Numbers 1:17 - Meaning and Application

Here we see the orders for numbering the people carried out at once. The work began on the same day the command was given, on the first day of the second month, compared with Numbers 1:18 and Numbers 1:1. When a task is for God, it is good to begin quickly, while the sense of duty is still fresh and strong.

As far as we can tell, the whole task took only one day. Many other things happened before the twentieth day of that month, when they set out from camp (Numbers 10:11). Joab spent nearly ten months numbering the people in David’s time (2 Samuel 24:8), but those people were scattered, while these were living closely together. Then Satan urged the counting, now God commanded it. It was also easier now, because it had been done not long before, so they only needed to check the old records and note what had changed.

The record is written out fully for each tribe, not in short form. For every one of the twelve tribes, the list repeats that they were numbered by their generations, after their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names. This shows that each tribe gave its count in the same way and by the same rule, even though many people helped with the work. The genealogy is listed first to show they came from Israel, then the families, then the smaller family groups, and finally the individual names. In this way, every man could know who his close relatives were, and some laws depended on that. Also, the closer people are to us by blood, the more ready we should be to help them.

All the numbers end with hundreds, except Gad, which ends with fifty (Numbers 1:25). None of them go down to tens or ones. Some think this happened by a special act of providence, to show that God meant something unusual in their growth. It is more likely that Moses had earlier appointed rulers over hundreds and fifties (Exodus 18:25), so the people were counted under those leaders, which naturally gave round totals.

Judah is the largest tribe of all, more than twice as large as Benjamin and Manasseh, and nearly 12,000 larger than any other tribe, verse 27. Judah was the tribe his brothers were to praise, because the Messiah, the Prince, would come from him. Since that was still far off, God honored that tribe in the meantime in many ways, especially by making it grow so greatly, for the sake of the one who would come from Judah in the fullness of time (Hebrews 7:14). Judah was also to lead the march through the wilderness, so God gave it strength equal to that role.

Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph’s sons, are counted as separate tribes, and together they make up almost as many people as Judah. This was in line with Jacob’s adoption of them, by which they were placed on the same level as their uncles Reuben and Simeon (Genesis 48:5). It also fulfilled Joseph’s blessing, that he would be a fruitful branch (Genesis 49:22). Ephraim, the younger son, is named first and is more numerous than Manasseh, because Jacob had crossed his hands and foretold ten thousands for Ephraim and thousands for Manasseh. The way this came true strengthens our trust in the spirit of prophecy given to the patriarchs.

When Dan’s family came down into Egypt, Dan had only one son (Genesis 46:23), so his tribe was then only one family, Numbers 26:42. Benjamin had ten sons at that time (Genesis 46:21), yet now Dan’s tribe is almost twice as large as Benjamin’s. This shows that families do not always grow or shrink in ways we expect. Some are multiplied greatly, while others are reduced, and some that were once poor are made large like a flock (Psalm 107:38, Psalm 107:39, Psalm 107:41; see also Job 12:23).

It is said of each tribe that those were counted who were able to go out to war. This reminded them that wars still lay ahead, even though they were at peace and met no attack at the time. Let no one who puts on armor boast as if he were already taking it off.