Moses appears with Eleazar rather than Aaron for the first time in a census, marking the generational transition from the wilderness rebellion generation to those destined for Canaan.
1After the plague, the LORD spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,
2“Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers’ houses, all who are able to go out to war in Israel.”
3Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,
4“Take a census, from twenty years old and upward, as the LORD commanded Moses and the children of Israel.” These are those who came out of the land of Egypt.
5Reuben, the firstborn of Israel; the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, 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 those who were counted of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred thirty.
8The son of Pallu: Eliab.
9The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are that Dathan and Abiram who were called by the congregation, who rebelled against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah when they rebelled against the LORD;
10and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died; at the time the fire devoured two hundred fifty men, and they became a sign.
11Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah didn’t die.
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 Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.
14These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand two hundred.
15The sons 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 sons of Gad according to those who were counted of them, forty thousand and five hundred.
19The sons of Judah: Er and Onan. Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
20The sons of Judah after their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.
21The sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.
22These are the families of Judah according to those who were counted of them, seventy-six thousand five hundred.
23The sons of Issachar after their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah, 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 who were counted of them, sixty-four thousand three hundred.
26The sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Seredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.
27These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were counted of them, sixty thousand five hundred.
28The sons of Joseph after their families: Manasseh and Ephraim.
29The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir became the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.
30These are the sons of Gilead: of Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites;
31and Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;
32and Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.
33Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
34These are the families of Manasseh. Those who were counted of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.
35These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.
36These are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.
37These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were counted of them, thirty-two thousand 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 Shephupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.
40The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: the family of the Ardites; and of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.
41These are the sons of Benjamin after their families; and those who were counted of them were forty-five thousand 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 who were counted of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.
44The sons of Asher after their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Berites.
45Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.
46The name of the daughter of Asher was Serah.
47These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were counted of them, fifty-three thousand four hundred.
48The 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 those who were counted of them were forty-five thousand four hundred.
51These are those who were counted of the children of Israel, six hundred one thousand seven hundred thirty.
52The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
53“To these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.
54To the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance. To everyone according to those who were counted of him shall his inheritance be given.
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 their inheritance be divided between the more and the fewer.”
57These are those who were counted 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 Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, and the family of the Korahites. Kohath became the father of Amram.
59The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. She bore to Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.
60To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
61Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before the LORD.
62Those who were counted of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and upward; for they were not counted among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.
63These are those who were counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who counted the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.
64But among these there was not a man of them who were counted by Moses and Aaron the priest, who counted the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.
65For the LORD had said of them, “They shall surely die in the wilderness.” There was not a man left of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
God commands Moses and Eleazar to conduct a second census of Israel's fighting men after the plague that followed Korah's rebellion. This comprehensive count, taken on the plains of Moab near Jericho, systematically records each tribe's families and military strength, totaling over 600,000 men. The census serves both practical purposes for the impending conquest of Canaan and demonstrates God's faithfulness in preserving His people despite their wilderness rebellions.
Context
This second census occurs nearly forty years after the first census in Numbers 1, marking the transition from the wilderness generation to those who will inherit the Promised Land.
Key Themes
Outline
God commands Moses and Eleazar to conduct a second census of Israel's fighting men, organizing them by tribal families and recounting past rebellions. This census prepares the new generation for entering the Promised Land after the wilderness wandering.
person_contrast
Moses appears with Eleazar rather than Aaron for the first time in a census, marking the generational transition from the wilderness rebellion generation to those destined for Canaan.
Moses appears with Eleazar rather than Aaron for the first time in a census, marking the generational transition from the wilderness rebellion generation to those destined for Canaan.
Connected passages across Scripture
They brought the captives with the prey and the plunder, to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of…
These are the commandments and the ordinances which the LORD commanded by Moses to the children of Israel in the plains…
The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,
The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,
They traveled from the mountains of Abarim, and encamped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.
These are the heads of their fathers’ houses. The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and…
the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
The children of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to…
These are the heads of their fathers’ houses. The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and…
The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.
His relatives, men of valor, were two thousand seven hundred, heads of fathers’ households, whom King David made oversee…
The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and he reigned thirty-three…
The time that he reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and he reigned thirty-three year…
even those who were counted of them, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, were two thousand six hundred thirty.
Then he mustered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two. After them, he…
Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the…
“Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!’”
and what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben—how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed…
Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, “We won’t come up!
So they went away from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at th…
The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these ar…
The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul;
The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.
those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Gad, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.
those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand five hundred.
those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty-six thousand five hundred.
those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Asher, were forty-one thousand five hundred.
His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty-one thousand five hundred.
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez wer…
The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.
Now this is the history of the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron,
The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal.
His division, and those who were counted of them, were seventy-four thousand six hundred.
those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Judah, were seventy-four thousand six hundred.
Now the plunder, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep,
The silver of those who were counted of the congregation was one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred seventy-…
even those who were counted of them, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, were two thousand six hundred thirty.
After Abimelech, Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, arose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir in t…
The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Iob, and Shimron.
Of the sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.
those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.
“At the south side four thousand five hundred reeds by measure, and three gates: the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Is…
The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred sixty,
The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred sixty,
even those who were counted of them by their families, were three thousand two hundred.
those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Dan, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
His division, and those who were counted of them, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
from the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels, according…
The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which the LORD’s tribute was sixty-one.
The children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.
Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children also of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Jo…
Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim: Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh: Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
After these things, someone said to Joseph, “Behold, your father is sick.” He took with him his two sons, Manasseh and E…
For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. They gave no portion to the Levites in the land, excep…
Half Gilead, Ashtaroth, and Edrei, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were for the children of Machir the son of…
The heads of the fathers’ households of the family of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of…
Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the f…
The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his concubine the Aramitess bore. She bore Machir the father of Gilead.
But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters…
But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters…
Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the f…
for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to their father’s brothers’ sons…
Those who were counted of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred fifty.
His division, and those who were counted of it, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.
“All who were counted of the camp of Dan were one hundred fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They shall set out last by t…
those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.
even those who were counted of them, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, were two thousand six hundred thirty.
those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand five hundred.
His army, and those who were counted of them, were thirty-five thousand four hundred.
those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty-five thousand four hundred.
Of the children of Joseph: of the children of Ephraim, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, a…
those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty-six thousand five hundred.
those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Gad, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.
His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.
His division, and those who were counted of it, were forty-six thousand five hundred.
in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven…
His division, and those who were counted of them, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Dan, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred sixty,
The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred sixty,
The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, abl…
those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.
His division, and those who were counted of them, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.
“At the west side four thousand five hundred reeds, with their three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one…
Those who were counted of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred fifty.
“All who were counted of the camp of Reuben were one hundred fifty-one thousand four hundred fifty, according to their a…
those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.
“At the west side four thousand five hundred reeds, with their three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one…
His division, and those who were counted of it, were forty-six thousand five hundred.
His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.
His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty thousand five hundred.
even those who were counted of them, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, were two thousand six hundred thirty.
their camels, four hundred thirty-five; their donkeys, six thousand seven hundred twenty.
Then he mustered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two. After them, he…
The children of Benjamin were counted on that day out of the cities twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, in addit…
“All who were counted of the camp of Dan were one hundred fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They shall set out last by t…
These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the…
You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger groups you shall give a larger inheritance,…
Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which the LORD has com…
Then the Levites arose: Mahath, the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; and of th…
These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years o…
The men did the work faithfully. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechari…
These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari.
Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of…
The sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
“Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ houses,
The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.
Aaron took Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, as his wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, El…
These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
“Bring Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, near to you from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to…
Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered strange fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai, and they…
These were the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered strange fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai, and they…
Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered strang…
“Bring Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, near to you from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to…
He said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worsh…
Aaron took Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, as his wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, El…
All the firstborn males according to the number of names from a month old and upward, of those who were counted of them,…
All who were counted of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron counted at the commandment of the LORD, by their families, all…
Those who were counted of them, according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, even those who wer…
Those who were counted of them, according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, were six thousand…
Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together and ordered them according to their fathers’ houses, under captains of thousand…
They brought the captives with the prey and the plunder, to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of…
These are the commandments and the ordinances which the LORD commanded by Moses to the children of Israel in the plains…
The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,
The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,
They traveled from the mountains of Abarim, and encamped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.
Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes.
except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, because they have followed the LORD complete…
surely you shall not come into the land concerning which I swore that I would make you dwell therein, except Caleb the s…
But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive of those men who went to spy out the land.
Joshua blessed him; and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance.
Word-by-word original language
Places and events in this chapter
Israel's miraculous deliverance from Egyptian slavery under Moses' leadership, including the ten plagues and Red Sea crossing. This foundational event established Israel as God's chosen nation.
The census counts the new generation born after the exodus from Egypt.
The Second Census