4 "With you, moreover, there shall be a man of each tribe , each one head of his father's household . 5 "These then are the names of the men who shall stand with you: of Reuben , Elizur the son of Shedeur ; 6 of Simeon , Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai ; 7 of Judah , Nahshon the son of Amminadab ; 8 of Issachar , Nethanel the son of Zuar ; 9 of Zebulun , Eliab the son of Helon ; 10 of the sons of Joseph : of Ephraim , Elishama the son of Ammihud ; of Manasseh , Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur ; 11 of Benjamin , Abidan the son of Gideoni ; 12 of Dan , Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai ; 13 of Asher , Pagiel the son of Ochran ; 14 of Gad , Eliasaph the son of Deuel ; 15 of Naphtali , Ahira the son of Enan . 16 "These are they who were called of the congregation , the leaders of their fathers' tribes ; they were the heads of [1]divisions of Israel ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 1:4-16
Commentary on Numbers 1:1-43
(Read Numbers 1:1-43)
The people were numbered to show God's faithfulness in thus increasing the seed of Jacob, that they might be the better trained for the wars and conquest of Canaan, and to ascertain their families in order to the division of the land. It is said of each tribe, that those were numbered who were able to go forth to war; they had wars before them, though now they met with no opposition. Let the believer be prepared to withstand the enemies of his soul, though all may appear to be peace.