38 The sons H1121 of Benjamin H1144 after their families: H4940 of Bela, H1106 the family H4940 of the Belaites: H1108 of Ashbel, H788 the family H4940 of the Ashbelites: H789 of Ahiram, H297 the family H4940 of the Ahiramites: H298
Now Benjamin H1144 begat H3205 Bela H1106 his firstborn, H1060 Ashbel H788 the second, H8145 and Aharah H315 the third, H7992
The sons of Benjamin; H1144 Bela, H1106 and Becher, H1071 and Jediael, H3043 three. H7969 And the sons H1121 of Bela; H1106 Ezbon, H675 and Uzzi, H5813 and Uzziel, H5816 and Jerimoth, H3406 and Iri, H5901 five; H2568 heads H7218 of the house H1004 of their fathers, H1 mighty H1368 men of valour; H2428 and were reckoned by their genealogies H3187 twenty H6242 and two H8147 thousand H505 and thirty H7970 and four. H702 And the sons H1121 of Becher; H1071 Zemira, H2160 and Joash, H3135 and Eliezer, H461 and Elioenai, H454 and Omri, H6018 and Jerimoth, H3406 and Abiah, H29 and Anathoth, H6068 and Alameth. H5964 All these are the sons H1121 of Becher. H1071 And the number H3187 of them, after their genealogy by their generations, H8435 heads H7218 of the house H1004 of their fathers, H1 mighty men H1368 of valour, H2428 was twenty H6242 thousand H505 and two hundred. H3967 The sons H1121 also of Jediael; H3043 Bilhan: H1092 and the sons H1121 of Bilhan; H1092 Jeush, H3274 and Benjamin, H1144 and Ehud, H164 and Chenaanah, H3668 and Zethan, H2133 and Tharshish, H8659 and Ahishahar. H300 All these the sons H1121 of Jediael, H3043 by the heads H7218 of their fathers, H1 mighty H1368 men of valour, H2428 were seventeen H7651 H6240 thousand H505 and two hundred H3967 soldiers, fit to go out H3318 for war H6635 and battle. H4421 Shuppim H8206 also, and Huppim, H2650 the children H1121 of Ir, H5893 and Hushim, H2366 the sons H1121 of Aher. H313
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 26
Commentary on Numbers 26 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 26
Nu 26:1-51. Israel Numbered.
1. after the plague—That terrible visitation had swept away the remnant of the old generation, to whom God sware in His wrath that they should not enter Canaan (Ps 95:11).
2. Take the sum of all the congregation—The design of this new census, after a lapse of thirty-eight years, was primarily to establish the vast multiplication of the posterity of Abraham in spite of the severe judgments inflicted upon them; secondarily, it was to preserve the distinction of families and to make arrangements, preparatory to an entrance into the promised land, for the distribution of the country according to the relative population of the tribes.
7. These are the families of the Reubenites—the principal households, which were subdivided into numerous smaller families. Reuben had suffered great diminution by Korah's conspiracy and other outbreaks [Nu 16:1].
10. the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah—rather, "the things of Korah." (See on Nu 16:35; compare Ps 106:17).
11. Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not—Either they were not parties to their father's crime, or they withdrew from it by timely repentance. His descendants became famous in the time of David, and are often mentioned in the Psalms [Ps 42:1; 44:1; 45:1; 46:1; 47:1; 48:1; 49:1; 84:1; 85:1; 87:1; 88:1], also in 1Ch 6:22, 38.
12. The sons of Simeon—It is supposed that this tribe had been pre-eminent in the guilt of Baal-peor and had consequently been greatly reduced in numbers.
Thus God's justice and holiness, as well as His truth and faithfulness, were strikingly displayed: His justice and holiness in the sweeping judgments that reduced the ranks of some tribes; and His truth and faithfulness in the extraordinary increase of others so that the posterity of Israel continued a numerous people.
53. the land shall be divided according to the number of names—The portion of each tribe was to be greater or less, according to its populousness.
54. To many thou shalt give the more inheritance—that is, to the more numerous tribes a larger allotment shall be granted.
according to those that were numbered—the number of persons twenty years old at the time of the census being made, without taking into account either the increase of those who might have attained that age, when the land should be actually distributed, or the diminution from that amount, occasioned during the war of invasion.
55. the land shall be divided by lot—The appeal to the lot did not place the matter beyond the control of God; for it is at His disposal (Pr 16:33), and He has fixed to all the bounds of their habitation. The manner in which the lot was taken has not been recorded. But it is evident that the lot was cast for determining the section of the country in which each tribe should be located—not the quantity of their possessions. In other words, when the lot had decided that a particular tribe was to be settled in the north or the south, the east or the west, the extent of territory was allocated according to the rule (Nu 26:54).
58. families of the Levites—The census of this tribe was taken separately, and on a different principle from the rest. (See Ex 6:16-19).
62. twenty and three thousand—so that there was an increase of a thousand (Nu 3:39).
males from a month old and upward—(See on Nu 3:14).
64. among these there was not a man … numbered … in the wilderness of Sinai—The statement in this verse must not be considered absolute. For, besides Caleb and Joshua, there were alive at this time Eleazar and Ithamar, and in all probability a considerable number of Levites, who had no participation in the popular defections in the wilderness. The tribe of Levi, having neither sent a spy into Canaan, nor being included in the enumeration at Sinai, must be regarded as not coming within the range of the fatal sentence; and therefore it would exhibit a spectacle not to be witnessed in the other tribes of many in their ranks above sixty years of age.