19 Sons of Judah 'are' Er and Onan; and Er dieth—Onan also—in the land of Canaan. 20 And sons of Judah, by their families, are: of Shelah the family of the Shelanite; of Pharez the family of the Pharzite; of Zerah the family of the Zarhite; 21 and sons of Pharez are: of Hezron the family of the Hezronite; of Hamul the family of the Hamulite. 22 These 'are' families of Judah, by their numbered ones, six and seventy thousand and five hundred. 23 Sons of Issachar by their families; 'of' Tola 'is' the family of the Tolaite; of Pua the family of the Punite; 24 of Jashub the family of the Jashubite; of Shimron the family of the Shimronite. 25 These 'are' families of Issachar, by their numbered ones, four and sixty thousand and three hundred. 26 Sons of Zebulun by their families: of Sered 'is' the family of the Sardite; of Elon the family of the Elonite; of Jahleel the family of the Jahleelite. 27 These 'are' families of the Zebulunite by their numbered ones, sixty thousand and five hundred. 28 Sons of Joseph by their families 'are' Manasseh and Ephraim. 29 Sons of Manasseh: of Machir 'is' the family of the Machirite; and Machir hath begotten Gilead; of Gilead 'is' the family of the Gileadite. 30 These 'are' sons of Gilead: 'of' Jeezer 'is' the family of the Jeezerite; of Helek the family of the Helekite; 31 and 'of' Asriel the family of the Asrielite; and 'of' Shechem the family of the Shechemite; 32 and 'of' Shemida the family of the Shemidaite; and 'of' Hepher the family of the Hepherite. 33 And Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons but daughters, and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad 'are' Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34 These 'are' families of Manasseh, and their numbered ones 'are' two and fifty thousand and seven hundred. 35 These 'are' sons of Ephraim by their families: of Shuthelah 'is' the family of the Shuthelhite; of Becher the family of the Bachrite; of Tahan the family of the Tahanite. 36 And these 'are' sons of Shuthelah: of Eran the family of the Eranite. 37 These 'are' families of the sons of Ephraim, by their numbered ones, two and thirty thousand and five hundred. These 'are' sons of Joseph by their families. 38 Sons of Benjamin by their families: of Bela 'is' the family of the Belaite; of Ashbel the family of the Ashbelite; of Ahiram the family of the Ahiramite; 39 of Shupham the family of the Shuphamite; of Hupham the family of the Huphamite. 40 And sons of Bela are Ard and Naaman: 'of Ard is' the family of the Ardite: of Naaman the family of the Naamite. 41 These 'are' sons of Benjamin by their families, and their numbered ones 'are' five and forty thousand and six hundred. 42 These 'are' sons of Dan by their families: of Shuham 'is' the family of the Shuhamite; these 'are' families of Dan by their families; 43 all the families of the Shuhamite, by their numbered ones, 'are' four and sixty thousand and four hundred. 44 Sons of Asher by their families: of Jimna 'is' the family of the Jimnite; of Jesui the family of the Jesuite; of Beriah the family of the Beriite. 45 Of sons of Beriah: of Heber 'is' the family of the Heberite; of Malchiel the family of the Malchielite. 46 And the name of the daughter of Asher 'is' Sarah. 47 These 'are' families of the sons of Asher, by their numbered ones, three and fifty thousand and four hundred. 48 Sons of Naphtali by their families: of Jahzeel 'is' the family of the Jahzeelite; of Guni the family of the Gunite; 49 of Jezer the family of the Jezerite; of Shillem the family of the Shillemite. 50 These 'are' families of Naphtali by their families, and their numbered ones 'are' five and forty thousand and four hundred. 51 These 'are' numbered ones of the sons of Israel, six hundred thousand, and a thousand, seven hundred and thirty.
52 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 53 'To these is the land apportioned by inheritance, by the number of names; 54 to the many thou dost increase their inheritance, and to the few thou dost diminish their inheritance; 'to' each according to his numbered ones is given his inheritance. 55 'Only by lot is the land apportioned, by the names of the tribes of their fathers they inherit; 56 according to the lot is their inheritance apportioned between many and few.'
57 And these 'are' numbered ones of the Levite by their families: of Gershon 'is' the family of the Gershonite; of Kohath the family of the Kohathite; of Merari the family of the Merarite. 58 These 'are' families of the Levite: the family of the Libnite, the family of the Hebronite, the family of the Mahlite, the family of the Mushite, the family of the Korathite. And Kohath hath begotten Amram, 59 and the name of Amram's wife is Jochebed, daughter of Levi, whom 'one' hath born to Levi in Egypt; and she beareth to Amram Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam their sister. 60 And born to Aaron Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar; 61 and Nadab dieth—Abihu also—in their bringing near strange fire before Jehovah. 62 And their numbered ones are three and twenty thousand, every male from a son of a month and upwards, for they have not numbered themselves in the midst of the sons of Israel; for an inheritance hath not been given to them in the midst of the sons of Israel.
63 These 'are' those numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who have numbered the sons of Israel in the plains of Moab, by Jordan, 'near' Jericho; 64 and among these there hath not been a man of those numbered by Moses, and Aaron the priest, who numbered the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai, 65 for Jehovah said of them, 'They do certainly die in the wilderness;' and there hath not been left of them a man save Caleb son of Jephunneh, and Joshua son of Nun.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 26:19-65
Commentary on Numbers 26:1-51
(Read Numbers 26:1-51)
Moses did not number the people but when God commanded him. We have here the families registered, as well as the tribes. The total was nearly the same as when numbered at mount Sinai. Notice is here taken of the children of Korah; they died not, as the children of Dathan and Abiram; they seem not to have joined even their own father in rebellion. If we partake not of the sins of sinners, we shall not partake of their plagues.
Commentary on Numbers 26:52-56
(Read Numbers 26:52-56)
In distributing these tribes, the general rule of equity is prescribed; that to many should be given more, and to fewer less. Though it seems left to the prudence of their prince, the matter at last must be settled by the providence of God, with which all must be satisfied.
Commentary on Numbers 26:57-62
(Read Numbers 26:57-62)
Levi was God's tribe; therefore it was not numbered with the rest, but alone. It came not under the sentence, that none of them should enter Canaan excepting Caleb and Joshua.
Commentary on Numbers 26:63-65
(Read Numbers 26:63-65)
The execution of the sentence passed on the murmurers, Numbers 14:29, is observable. There was not one man numbered now, who was numbered then, but Caleb and Joshua. Here appeared the righteousness of God, and his faithfulness to his threatenings. Especially observe the truth of God, in performing his promise to Caleb and Joshua. Death makes awful havoc of the human species, and causes surprising changes in families and nations; yet all is appointed in perfect wisdom, justice, and truth, by the Lord himself. This should stir us up to think upon the hateful nature of sin, the cause of all these devastations. We should renew our repentance, seek forgiveness, value the salvation of Christ, remember how frail we are, prepare for the summons of death, and fill up our days in serving our generation according to the will of God.