19 The sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. 20 And the sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shela'nites; of Perez, the family of the Per'ezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zer'ahites. 21 And the sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hez'ronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamu'lites. 22 These are the families of Judah according to their number, seventy-six thousand five hundred. 23 The sons of Is'sachar according to their families: of Tola, the family of the To'laites; of Puvah, the family of the Punites; 24 of Jashub, the family of the Jash'ubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shim'ronites. 25 These are the families of Is'sachar according to their number, sixty-four thousand three hundred. 26 The sons of Zeb'ulun, according to their families: of Sered, the family of the Ser'edites; of Elon, the family of the E'lonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jah'leelites. 27 These are the families of the Zeb'ulunites according to their number, sixty thousand five hundred. 28 The sons of Joseph according to their families: Manas'seh and E'phraim. 29 The sons of Manas'seh: of Machir, the family of the Ma'chirites; and Machir was the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites. 30 These are the sons of Gilead: of Ie'zer, the family of the Ie'zerites; of Helek, the family of the He'lekites; 31 and of As'riel, the family of the As'rielites; and of Shechem, the family of the She'chemites; 32 and of Shemi'da, the family of the Shemi'daites; and of Hepher, the family of the He'pherites. 33 Now Zeloph'ehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zeloph'ehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34 These are the families of Manas'seh; and their number was fifty-two thousand seven hundred. 35 These are the sons of E'phraim according to their families: of Shuthe'lah, the family of the Shuthe'lahites; of Becher, the family of the Bech'erites; of Tahan, the family of the Ta'hanites. 36 And these are the sons of Shuthe'lah: of Eran, the family of the E'ranites. 37 These are the families of the sons of E'phraim according to their number, thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph according to their families. 38 The sons of Benjamin according to their families: of Bela, the family of the Be'la-ites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ash'belites; of Ahi'ram, the family of the Ahi'ramites; 39 of Shephu'pham, the family of the Shu'phamites; of Hupham, the family of the Hu'phamites. 40 And the sons of Bela were Ard and Na'aman: of Ard, the family of the Ard'ites; of Na'aman, the family of the Na'amites. 41 These are the sons of Benjamin according to their families; and their number was forty-five thousand six hundred. 42 These are the sons of Dan according to their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shu'hamites. These are the families of Dan according to their families. 43 All the families of the Shu'hamites, according to their number, were sixty-four thousand four hundred. 44 The sons of Asher according to their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beri'ah, the family of the Beri'ites. 45 Of the sons of Beri'ah: of Heber, the family of the He'berites; of Mal'chi-el, the family of the Mal'chi-elites. 46 And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. 47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to their number, fifty-three thousand four hundred. 48 The sons of Naph'tali according to their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jah'zeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites; 49 of Jezer, the family of the Je'zerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shil'lemites. 50 These are the families of Naph'tali according to their families; and their number was forty-five thousand four hundred. 51 This was the number of the people of Israel, six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.
52 The Lord said to Moses: 53 "To these the land shall be divided for inheritance according to the number of names. 54 To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance; every tribe shall be given its inheritance according to its numbers. 55 But the land shall be divided by lot; according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. 56 Their inheritance shall be divided according to lot between the larger and the smaller."
57 These are the Levites as numbered according to their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Ko'hathites; of Merar'i, the family of the Merar'ites. 58 These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the He'bronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Ko'rahites. And Kohath was the father of Amram. 59 The name of Amram's wife was Joch'ebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses and Miriam their sister. 60 And to Aaron were born Nadab, Abi'hu, Elea'zar and Ith'amar. 61 But Nadab and Abi'hu died when they offered unholy fire before the Lord. 62 And those numbered of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and upward; for they were not numbered among the people of Israel, because there was no inheritance given to them among the people of Israel.
63 These were those numbered by Moses and Elea'zar the priest, who numbered the people of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. 64 But among these there was not a man of those numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who had numbered the people of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. 65 For the Lord had said of them, "They shall die in the wilderness." There was not left a man of them, except Caleb the son of Jephun'neh and Joshua the 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.