Numbers 1
(1) God Asks Moses to Count the Israelites
In the second year after the Israelites left Egypt, the Existing One spoke to Moses in the wasteland of Sinai. The conversation took place in God’s meeting tent on the first day of the second month of the year. God said,
“Count everyone in the caravan of Israel’s descendants. Count them by their families according to the head of each household. Keep track of how many names there. Count all the Israeli males, head by head, who are age 20 or older since they are able to go to war. Have Aaron help you, and number all of them by their armies. And take the head of each household with you. Here are the men you should take to have by your side:
1. From Reuben’s tribe, take Elizur (Shedeur’s son)
2. From Simeon’s tribe, take Shelumiel (Zurishaddai’s son)
3. From Judah’s tribe, take Nahshon (Amminadab’s son)
4. From Issachar’s tribe, take Nethanel (Zuar’s son)
5. From Zebulun’s tribe, take Eliab (Helon’s son)
6. From Ephraim (a descendant of Joseph), take Elishama (Ammihud’s son)
7. From Manasseh’s tribe, take Gamaliel (Pedahzur’s son)
8. From Benjamin’s tribe, take Abidan (Gideoni’s son)
9. From Dan’s tribe, take Ahiezer (Ammishaddai’s son)
10. From Asher’s tribe, take Pagiel (Ochran’s son)
11. From Gad’s tribe, take Eliasaph (Deuel’s son)
12. From Naphtali’s tribe, take Ahira (Enan’s son)
“Those are the ones who have been chosen out of the whole population. Each one is a leader of their patriarch’s tribe. Those patriarchs were the heads of thousands of Israelites.”
So Moses and Aaron took those people who were mentioned by name, and they assembled the entire population together on that same day. They recorded all the names, grouping them by families and by the head of each household, like the Existing One had asked. So they were all counted there in the wasteland of Sinai.
(20) Census Results
Here’s how many people there were in each patriarch’s tribe:
46,500 from Reuben (Israel’s oldest son)
59,300 from Simeon
45,650 from Gad
74,600 from Judah
54,400 from Issachar
57,400 from Zebulun
40,500 from Ephraim (Joseph’s descendant)
32,200 from Manasseh
35,400 from Benjamin
62,700 from Dan
41,500 from Asher
53,400 from Naphtali
That’s everyone Moses and Aaron recorded for each of the 12 Israelite patriarchs. In total, the number of men who were age 20 or older and able to go to war was 603,550.
(47) Levites Weren’t Included in the Census
But those numbers don’t include the Levites, because God told Moses,
“The people in Levi’s tribe are the only ones you shouldn’t enlist. Instead, enlist them to the tent where My vows to Israel live. They need to be rallied to that tent, all of its equipment, and all the things that go along with it. They need to take care of My home and set up their camps near it.
“And when it’s time for My dwelling tent to be taken down, the Levites are the ones who will handle it. And whenever that tent needs to be set up, they’ll be the ones to do it. But any non-Levite who gets too close to it will be put to death.
“Whenever the caravan of Israel’s descendants sets up camp, everyone should have their own camp, grouped according to their banners and their military division. But the Levites will camp around the tent where My promises are kept so the caravan won’t incur any anger. So the Levites will watch over the place where My promise lives.”
So Israel’s descendants followed all those instructions the Existing One gave Moses.