Numbers 26:41
These are the sons of Benjamin according to their clans, and those listed were 45,600.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Even though this verse just gives a number, it subtly reminds us that the list of Benjamin's descendants isn't just a dry historical record. It's connected to the larger narrative of God's faithfulness, especially considering the recent plague and how few of the original generation survived to see this new census.
This passage concludes the census of Israel's tribes taken after a devastating plague swept through the camp. The census is a direct response to God's command, marking a new generation ready to enter the Promised Land, with land inheritance to be distributed based on these numbers. The listing of Benjamin's descendants and their final count brings this detailed enumeration to a close.
Did you know this census, taken after a devastating plague, showed a remarkable continuity in Israel's population? It's a powerful reminder of God's preserving grace.
The census of Israel, recounted in chapter 26, was a momentous event. It occurred after a severe plague had swept through the camp, a judgment for sin. Many thought the population would be drastically reduced, especially since the previous census at Sinai had recorded over 600,000 men of military age.
But the Lord commanded a second census. When the numbers were tallied, the total population was astonishingly similar to the first count. This wasn't just a statistical anomaly; it was a divine affirmation of God's promise to multiply Abraham's descendants, even amidst judgment. God's faithfulness isn't easily derailed by human failure or divine discipline. He preserves His people.
Why did the Bible record such detailed lists of names and numbers? It reveals God's deep care for each distinct part of His people.
The detailed enumeration of each tribe and clan, like the 45,600 individuals listed for Benjamin, wasn't just for administrative purposes. It underscored the importance of tribal identity and lineage within God's covenant community. Each name, each family, each tribe mattered.
This meticulous record-keeping also prepared them for the inheritance of the land. God declared, 'To many you shall give more inheritance, and to few you shall give less inheritance' (Numbers 26:54). The census directly determined how the land would be divided by lot. It meant that every group, no matter how large or small, had a designated place and portion in the promised land, all according to God's ordered plan.
Understand the original words
ben · Hebrew Noun
The descendants or male offspring of an individual; in a tribal or national sense, it refers to the people groups descending from a common patriarch, forming the foundational identity of the tribes of Israel.
mishpachah · Hebrew Noun
A social or familial group descended from a common ancestor, often functioning as a military, administrative, or legal unit within the broader tribal structure of Israel.
paqad · Hebrew Verb (Passive Participle)
The act of registering, counting, or recording individuals, typically for the purpose of military service, taxation, or maintaining covenantal genealogy; implies God's oversight and care for every member of His people.
This census, taken after a devastating plague and near the end of Israel's 40 years in the wilderness, confirms God's faithfulness in preserving His people despite judgment, and it sets the stage for the division of the Promised Land.
c. 1446 BC
Census at Sinai
Following the exodus from Egypt and the construction of the tabernacle, the first census of Israelite men able to serve in the army was taken at Mount Sinai.
c. 1446-1406 BC
Rebellion of Korah
A significant rebellion led by Korah, Dathan, and Abiram against Moses and Aaron resulted in divine judgment, with many dying in a plague or by fire and earthquake.
c. 1406 BC
Plague in the Desert
A devastating plague swept through the Israelite camp, killing 24,000 people, prompting the need for a new census.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Second Census Ordered
After the plague, God commanded Moses and Eleazar to conduct a second census of the Israelites as they prepared to enter the Promised Land.
This passage lists the descendants of Jacob, providing the foundational genealogies for the tribes of Israel, similar to how Numbers 26 updates these records.
Joshua 18:11-28This chapter details the inheritance of the land by the tribes, including Benjamin, showing the fulfillment of God's promise to the numbered people whose boundaries are set.
1 Chronicles 7:6-12This offers another genealogical record of Benjamin's descendants, highlighting the importance of lineage and the continuation of God's covenant through this tribe.
Numbers 1:46This verse provides the total number of the tribe of Benjamin from the first census, allowing for a comparison and showing the stability or changes in the tribe's population over time.
calvinNumbers 26:1-65: "And it came to pass after the plague, that the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,"
And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram which were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the Lord:
Filii autem Eliab, Nebuel, Dathan et Abiron: isti sunt Dathan et Abiron majores synagogae qui rixati sunt contra Mosen et…
pooleNumbers 26:41: "These are the sons of Benjamin after their families: and they that were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and six hundred."
No text from Poole on this verse.
Even though this verse just gives a number, it subtly reminds us that the list of Benjamin's descendants isn't just a dry historical record. It's connected to the larger narrative of God's faithfulness, especially considering the recent plague and how few of the original generation survived to see this new census.
This passage concludes the census of Israel's tribes taken after a devastating plague swept through the camp. The census is a direct response to God's command, marking a new generation ready to enter the Promised Land, with land inheritance to be distributed based on these numbers. The listing of Benjamin's descendants and their final count brings this detailed enumeration to a close.
This passage concludes the census of Israel's tribes taken after a devastating plague swept through the camp. The census is a direct response to God's command, marking a new generation ready to enter the Promised Land, with land inheritance to be distributed based on these numbers. The listing of Benjamin's descendants and their final count brings this detailed enumeration to a close.
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c. 1406 BC
Land Allotment Plan
The results of the census determined how the land of Canaan would be divided among the tribes, with larger tribes receiving more territory.
"These are the sons of Benjamin according to their clans, and those listed were 45,600." — Even though this verse just gives a number, it subtly reminds us that the list of Benjamin's descendants isn't just a dry historical record. It's connected to the larger narrative of God's faithfulne…
