17 So Moses and Aaron called together these chosen leaders, 18 and they assembled the whole community of Israel on that very day. All the people were registered according to their ancestry by their clans and families. The men of Israel who were twenty years old or older were listed one by one, 19 just as the Lord had commanded Moses. So Moses recorded their names in the wilderness of Sinai. 20 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 : 21 22 Simeon 59,300 23 24 Gad 45,650 25 26 Judah 74,600 27 28 Issachar 54,400 29 30 Zebulun 57,400 31 32 Ephraim son of Joseph 40,500 33 34 Manasseh son of Joseph 32,200 35 36 Benjamin 35,400 37 38 Dan 62,700 39 40 Asher 41,500 41 42 Naphtali 53,400 43
44 These were the men registered by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, all listed according to their ancestral descent. 45 They were registered by families-all the men of Israel who were twenty years old or older and able to go to war. 46 The total number was 603,550.
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.