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NUMBERS 1

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS*

* Although they are not inspired, paragraph divisions are the key to understanding and following the original author's intent. Each modern translation has divided and summarized the paragraphs. Every paragraph has one central topic, truth, or thought. Each version encapsulates that topic in its own distinct way. As you read the text, ask yourself which translation fits your understanding of the subject and verse divisions.

In every chapter we must read the Bible first and try to identify its subjects (paragraphs), then compare our understanding with the modern versions. Only when we understand the original author's intent by following his logic and presentation can we truly understand the Bible. Only the original author is inspired - readers have no right to change or modify the message. Bible readers do have the responsibility of applying the inspired truth to their day and their lives.

Note that all technical terms and abbreviations are explained fully in the following documents: Hebrew Grammatical Tems, Textual Criticism, and Glossary.

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph
2. Second paragraph
3. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:1-16
  ¹Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first 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 sons of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, every male, head by head ³from twenty years old and upward, whoever is able to go out to war in Israel, you and Aaron shall number them by their armies. ⁴With you, moreover, there shall be a man of each tribe, each one head of his father's household. ⁵These then are the names of the men who shall stand with you: of Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur; ⁶of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; ⁷of Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab; ⁸of Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar; ⁹of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon; ¹⁰of the sons of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; ¹¹of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni; ¹²of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai; ¹³of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran; ¹⁴of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel; ¹⁵of Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan. ¹⁶These are they who were called of the congregation, the leaders of their fathers' tribes; they were the heads of divisions of Israel."

1:1-3 These opening verses give the historical setting of the book.

1. author ‒ YHWH speaks to Moses (see SPECIAL TOPIC: MOSES' AUTHORSHIP OF THE PENTATEUCH)
2. where ‒ at Mt. Sinai (see SPECIAL TOPIC: THE LOCATION OF MT. SINAI)
3. when ‒ see Introduction V in INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS
4. why ‒ military census, Num. 1:2-3 (census in ANE also used for taxation purposes)

1:1 "Lord" See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D.

▣ "the wilderness of Sinai" See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE WILDERNESSES OF THE EXODUS.

▣ "tent of meeting" The portable worship center goes by several names (i.e., "tabernacle of the testimony," Num. 1:50). It is possible that this title refers to

1. the tented shrine
2. the tabernacle
3. the entire enclosed area

SPECIAL TOPIC: TABERNACLE (chart)

▣ "second month" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ANE CALENDARS.

▣ "after they had come out" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ROUTE OF THE EXODUS.

1:3 "from twenty years old and upward" The age had several usages.

1. Exod. 30:14 ‒ an initial ransom payment for the service of the tent of meetings
2. Exod. 38:16 ‒ an initial gift of precious metals for the construction of the tent of meetings
3. here, for military service. Josephus, Antiq. 3.12.4, says from 20 years old to 50 years old, for military service

▣ "go out" This VERB (BDB 422, KB 425, Qal) is used many times in this chapter for military service (cf. Num. 1:3, 20, 22, 24, 25, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 45).

Notice Aaron and the priests are to do the count.

1:4-19 Moses assembled a group of tribal leaders to assist in the military census. They are called by two designations.

1. "head" ‒ BDB 910, Num. 1:4,16; see SPECIAL TOPIC: HEAD
2. "leaders" ‒ BDB 672 I, literally "one lifted up," Num. 1:16,44. Here, of the twelve tribes but in Exod. 16:22; Lev. 4:22; Josh. 9:15,18; 22:30; 34:31, of leaders

Notice the levels of leadership.

1. Moses
2. Aaron and the priests
3. Levites
4. tribal leaders
5. possibly leaders of "thousands" and "hundreds"

1:6 "Zurishaddai" This name is a combination of "rock" (BDB 849) and "Shaddai" 994); see SPECIAL TOPIC: SHADDAI.

The Simeonite is mentioned in Num. 1:6; 2:12; 7:36, 41; and 10:19. Another person's name combined with Shaddai is found in Num. 1:7. There is a Levite called "Zuriel" (i.e., My rock is El) in Num. 3:25. This shows how ancient Israeli names combined objects with titles for Deity.

For El see SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY. It is somewhat shocking that "El" (9 times) and "Shaddai" (3 times) are found often in these early names but not YHWH.

The MT has "Deuel" (BDB 119). The UBS Text Project gives it an "A" rating (i.e., high probability). This same name is found in Num. 2:14; 7:42; 10:20. The Hebrew letters "d" and "r" are very similar in form and are often confused.

1:16 "These are they who were called" The MT has an ADJECTIVE (BDB 896) but the suggestion of the Masoretes is a PASSIVE PARTICIPLE (BDB 894), so too, NASB.

▣ "the leaders of their fathers' tribes" These would have been tribal "elders." See SPECIAL TOPIC: ELDER.

The Hebrew number "thousand" (BDB 48) has several connotations. See SPECIAL TOPIC: THOUSAND (eleph). Also note brief discussion in NASB Study Bible, p. 174.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:17-19
  ¹⁷So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name, ¹⁸and they assembled all the congregation together on the first of the second month. Then they registered by ancestry in their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, head by head, ¹⁹just as the Lord had commanded Moses. So he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:20-21
  ²⁰Now the sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, ²¹their numbered men of the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:22-23
  ²²Of the sons of Simeon, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, their numbered men, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, ²³their numbered men of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:24-25
  ²⁴Of the sons of Gad, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, ²⁵their numbered men of the tribe of Gad were 45,650.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:26-27
  ²⁶Of the sons of Judah, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, ²⁷their numbered men of the tribe of Judah were 74,600.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:28-29
  ²⁸Of the sons of Issachar, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, ²⁹their numbered men of the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:30-31
  ³⁰Of the sons of Zebulun, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, ³¹their numbered men of the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:32-33
  ³²Of the sons of Joseph, namely, of the sons of Ephraim, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, ³³their numbered men of the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:34-35
  ³⁴Of the sons of Manasseh, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, ³⁵their numbered men of the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:36-37
  ³⁶Of the sons of Benjamin, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, ³⁷their numbered men of the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:38-39
  ³⁸Of the sons of Dan, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, ³⁹their numbered men of the tribe of Dan were 62,700.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:40-41
  ⁴⁰Of the sons of Asher, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, ⁴¹their numbered men of the tribe of Asher were 41,500.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:42-43
  ⁴²Of the sons of Naphtali, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, ⁴³their numbered men of the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:44-46
  ⁴⁴These are the ones who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, with the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each of whom was of his father's household. ⁴⁵So all the numbered men of the sons of Israel by their fathers' households, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war in Israel, ⁴⁶even all the numbered men were 603,550.

1:46 See note at Num. 1:16 about the term "thousand" (NIDOTTE, vol. 1, pp. 416-418). This large number is recorded several times (i.e., Exod. 12:37; 38:26; Num. 1:46; 2:32; 11:21; 25:51), but may refer to "military groups" not literally "thousands" (like the Roman military terms).

1. There is a good brief footnote in NET Bible, p. 275, #6
2. also see Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, pp. 65-67
3. Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 51-54
4. for an argument for the literal number see Gleason Archer, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, pp. 129-134.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1:47-54
  ⁴⁷The Levites, however, were not numbered among them by their fathers' tribe. ⁴⁸For the Lord had spoken to Moses, saying, ⁴⁹"Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor shall you take their census among the sons of Israel. ⁵⁰But you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it; they shall also camp around the tabernacle. ⁵¹So when the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle encamps, the Levites shall set it up. But the layman who comes near shall be put to death. ⁵²The sons of Israel shall camp, each man by his own camp, and each man by his own standard, according to their armies. ⁵³But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there will be no wrath on the congregation of the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the testimony." ⁵⁴Thus the sons of Israel did; according to all which the Lord had commanded Moses, so they did.

1:50-51 The Levites (i.e., members of the tribe of Levi, but not of the family of Moses and Aaron) were to carry the Tabernacle from place to place.

▣ "all its furnishings" See the Special Topics:

1. SPECIAL TOPIC: ALTAR OF INCENSE
2. SPECIAL TOPIC: ALTAR OF SACRIFICE
3. SPECIAL TOPIC: ARK OF THE COVENANT
4. SPECIAL TOPIC: LAMPSTAND (Menorah)
5. SPECIAL TOPIC: LAVER OF BRONZE
6. SPECIAL TOPIC: THE SHOW BREAD OF THE PRESENCE
7. SPECIAL TOPIC: THE TABERNACLE (chart)

The MT has Qal PARTICIPLE, "stranger" (BDB 266, KB 267) but here, context implies that the NASB, REB, and NJB are the best connotations (cf. Num. 3:10; 16:40).

▣ "shall be put to death" The Tabernacle was "holy" because of YHWH's presence. Only authorized contact (i.e., Levites and priests) was allowed. Note Exod. 19:12-13,21-23; 1 Sam. 6:19; 2 Sam. 6:6-7. 1:52 See chart at Exodus 25-31, E.

▣ "each man by his own standard" The word translated "standard" (BDB 186) can mean "a banner" or "a flag," representing a particular tribe, as in Num. 17:1. Moderns do not know what kind of banner or flag (see NIDOTTE, vol. 1, p. 919).

From the Jewish Study Bible, p. 287, some rabbis made guesses about the "standards."

1. animal
2. color related to the stones of the High Priest's ephod (Ibn Ezra)
3. military unit insignia (Anchor Bible, vol. 4, pp. 146-147)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Why did YHWH tell Israel to take a census?
2. Why were the Levites excluded?
3. How do modern scholars handle the large number of Num. 1:46?
4. How are the ones warned of being put to death if they approach the Tabernacle?

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