Numbers 1:1
The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The seemingly straightforward date and location serve a crucial purpose: they mark the first time God speaks to Israel as a unified nation, not just as a collection of individuals, and it happens from within the newly established Tabernacle, the very center of His dwelling place among them. This emphasizes that, from this point forward, God's instructions and their census will be organized around His presence and their covenant relationship with Him.
After a year encamped at Mount Sinai, during which the tabernacle was set up and God’s laws were given, the people of Israel are about to move on. God speaks to Moses in the Tent of Meeting, commanding a census of all the men fit for military service. This detailed enumeration, which exempts the Levites, will organize the tribes before they begin their journey toward the Promised Land.
The book of Numbers doesn't just start with a census. It begins with a specific moment in time, right after a significant period of divine instruction.
This opening verse places us exactly one year and one month after the Exodus from Egypt, specifically on the first day of the second month in the second year. During the preceding year, camped at Mount Sinai, the Israelites received the foundational laws for their life as God's covenant people, detailed in Exodus and Leviticus. This wasn't a wilderness wandering; it was a wilderness schooling. The tabernacle, God's dwelling place among them, had just been set up the month before, marking a new phase of His presence and guidance.
The location of this divine communication is crucial. It wasn't just anywhere in the wilderness, but specifically within the 'tent of meeting.'
The phrase 'tent of meeting' (or Tabernacle of Congregation) is key. This was the portable sanctuary, God's chosen dwelling place among His people. It signifies that God was not distant but present, intimately involved in their lives. Every command that follows, starting with this census, flows from His dwelling place. This emphasizes that God's plans for Israel, even something as logistical as a census for military strength, were rooted in His presence and designed to demonstrate His purpose for them as a unified, divinely governed nation.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God in the Old Testament, revealing His self-existence and faithfulness to His people.
midbar · Hebrew Noun
A desolate, uncultivated area often associated with testing, purification, and direct encounter with God in Israel's history.
ohel mo'ed · Hebrew Noun Phrase
The holy space where God dwelt among His people in the tabernacle, serving as the designated place for divine revelation and encounter.
c. 1446 BC
Israel Departs Egypt
The Israelites leave Egypt after 400 years of slavery, beginning their journey to the Promised Land.
c. 1446 BC
Tabernacle is Erected
Following God's detailed instructions, the Tabernacle is set up in the wilderness of Sinai. This marks God's dwelling place among His people.
First day of the first month, second year after Exodus
Tabernacle Setup and Dedication
The Tabernacle is fully erected and dedicated, and God's glory fills it, signifying His presence and covenant relationship with Israel.
First day of the second month, second year after Exodus— this verse
Census of the People Ordered
God speaks to Moses in the Tent of Meeting, commanding a census of all the men of Israel who are able to go to war. This is the context for the book of Numbers.
This passage describes the erection of the Tabernacle, the very place where God spoke to Moses in Numbers 1:1, highlighting the establishment of God's dwelling place among His people just prior to this census.
Leviticus 27:34While Numbers details the census of the fighting men, Leviticus concludes with a confirmation that these are 'all the commandments that the LORD gave to Moses for the people of Israel on Mount Sinai.' This shows that the census in Numbers 1:1 follows directly from the laws given at Sinai.
Deuteronomy 1:1-5This passage in Deuteronomy picks up the narrative from Moab, looking back at the events in the wilderness of Sinai, including the census taken, framing Numbers 1:1 as the beginning of a significant period of Israel's journey and organization.
Joshua 14:1This verse shows the continuation of the tribal divisions and inheritance recorded in Numbers, emphasizing how the census and organization initiated at Sinai (Numbers 1:1) directly impacted the distribution of the Promised Land generations later.
ellicottNumbers 1:1: "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) In the tabernacle of the congregation. —The tabernacle of the congregation, or tent of meeting, so called because it was there that God met with Moses ( Numbers 17:4 ; Exodus 25:22 ), had been set up one month previously ( Exodus 40:17 ), nearly a year after the exodus.
gillNumbers 1:1: "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,"
And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai,.... Which is different from the wilderness of Sin, Exodus 16:1 ; and had its name from the mountain so called, on which God gave the law of the decalogue, and where the Israelites had been encamped eleven months, Exod…
The seemingly straightforward date and location serve a crucial purpose: they mark the first time God speaks to Israel as a unified nation, not just as a collection of individuals, and it happens from within the newly established Tabernacle, the very center of His dwelling place among them. This emphasizes that, from this point forward, God's instructions and their census will be organized around His presence and their covenant relationship with Him.
After a year encamped at Mount Sinai, during which the tabernacle was set up and God’s laws were given, the people of Israel are about to move on. God speaks to Moses in the Tent of Meeting, commanding a census of all the men fit for military service. This detailed enumeration, which exempts the Levites, will organize the tribes before they begin their journey toward the Promised Land.
After a year encamped at Mount Sinai, during which the tabernacle was set up and God’s laws were given, the people of Israel are about to move on. God speaks to Moses in the Tent of Meeting, commanding a census of all the men fit for military service. This detailed enumeration, which exempts the Levites, will organize the tribes before they begin their journey toward the Promised Land.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Numbers 1:1 is available in the Sola app.
"The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying," — The seemingly straightforward date and location serve a crucial purpose: they mark the first time God speaks to Israel as a unified nation, not just as a collection of individuals, and it happens f…
