Numbers Chapter 26 — The Second Census of Israel
A second census is taken of the Israelites on the plains of Moab to prepare for the division of the Promised Land among the tribes.
1After the plague, the LORD spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,
2“Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers’ houses, all who are able to go out to war in Israel.”
3Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,
4“Take a census, from twenty years old and upward, as the LORD commanded Moses and the children of Israel.”
5Reuben, the firstborn of Israel; the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;
6of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.
7These are the families of the Reubenites; and those who were counted of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred thirty.
8The son of Pallu: Eliab.
9The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are that Dathan and Abiram who were called by the congregation, who rebelled against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah when they rebelled against the LORD;
10and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died; at the time the fire devoured two hundred fifty men, and they became a sign.
11Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah didn’t die.
12The sons of Simeon after their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites;
13of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.
14These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand two hundred.
15The sons of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites;
16of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites;
17of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites.
18These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were counted of them, forty thousand and five hundred.
19The sons of Judah: Er and Onan. Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
20The sons of Judah after their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.
21The sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.
22These are the families of Judah according to those who were counted of them, seventy-six thousand five hundred.
23The sons of Issachar after their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the family of the Punites;
24of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.
25These are the families of Issachar according to those who were counted of them, sixty-four thousand three hundred.
26The sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Seredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.
27These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were counted of them, sixty thousand five hundred.
28The sons of Joseph after their families: Manasseh and Ephraim.
29The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir became the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.
30These are the sons of Gilead: of Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites;
31and Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;
32and Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.
33Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
34These are the families of Manasseh. Those who were counted of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.
35These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.
36These are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.
37These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were counted of them, thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families.
38The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites;
39of Shephupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.
40The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: the family of the Ardites; and of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.
41These are the sons of Benjamin after their families; and those who were counted of them were forty-five thousand six hundred.
42These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.
43All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were counted of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.
44The sons of Asher after their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Berites.
45Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.
46The name of the daughter of Asher was Serah.
47These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were counted of them, fifty-three thousand four hundred.
48The sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites;
49of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.
50These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were counted of them were forty-five thousand four hundred.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Numbers 26:53
“To these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.”
This verse establishes the primary purpose of the census: to provide a fair and organized way to distribute the Promised Land.
Numbers 26:64
“But among these there was not a man of them who were counted by Moses and Aaron the priest, who counted the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.”
It highlights the complete transition from the generation that left Egypt to the new generation ready to enter Canaan.
Chapter Summary
Following a plague, God instructs Moses and Eleazar to conduct a second census of Israel's men aged twenty and older. The count takes place on the plains of Moab, near the Jordan River across from Jericho. The text lists the various families within each tribe, including specific historical footnotes such as the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram and the mention of Zelophehad’s daughters. The total count of those able to go to war is 601,730. God then provides instructions for dividing the land by lot, where larger tribes receive more land and smaller tribes receive less. The Levites are counted separately, totaling 23,000 males. The chapter concludes by noting that none of the men from the first census at Sinai remained, except for Caleb and Joshua, fulfilling God’s word that the previous generation would die in the wilderness.
Frequently Asked Questions
The census was conducted to count the new generation of men able to go to war and to provide a legal basis for dividing the Promised Land. It occurred after the plague and just before Israel prepared to cross the Jordan.
The land was to be divided by lot, with larger tribes receiving a larger portion of land and smaller tribes receiving a smaller portion. This ensured a fair distribution based on the census numbers of each family group.
Only Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained from the first census taken at Sinai. Every other man of that generation had died in the wilderness as a result of their earlier rebellion.
Study Note
The total count in this second census is 601,730, which is remarkably close to the first census total of 603,550 despite forty years of wilderness travel.
Related Chapters
Numbers Chapter 1
This chapter contains the first census of Israel taken forty years earlier at Mount Sinai.
Numbers Chapter 27
Directly follows the census with specific laws regarding inheritance for families without male heirs.
Joshua Chapter 14
Describes the actual distribution of the land in Canaan based on these census instructions.
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