater part of the land was to be given to them to possess; and to a smaller tribe, and of the fewer families and persons in the... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:55

NOTWITHSTANDING, THE LAND SHALL BE DIVIDED BY LOT,.... That the division might appear to be according to the determination and will of God, and not left to the judgment and discretion of the chief magistrate, though bound by the above rule: ACCORDING TO THE NAMES OF THE TRIBES OF THEIR FATHERS THEY... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:56

ACCORDING TO THE LOT SHALL THE POSSESSION THEREOF BE DIVIDED,.... It was by the determination of the lot that the land was divided by inheritance, and that was by the Lord, according to Proverbs 16:33 BETWEEN MANY AND FEW; it was so ordered of the Lord by the lot, that the many should have a larger... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:57

Ver. 57-62. AND THESE ARE THEY THAT WERE NUMBERED OF THE LEVITES, AFTER THEIR FAMILIES,.... And they were numbered not with the rest of the tribes of Israel, but by themselves, as they were at the first numbering of the tribes; the three principal families of which were, the Gershonite, the Kohathit... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:63

THESE ARE THEY THAT WERE NUMBERED BY MOSES AND ELEAZAR THE PRIEST,.... That is, these were the Levites, their families, and the number of males in them, which was taken by Moses and Eleazar, who might be only concerned in numbering the Levites, of which tribe they were: and WHO ALSO NUMBERED THE CH... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:64

BUT AMONG THESE THERE WAS NOT A MAN OF THEM WHOM MOSES AND AARON THE PRIEST NUMBERED..... About thirty eight years before this time: this, as Aben Ezra observes, respects the numbering of the Israelites, not of the Levites; for there were some of the tribe of Levi numbered then who were living, as E... [ Continue Reading ]

Numbers 26:65

FOR THE LORD HAD SAID OF THEM, THEY SHALL SURELY DIE IN THE WILDERNESS,.... This was threatened them, Numbers 14:32 and now it was fulfilled: AND THERE WAS NOT LEFT A MAN OF THEM, SAVE CALEB THE SON OF JEPHUNNEH, AND JOSHUA THE SON OF NUN; the only two of the spies that brought a good report of the... [ Continue Reading ]

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