Numbers 26:48-50
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This passage, while seemingly a simple list of names, actually highlights the faithfulness of God's promise to multiply descendants. Even after a generation's near-total destruction in the wilderness, the tribe of Naphtali, like the others, shows a significant continuation, demonstrating God's enduring covenant and power to renew His people.
The sons of Naphtali according to their clans: of Jahzeel, the clan of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the clan of the Gunites; of Jezer, the clan of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the clan of the Shillemites. These are the clans of Naphtali according to their clans, and those listed were 45,400.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a census of the Israelite tribes, ordered by God after a devastating plague. It follows the accounts of other tribes being enumerated, and lists the divisions within the tribe of Naphtali. The context emphasizes God's faithfulness in preserving His people, even after judgment, and setting the stage for the division of the Promised Land among the surviving generation.
Why did God command Moses to take a census, especially after a devastating plague? It wasn't just about counting heads.
This second census in Numbers, taken after the plague that wiped out the generation who left Egypt (except for a faithful few), served multiple crucial purposes:
Beyond just a name on a list, what does listing specific clans tell us about the people of Naphtali?
Verse 48, and the verses surrounding it, meticulously detail the families within the tribe of Naphtali: Jahzeelites and Gunites. This level of detail is significant:
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This second census in Numbers 26, which includes the listing of Naphtali's clans, occurs at the very end of Israel's 40-year wilderness journey. It serves as a critical administrative step before entering the Promised Land, highlighting God's faithfulness in preserving His people despite their earlier failures.
c. 1446 BC
First Census at Sinai
Following the Exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai, the first census of Israelite men aged 20 and older was taken to organize the people and prepare for their journey.
c. 1446-1406 BC
The Wilderness Wanderings
The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years as a consequence of their disobedience and lack of faith, during which time the entire generation that came out of Egypt (except for Joshua and Caleb) died off.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Second Census in Moab
Near the end of the 40-year period, after a devastating plague, Moses and Eleazar conducted a second census of the Israelite men. This census is recorded in Numbers 26 and determined land inheritance in Canaan.
c. 1406 BC
Division of the Land by Lot
Following the census, the land of Canaan was to be divided among the tribes and families by lot, ensuring each received an inheritance according to their numbers.
This passage lists the sons of Naphtali, connecting the names of the family founders mentioned in Numbers 26 to their patriarchal origins.
1 Chronicles 7:13This parallel account in Chronicles also names the sons and families of Naphtali, reinforcing the genealogical record and its importance in understanding Israel's structure.
Numbers 1:42-43This earlier census shows the initial numbering of the tribe of Naphtali, providing a point of comparison for the later count in chapter 26 and highlighting changes in tribal numbers over time.
Joshua 19:32-39This passage details the inheritance allotted to the tribe of Naphtali, showing how these family divisions and names played a role in the practical division of the promised land.
gillNumbers 26:48: "Of the sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites: of Guni, the family of the Gunites:"
Of the sons of Naphtali, after their families,.... This tribe, which is the last of them, was numbered next to Asher, because it was with that under the standard of Dan; it had four families in it, the Jahzeelite, Gunite, Jezerite, and Shillemite, and its number was 45,400, being less by 8000 than it was when first numbered.
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…
This passage, while seemingly a simple list of names, actually highlights the faithfulness of God's promise to multiply descendants. Even after a generation's near-total destruction in the wilderness, the tribe of Naphtali, like the others, shows a significant continuation, demonstrating God's enduring covenant and power to renew His people.
This passage is part of a census of the Israelite tribes, ordered by God after a devastating plague. It follows the accounts of other tribes being enumerated, and lists the divisions within the tribe of Naphtali. The context emphasizes God's faithfulness in preserving His people, even after judgment, and setting the stage for the division of the Promised Land among the surviving generation.
This passage is part of a census of the Israelite tribes, ordered by God after a devastating plague. It follows the accounts of other tribes being enumerated, and lists the divisions within the tribe of Naphtali. The context emphasizes God's faithfulness in preserving His people, even after judgment, and setting the stage for the division of the Promised Land among the surviving generation.
"The sons of Naphtali according to their clans: of Jahzeel, the clan of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the clan of the Gunites; of Jezer, the clan of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the clan of the Shillemites. These are the clans of Naphtali accordi…" — This passage, while seemingly a simple list of names, actually highlights the faithfulness of God's promise to multiply descendants. Even after a generation's near-total destruction in the wilderness…
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Last reviewed October 2026
