As the LORD commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.
Parallel translations
- WEB As Yahweh commanded Moses, so he counted them in the wilderness of Sinai.
- BSB just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So Moses numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai:
- NKJV As the Lord commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai.
- NASB just as the Lord had commanded Moses. So he counted them in the wilderness of Sinai.
- NLT just as the Lord had commanded Moses. So Moses recorded their names in the wilderness of Sinai. [20-21] This is the number of men twenty years old or older who were able to go to war, as their names were listed in the records of their clans and families: Tribe NumberReuben (Jacob’s oldest son) 46,500 [22-23] Simeon 59,300 [24-25] Gad 45,650 [26-27] Judah 74,600 [28-29] Issachar 54,400 [30-31] Zebulun 57,400 [32-33] Ephraim son of Joseph 40,500 [34-35] Manasseh son of Joseph 32,200 [36-37] Benjamin 35,400 [38-39] Dan 62,700 [40-41] Asher 41,500 [42-43] Naphtali 53,400
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Moses carries out the census exactly as the LORD commanded. His obedience models faithful submission to God's word.
Overview
The verse emphasizes that the count was done 'as Yahweh commanded,' a refrain underscoring Moses' faithfulness. Numbering in the wilderness of Sinai roots the event in the place of covenant. Such exact obedience anticipates the perfect obedience of Christ, who always did what pleased the Father (John 8:29).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Num 26:1–2And it came to pass after the plague, that the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,
- Num 1:2Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls;
- 2 Sam 24:1–10And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 1:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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