Take 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;
Parallel translations
- WEB “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, every male, one by one;
- BSB “Take a census of the whole congregation of Israel by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one.
- NKJV “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male individually,
- NASB “Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, every male, head by head
- NLT “From the whole community of Israel, record the names of all the warriors by their clans and families. List all the men
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
God commands a census of all Israel, counted by tribes and families. This numbering treats the people as God's ordered covenant nation, not a random crowd.
Overview
The census is to be taken by clans and households, underscoring that Israel is a covenant family descended from the patriarchs. Counting 'by name' reflects God's personal knowledge of His people, a theme that runs to the gospel, where the redeemed are known by name and written in the Lamb's book of life (Luke 10:20; Rev. 21:27).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Exod 30:12When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
- Exod 38:26A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.
- Num 1:18And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.
- Num 26:2–4Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers’ house, all that are able to go to war in Israel.
- Num 1:22Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
- 1 Chr 27:23–24But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the LORD had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens.
- Gen 49:1–3And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
- Exod 6:14–19These be the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben.
- 2 Sam 24:1–3And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
- Num 1:26–54Of the children of Judah, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
- Exod 1:1–5Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.
- 1 Chr 21:1–2And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
- Num 26:63–64These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.
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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 1:2 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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