1-54

Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. 5: Harmony of the Law, Part III, tr. by John King, [1847-50], at sacred-texts.com

Numbers 1

Numbers 1:1-54

1. And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

1. Loquutus est autem Jehova ad Mosen in deserto Sinai, in tabernaculo conventionis, in primo mensis secundi, anno secundo ex quo egressi sunt e terra AEgypti, dicendo:

2. 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;

2. Capite summam totius coetus filiorum Israel per familias eorum, per domos patrum eorum, juxta numerum nominum, onmem masculum per capita eorum.

3. From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.

3. A filio viginti armorum et supra, Omnem egredientem ad bellum in Israele numerabitis eos per excreitus suos tu et Aharon.

4. And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers.

4. Sintque vobiseum viri de singulis tribubus, quorum quilibet caput domus sit patrum suorum.

5. And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: Of the tribe of Reuben; Elizur the son of Shedeur.

5. Haec sunt autem nomima virorum qui stabunt vobiscum: de Ruben, Elisur, filius Sedeur.

6. Of Simeon; Shehmiel the son of Zurishaddai.

6. De Simeon, Selumiel filius Surisaddai.

7. Of Judah; Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

7. De Jehudah, Nahason filius Amminadab.

8. Of Issachar; Nethaneel the son of Zuar.

8. De Issachar, Nethanel filius Suar.

9. Of Zebulun; Eliab the son of Helon.

9. De Zebulon, Eliab filius Helon.

10. Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim; Elishame the son of Ammihud: of Manasseh; Gamaliel the son of Pedabzur.

10. De filiis Joseph, de Ephraim, Elisamama filius Ammihud: de Manasses, Gamliel illius Pedahsur.

11. Of Benjamin; Abidan the son of Gideoni.

11. De Benjamin, Abidan filius Gidoni.

12. Of Dan; Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

12. De Dan, Ahiezer filius Ammisaddai.

13. Of Asher; Pagiel the son of Ocran.

13. De Aser, Pagiel filius Ochran.

14. Of Gad; Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

14. De Gad, Eliasaph filius Deuel.

15. Of Naphtali; Ahira the son of Enan.

15. De Nephthali, Ahira filius Ellan.

16. These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel.

16. Hi sunt nobilissimi synagogae, principes tribuum patrum suorum: capita millium Israelis erant.

17. And Moses and Aaron took these men which are expressed by their names:

17. Accepit igitur Moses et Aharon viros istos qui expositi sunt per nomina.

18. And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they declared their pedigrees after their fanlilies, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.

18. Et universam synagogam congregaverunt primo mensis secundi, et secundum genealogiam recensiti sunt per familias suas: per domos patrum suorum, juxta numerum numerum per capita sua, omnis masculus a filio viginti armorum et supra, onmis egrediens ad pugnam.

19. As the Lord commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.

19. Quemadmodum praeceperat Jehova ipsi Mosi, numeravit eos in deserto Sinai.

20. And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, 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;

20. Fuerunt itaque filii Ruben primogeniti lsrael per generationes suas, per familias suas, per domes patrum suorum, juxta numerura nominum per capita sua, omnis masculus a filio viginti annorum et supra, omnis egrediens ad pugham,

21. Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.

21. Numerati eorum de tribu Ruben, sex et quadraginta millia, atque quingenti.

22. Of 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;

22. De filiis Simeon per generationes suas, per familias suas, per domos patrum suorum, munerati ejus, juxta humerum niminum, per capita sua, omnis masculus a filio viginti armorum et supra, omnis; egrediens ad pugnam:

23. Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred.

23. Numerati inquam eorum de tribu Simeon, novera et quinquaginta millia, atque trecenti.

24. Of the children of Gad, 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;

24. De filiis Gad per generationes suas, per familias suas, per domus patrum suorum, juxta numerum nominum, a filio viginti annorum et supra, omnis egrediens ad pugnam.

25. Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Gad, were forty and five thousand six hundred and fifty.

25. Numerati eorum de tribu Gad, quinque et quadraginta milliae, atque sexcenti et quinquaginta.

26. Of 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;

26. De filiis Jehudah per generationes suas, per familias suas, per domus patrum suorum, juxta numerum nominum, a filio viginti annorum et supra, omnis egrediens ad pugnam:

27. Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Judah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred.

27. Numerati eorum de tribu Jehudah, quatuor et septuaginta millia, atque sexcenti.

28. Of the children of Issachar, 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;

28. De filiis Issachar per generationes suas, per familias suas, per domum patrum suorum, juxta nuroerum nominum, a filio viginti annorum et supra, omnis egrediens ad putnam:

29. Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.

29. Numerati eorum de tribu Issachar, quatuor et quinquaginta millia, atque quadringenti.

30. Of the children of Zebulun, 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;

30. De filiis Zebulon, per generationes sues, per familias suas, per domos patrum suorum, juxta numerum niminum a filio Viginti annorum et supra, omnis egrediens ad pugnam:

31. Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred.

31. Numerati corum de tribu Zebulon, septem et quinquaginta millia, atque quadringenti.

32. Of the children of Joseph, namely, of the children of Ephraim, 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;

32. De filiis Joseph, de filiis Ephraim, per generationes suas, per familias suas, per domos patrum suorum, juxta numerum nominum, a filio viginti annorum et supra, omnis egrediens ad pugnam:

33. Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred.

33. Numerati eorum de tribu Ephraim, quadraginta millius atque quingenti.

34. Of the children of Manasseh, 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;

34. De filiis Manasse, per generationes suas, per domos patrum suorum, juxta numerum nominum, a filio viginti annorum et supra, omnis egrediens ad pugnam:

35. Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred.

35. Numerati corum de tribu Manasse, duo et triginta raillid, atque ducenti.

36. Of the children of Benjamin, 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;

36. De filiis Benjamin, per generationes suas, per familias suam, per domum patrum suorum, juxta numerum nominum, a filio viginti annorum et supra, omnis egrediens ad pugnam:

37. Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Benamin, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred.

37. Numerati eorum de tribu Benjamin, quinque et triginta millie, et quadringenti.

38. Of the children of Dan, 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;

38. De filiis Dan, per generationes suas, per familias suas, per domos patrum suorum, juxta numerum nominum, a filio viginti annorum et supra, omnis egrediens ad pugnam:

39. Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Dan, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred.

39. Numerati eorum de tribu Dan, duo et sexaginta millia, atque septingenti.

40. Of the children of Asher, 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;

40. De filiis Aser per generationes suas, per familias suas, per domos patrum suorum, juxta humerum nominum, a filio viginti armorum et supra, omnis egrediens ad pugnam:

41. Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Asher, were forty and one thousand and five hundred.

41. Numerati eorum de tribu Aser, unum et quadraginta millia, atque quingenti.

42. Of the children of Naphtali, throughout 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;

42. De filiis Nephthali, per generationes suds, per familias suas, per domus patrum suorum, juxta numerum nominum a filio viginti annorum et supra, omnis egrediens ad pugnam:

43. Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.

43. Numerati eorum de tribu Nephthali, tria et quinquaginta millia, atque quadringenti.

44. These are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men: each one was for the house of his fathers.

44. Isti sunt numerati illi quos numeravit Moses et Aharon atque principes Israelis, duodecim viri: singuli per domos patrum suorum erant.

45. So were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel;

45. Fueruntque omnes numerati filiorum Israel per domos patrum suorum, a filio viginti annorum et supra, omnis egrediens ad pugnam in Israele.

46. Even all they that were numbered, were six hundred thousand, and three thousand, and five hundred and fifty.

46. Fuerunt inquam omnes numerati, sexcenta tria millia, et quingenti quinquaginta.

47. But the Levites, after the tribe of their fathers, were not numbered among them.

47. At Levitin per tribum patrum suorum non fuerunt numerati in medio eorum.

48. For the Lord had spoken unto Moses, saying,

48. Loquutus enim erat Jehova, ad Mosen dicendo:

49. Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel:

49. Veruntamen (vel, utique, vel, tantummodo) tribum Levi non numerabis, neque summam eorum capies in medio filiorum Israel.

50. But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof: and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.

50. Sed tu praefice Levitas tabernaculo testimonii, et onmibus vasis ejus, et omnibus qum ad illud pertinent: ipsi portabunt tabernaculum, et omnia vasa ejus, et ipsi ministrabunt illi, et in circuitu tabernaculi castrametabuntur.

5l. And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

51. Quando autem proficiscetur tabernaculum, deponent illud Levitie: quum consistet tabernaculum, erigent illud Levitae et extraneus qui accesserit, morietur.

52. And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts.

52. Et castrametabuntur filil Israel quisque in castris suis, et quisque juxta vexillum suum, et per exercitus suos.

53. But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.

53. Levitae vero castrametabuntur in circuitu tabernaculi testimoni et non erit ira super coetum filliorum Israel: custodientque Levitiae custodiam tabernaculi testimonii.

54. And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did they.

54. Fecerunt ergo filii Israel juxta omnia quae praeceperat Jehova Most, sic fecerunt.

1. And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai Although this is the first numbering of the people, of which we have an account, still, inasmuch as God had already imposed a tax upon every person, the amount of which has been recorded, we infer that it was in fact the second. But the reason for thus numbering the people a second time was, because they were very soon about to remove their camp from the wilderness of Sinai to take posession of the promised land. Since, however, their impiety withheld thmn from doing so, there was a third census taken just before their actual entrance into the land, and with this object, that it might be obvious, on comparison, how marvellously the people had been preserved by the springing up of a new generation, in spite of so many plagues and so much slaughter; for although a great proportion of them had been cut off, almost as many persons were found as before.

Further, it must be observed, that the people were not numbered except at God’s command, in order that He might thus assert His supreme dominion over them; and also, that the mode of taking the census was so arranged, that there should be no confusion of ranks either through fraud or irregularity; for this was the reason why each tribe had its superintendents, lest any one should slip into a tribe to which he did not belong; and this is expressly mentioned by way of assurance, since otherwise many might suspect that so great a multitude could hardly be distinguished into classes with certainty, so that the whole sum should be calculated without mistake.

20. And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son If any disputatious person should contend that one family could not increase in 250 years to so great an amount, and thus should reject as nebulous what surpasses the ordinary rule of nature, we must bear in mind what I have already stated, that, inasmuch as this increase depended on the power of God, nothing is more absurd than to measure it by ordinary rules. For the intention of the Spirit is to represent to our eyes the incredible power of God in a conspicuous and signal miracle. Meanwhile, if you compared the tribe of Reuben with some of the others, it presents in its numbers some marks of the curse, so that we may gather that Reuben was degraded from the honors of his primogeniture; for the tribes of Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali were more numerous, whilst from Joseph alone, who was one of the youngest, a posterity descended which almost doubled it in numbers. God’s blessing, however, is most conspicuous in the tribe of Judah, in correspondence with the prophecy of Jacob; for by this prerogative, as it were, it was already called to the right of primogeniture and to supremacy, inasmuch as it surpassed all the principal ones.

47. But the Levites, after the tribe of their fathers We shall indeed hereafter see that they also were numbered, but Moses means that they were not included in the general census of the people, because God had chosen them to be His own property, and thus had severed them from the rest of the people. He writes, therefore, that they “were not numbered in the midst of the others,”  ⁴¹⁹ i.e., so as promiscuously to form a part of the multitude. Now, lest any one should object that Moses acted ambitiously in thus bestowing on his own tribe extraordinary distinction, he declares that he did not do this spontaneously, but that it was at God’s bidding that the Levites had a separate class assigned to them; for translators render this passage amiss, “And God said to Moses,”  ⁴²⁰ as if he stated that the tribe of Levi was then first set apart when the sum of the people was taken, since it would have been absurd to omit a part, unless God’s will had been already declared. Moses, therefore, shews why he passed over his own tribe, via, because God had consecrated the Levites for the keeping and service of the tabernacle. Now, if it was not lawful for the tabernacle to be carried or set up by all persons indiscriminately, its sanctity was enforced by this symbol; for religion would not have been held in so much reverence, if it had been allowable for all without distinction to meddle with the sacred things. Meanwhile, the Israelites were reminded that all without, exception were unworthy to present themselves before God, when they were forbidden from access to the sanctuary; whereas the dignity which was conferred upon a single tribe was no ground for boasting, since it depended merely on the good pleasure of God. God, then, gave the Levites access to His tabernacle, not because they had deserved that honor by any virtue of their own, but in order to afford a testimony of His gratuitous favor. At the same time, under this image He represented the future priesthood of Christ, in order that believers might be assured that the Mediator, by whom others might have access to God, was to be of the human race; and therefore God declares by Isaiah that He would take the Levites under the kingdom of Christ from the general and dispersed body of the people. (Isa 66:21.) As to what relates to their office, let it be sought in its proper place.

Footnotes

419

Among them. — A. V.

420

So the Vulgate, Nu 1:48.