Numbers 26

King James Version

Full text for Numbers Chapter 26

1¶ And it came to pass after the plague, that the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,

2Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers' house, all that are able to go to war in Israel.

3And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake with them in the plains of Moab by Jordan [near] Jericho, saying,

4[Take the sum of the people], from twenty years old and upward; as the LORD commanded Moses and the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt.

5¶ Reuben, the eldest son of Israel: the children of Reuben; Hanoch, [of whom cometh] the family of the Hanochites: of Pallu, the family of the Palluites:

6Of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.

7These [are] the families of the Reubenites: and they that were numbered of them were forty and three thousand and seven hundred and thirty.

8And the sons of Pallu; Eliab.

9And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. This [is that] Dathan and Abiram, [which were] famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the LORD:

10And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: and they became a sign.

11Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not.

12The sons of Simeon after their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites: of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites: of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites:

13Of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites: of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.

14These [are] the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred.

15The children of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites: of Haggi, the family of the Haggites: of Shuni, the family of the Shunites:

16Of Ozni, the family of the Oznites: of Eri, the family of the Erites:

17Of Arod, the family of the Arodites: of Areli, the family of the Arelites.

18These [are] the families of the children of Gad according to those that were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred.

19The sons of Judah [were] Er and Onan: and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.

20And the sons of Judah after their families were; of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites: of Pharez, the family of the Pharzites: of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.

21And the sons of Pharez were; of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.

22These [are] the families of Judah according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and sixteen thousand and five hundred.

23[Of] the sons of Issachar after their families: [of] Tola, the family of the Tolaites: of Pua, the family of the Punites:

24Of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites: of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.

25These [are] the families of Issachar according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and four thousand and three hundred.

26[Of] the sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Sardites: of Elon, the family of the Elonites: of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.

27These [are] the families of the Zebulunites according to those that were numbered of them, threescore thousand and five hundred.

28The sons of Joseph after their families [were] Manasseh and Ephraim.

29Of the sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites: and Machir begat Gilead: of Gilead [come] the family of the Gileadites.

30These [are] the sons of Gilead: [of] Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites: of Helek, the family of the Helekites:

31And [of] Asriel, the family of the Asrielites: and [of] Shechem, the family of the Shechemites:

32And [of] Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites: and [of] Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.

33And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad [were] Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

34These [are] the families of Manasseh, and those that were numbered of them, fifty and two thousand and seven hundred.

35These [are] the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites: of Becher, the family of the Bachrites: of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.

36And these [are] the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.

37These [are] the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those that were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and five hundred. These [are] the sons of Joseph after their families.

38The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites: of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites: of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites:

39Of Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites: of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.

40And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: [of Ard], the family of the Ardites: [and] of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.

41These [are] the sons of Benjamin after their families: and they that were numbered of them [were] forty and five thousand and six hundred.

42These [are] the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These [are] the families of Dan after their families.

43All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those that were numbered of them, [were] threescore and four thousand and four hundred.

44[Of] the children of Asher after their families: of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites: of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites: of Beriah, the family of the Beriites.

45Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites: of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.

46And the name of the daughter of Asher [was] Sarah.

47These [are] the families of the sons of Asher according to those that were numbered of them; [who were] fifty and three thousand and four hundred.

48[Of] the sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites: of Guni, the family of the Gunites:

49Of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites: of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.

50These [are] the families of Naphtali according to their families: and they that were numbered of them [were] forty and five thousand and four hundred.

51These [were] the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty.

52¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

53Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.

54To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him.

55Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.

56According to the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between many and few.

57¶ And these [are] they that were numbered of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites: of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites: of Merari, the family of the Merarites.

58These [are] the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korathites. And Kohath begat Amram.

59And the name of Amram's wife [was] Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom [her mother] bare to Levi in Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.

60And unto Aaron was born Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

61And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the LORD.

62And those that were numbered of them were twenty and three thousand, all males from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.

63¶ These [are] they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan [near] Jericho.

64But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.

65For the LORD had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Following a plague, the LORD commanded Moses and Eleazar to conduct a second census of the children of Israel in the plains of Moab, numbering all males twenty years old and upward who were able to go to war. This enumeration, taken by families within each tribe, was for the purpose of dividing the land of Canaan as an inheritance. The total count revealed a new generation prepared to enter the promised land, distinct from the generation that perished in the wilderness.

Medium Summary

Numbers chapter 26 details the second census of the Israelites, taken by Moses and Eleazar in the plains of Moab, after a significant plague. The LORD commanded this numbering of all males aged twenty years and older, capable of military service, organized by their ancestral families. Each of the twelve tribes, from Reuben to Naphtali, is meticulously listed with its principal families and their respective totals, highlighting the growth or decline of each lineage. Notably, the chapter recalls the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram from the tribe of Reuben, whose fate served as a sign. The Levites were counted separately, as they were not to receive a territorial inheritance among the other tribes. This census was crucial for determining the allocation of land in Canaan, with larger tribes receiving more inheritance and smaller tribes less. The chapter concludes by emphasizing that of the original generation numbered at Sinai, only Caleb and Joshua remained, fulfilling the LORD's decree that the disobedient generation would perish in the wilderness.

Long Summary

Numbers chapter 26 records the LORD's command to Moses and Eleazar, after a plague, to conduct a comprehensive census of the children of Israel. This enumeration, performed in the plains of Moab, included all males aged twenty years and upward, capable of military service, organized meticulously by their fathers' houses and families. The primary purpose of this second census was to establish the basis for dividing the land of Canaan as an inheritance among the tribes, with the size of each tribe determining the extent of its possession. The chapter systematically lists each of the twelve tribes, detailing their prominent families and the number of men counted within each, from Reuben, the eldest, to Naphtali. A significant historical note is included within the Reubenite count, recalling the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram, who were swallowed by the earth during Korah's company, serving as a perpetual sign of divine judgment, though the children of Korah did not perish. The tribe of Simeon notably decreased in number, while others like Judah and Manasseh showed significant growth. The sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, are counted as two distinct tribes, and the unique case of Zelophehad's daughters in Manasseh's lineage is mentioned. The Levites, distinguished by their priestly service, were numbered separately from the other tribes, counting all males from a month old and upward, as they were not to receive a territorial inheritance. The total count of the fighting men of Israel amounted to six hundred thousand, one thousand, seven hundred and thirty. The chapter explicitly states that of the original generation numbered in the wilderness of Sinai, none remained alive except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, fulfilling the LORD's decree that the disobedient generation would die in the wilderness.

Core Concepts

  • Second CensusThis chapter details the second comprehensive numbering of the Israelite males aged twenty and above, taken in the plains of Moab. It serves as a record of the new generation prepared to enter Canaan, distinct from the generation that left Egypt.
  • Land InheritanceThe primary purpose of this census was to determine the allocation of the land of Canaan. The size of each tribe, as determined by the count, would directly influence the extent of their inherited territory, though the land was ultimately divided by lot.
  • Tribal MusterEach of the twelve tribes is meticulously enumerated by its families, providing a detailed genealogical and demographic record. This systematic listing highlights the internal structure and numerical strength of each tribal lineage.
  • Levitical ExemptionThe Levites were counted separately from the other tribes, including all males from one month old and upward. This distinction underscores their unique role and status, as they were not to receive a territorial inheritance among the other children of Israel.
  • Divine Judgment and PreservationThe chapter recalls the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram as a reminder of divine judgment against disobedience. It also explicitly states that only Caleb and Joshua survived from the original generation that left Egypt, highlighting God's faithfulness to His word regarding those who rebelled and those who believed.