17 Moses and Aaron took these men who are mentioned by name. 18 They assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they declared their ancestry by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, one by one. 19 As Yahweh commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai. 20 The children of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war; 21 those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty-six thousand five hundred. 22 Of the children of Simeon, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, those who were numbered of it, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war; 23 those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred. 24 Of the children of Gad, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war; 25 those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Gad, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty. 26 Of the children of Judah, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war; 27 those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Judah, were sixty-four thousand six hundred. 28 Of the children of Issachar, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war; 29 those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty-four thousand four hundred. 30 Of the children of Zebulun, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war; 31 those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred. 32 Of the children of Joseph, of the children of Ephraim, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war; 33 those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand five hundred. 34 Of the children of Manasseh, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war; 35 those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty-two thousand two hundred. 36 Of the children of Benjamin, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war; 37 those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty-five thousand four hundred. 38 Of the children of Dan, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war; 39 those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Dan, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred. 40 Of the children of Asher, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war; 41 those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Asher, were forty-one thousand five hundred. 42 Of the children of Naphtali, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war; 43 those who were numbered of them, of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.
44 These are those who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men: they were each one for his fathers’ house. 45 So all those who were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war in Israel; 46 even all those who were numbered were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 1:17-46
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.
Commentary on Numbers 1:44-46
(Read Numbers 1:44-46)
We have here the sum total. How much was required to maintain all these in the wilderness! They were all provided for by God every day. When we observe the faithfulness of God, however unlikely the performance of his promise may appear, we may take courage as to those which yet remain to be fulfilled to the church of God.