“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,”
First day of the second month, called after the captivity, Jiar, which partly corresponds with our April. These injunctions were given from the tabernacle, (Calmet) in the desert, the 12th station, (Haydock) at the foot of Mount Sinai.
“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;”
Houses. The families consisted of the immediate descendants of the 12 patriarchs; the houses were the subdivisions of these. The same plan of numbering the people was adopted on other occasions, Josue viii. 16., and 1 Kings x. 20. — Sex, between 20 and 60 years of age. All the subjects of the Eastern kings may be called upon, if they be able to bear arms; and hence we find such immense armies in the Scripture, and in profane history. Moses numbered the people once before, (Exodus xxx. 2,) and found exactly the same number of warriors, the dead being replaced by others, during the space of seven months. Perhaps the odd numbers might not be specified, as all the totals consist of so many exact hundreds, except that of the tribe of Gad, ver. 25. On the former occasion, the people were not perhaps ranged according to their tribes, which was now deemed necessary, as the army was going to begin its march under its respective leaders. (Calmet)
“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.”
Arms, (fortium). “Strong or brave.” The psalmist (civ. 37,) says, there was not one feeble. (Menochius) — Troops. Hebrew, “army.” Septuagint, “force.” Their officers shall be at their head, and shall assist you in the work. Some might command 1000, others 100, and some only 50. See Exodus xiii. 18 and xviii. 21. — [Ver. 4.] Princes; the first-born, or most ancient, (Lyranus,) the lineal descendants of the patriarchs; (Jansen) or, in fine, such as were chosen for their merit, as all were equally noble; and hence Nahasson, prince of Juda, is mentioned, though he was not a descendant of the eldest son of Juda, but of Phares; and those who were at the head of those who were numbered a little before the death of Moses, were not the descendants of these, chap. xxvi. 64. In effect, we find that Moses chose for his council, able men out of all Israel, Exodus xviii. 25. (Bonfrere) (Calmet)
“Of Gad; Eliasaph the son of Deuel.”
Duel. Hebrew Dehuel. But (chap. ii. 14,) we find the word begins R, as the Septuagint have read, Ragouel. (Haydock)
“These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel.”
Army. Hebrew, “of a thousand.” The Vulgate commonly styles them tribunes. They were “people of name in the assembly,” as the Hebrew indicates. (Calmet)
“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;”
Juda. This tribe was the most numerous. But it is not here placed first, because the order of birth in Lia’s children is observed. Then come those of Rachel; and last of all, the children of the two handmaids, Bala and Zelpha. (Haydock)
“But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.”
Levites. As they attended the tabernacle, like God’s peculiar servants, and were not obliged to go forth to battle, it was not necessary to number them with the rest. (Calmet) — They might, however, fight if they thought proper, as the Machabees did. See Josephus, Antiquities iii. 11 and iv. 4. (Tirinus)
“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.”
Stranger, even of any other tribe. (St. Augustine, q. 3.) (Worthington)
“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.”
Army. Hebrew, “they shall have their respective camp, and follow their own standard, with their army.” They were drawn up in four large bodies, chap. ii. 2, &c. (Calmet) — The first contained 151,450, the second 186,400, the third 108,100, and the fourth 157,600, under Reuben, Juda, Ephraim, and Dan.
“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.”
Watch. Lest any thing should offer any indecency to the tabernacle, and thus provoke God’s indignation. (Haydock)