The census of Israel
1 ① Yahweh spoke to Moses, in the desert of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after their departure from the land of Egypt. He said:
2“Take a census of the whole community of Israel, by clans and families, taking a count of the names of all the males, head by head. 3You and Aaron will enlist all men of Israel, twenty years of age and over, able to give military service. 4From each tribe you shall take a man, the head of his family, to help you in this.
5These are the names of those who are to be your helpers: For Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur. 6For Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 7For Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab. 8For Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar. 9For Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon. 10Of the sons of Joseph: for Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; for Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 11For Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni. 12For Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 13For Asher, Pagiel son of Ochran. 14For Gad, Eliasaph son of Reuel. 15For Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.”
16These men were elected by public acclamation; they were leaders of their ancestral clans, chiefs of Israel’s hosts.
17Moses and Aaron took these men who had been named, 18and on the first day of the second month they called together the whole community. The sons of Israel listed their names according to their clans and families, and one by one the names of all men of twenty years and over were recorded and counted. 19As Yahweh had commanded, Moses took a census of them in the desert of Sinai.
20When the tribe of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, had been listed by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, able to give military service, were recorded one by one. 21The total of these for the tribe of Reuben was 46,500.
22When the tribe of Simeon had been listed by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, able to give military service, were recorded one by one. 23The total of these for the tribe of Simeon was 59,300.
24When the tribe of Gad had been listed by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, able to give military service were recorded one by one. 25The total of these for the tribe of Gad was 45,650.
26When the tribe of Judah had been listed by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, able to give military service, were recorded one by one. 27The total of these for the tribe of Judah was 74,600.
28When the tribe of Issachar had been listed by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, able to give military service were recorded one by one. 29The total of these for the tribe of Issachar was 54,400.
30When the tribe of Zebulun had been listed by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, able to give military service, were recorded one by one. 31The total of these for the tribe of Zebulun was 57,400.
32The descendants of Joseph: when the tribe of Ephraim had been listed by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, able to give military service, were recorded one by one. 33The total of these for the tribe of Ephraim was 40,500. 34When the tribe of Manasseh had been listed by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, able to give military service, were recorded one by one. 35The total of these for the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200.
36When the tribe of Benjamin had been listed by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, able to give military service, were recorded one by one. 37The total of these for the tribe of Benjamin was 35,400.
38When the tribe of Dan had been listed by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, able to give military service were recorded one by one. 39The total of these for the tribe of Dan was 62,700.
40When the tribe of Asher had been listed by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, able to give military service, were recorded one by one. 41The total of these for the tribe of Asher was 41,500.
42When the tribe of Napthali had been listed by clans and families, the names of all the males of twenty years and over, able to give military service, were recorded one by one. 43The total of these for the tribe of Napthali was 53,400.
44Such were the men registered by Moses, Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, each representing his tribe. 45Every man of Israel of twenty years and over, able to give military service, was counted according to his tribe. 46Altogether the full total was 603,550.
47But the Levites and their tribe were not included in the count.
48Yahweh spoke to Moses and said:
49“Do not take any census of the Levites, or register them among the sons of Israel. 50You yourself must enlist the Levites to serve the Holy Tent of the Testimony and to look after its furnishings and its belongings. They are to carry the Holy Tent, and all its furnishings; they are to take care of it and set up their camp around it. 51Whenever the Holy Tent is to be moved, the Levites shall take it down; whenever the Holy Tent is to be set up again, they shall do this. Any layman coming near it must be put to death.
52The sons of Israel are to set up their tents in formation, each man with his own group and under his own banner. 53But the Levites are to set up their tents around the Holy Tent of the Testimony, lest God’s anger fall on the whole community of Israel. The Levites will take care of the Holy Tent of the Testimony.”
54The sons of Israel did exactly as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
- Num 1,1 What is the meaning of this census, with its many repetitions and orderly arrangement of the camps of the twelve tribes? It seems like scenes from a play: Israel appears as an orderly people, Yahweh's armies on their way to conquer the Promised Land. First come those of the tribe of Levi, or the Levites, responsible for worship: thus we know that this is a holy people, consecrated to God.
