The Numbering of the Israelites, Part 2

Because Blogger limits the number of labels each post can have, I have separated the post on Numbers 1 into three posts so that all the heads of tribes may be noted in labels. Part 1 of Numbers 1 can be found at this link:

The Numbering of the Israelites, Part 1

In the last post (part 1) God was instructing Moses and Aaron to take a census of the able-bodied men from twenty years and older who would be able to go to war.  They were to take each head of the twelve tribes to assist them in this census, and the instructions continued from the last post as follows:

(10) "Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur;"

Previously noted was that the tribe of Levi was not counted among the twelve tribes fit for armies as the Levites were the priests.  However, there were still twelve tribes as the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, each became heads of their tribes.  In Genesis 48:5, Jacob or Israel, adopted, so to speak, Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own children, making them heads of tribes as his own sons would be, having a distinct portion of the promised land.  At the time of the census, Elishama, the son of Ammihud, was the head of the tribe of Ephraim; and Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, was the head of the tribe of Manasseh. "Elishama" meant "my God has heard"; "Gamaliel" meant "reward of God". To be noted is that the insertion of Joseph here is not in birth order.  Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Entire Bible, sometimes referencing the Jewish biblical scholar, Aben Ezra, explained it this way:

"...first the children of Leah, beginning with Reuben, the firstborn; and the rest, Simeon and Judah, are ranked according to their birth; Levi being omitted, because that tribe was not now numbered...and then Issachar and Zebulun; after those the children of Rachel, because of her honour and glory above the handmaids, as Aben Ezra remarks; who further observes, that it begins with Ephraim, following Jacob our father, that is, because of the blessing of Jacob, who preferred Ephraim the younger to Manasseh the elder; and here Ephraim and Manasseh are set before Benjamin, because they were in the place of Joseph; and after that the account goes on with Dan, because, he was the firstborn of the handmaids; and after him Asher, though the second son of Zilpah, is placed before Gad, the first son, because, says the same Aben Ezra, the Lord knew that he would be the head of those that encamped by the standard of Dan, and so is placed next to him; and after him Gad, who was the firstborn of Leah's handmaid; and Naphtali last of all, the second son of Bilhah: this order seems to be designed to suit with their encampments, and the form of them."

(11) "Of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;"

From the tribe of Benjamin, Abidan, the son of Gideoni, was the head.  "Abidan" meant "my father is judge".

(12) "Of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;"

From the tribe of Dan, Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, was the head.  "Ahiezer" meant "my brother is help".

(13) "Of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ocran;"

From the tribe of Asher, Pagiel, the son of Ocran, was the head, "Pagiel" meaning "event of God" or "accident of God".

(14) "Of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel;"

From the tribe of Gad, Eliasaph, the son of Deuel, was head.  "Eliasaph" meant "God is gatherer" or "God has added".

(15) "Of Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan."

Finally, from the tribe of Naphtali, Ahira, the son of Enan, was head.  Interestingly, "Ahira" meant "brother of wrong" or "my brother is evil"; however, I can find no reference for the reason for his name.

(16) These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel.

The preceding list of heads of tribes named the most eminent among the children of Israel, princes of their father's tribes.  The congregation of Israel being divided into thousands according to tribes, each prince was head of thousands of people.

(17) And Moses and Aaron took these men who had been expressed by name, (18) And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.

As instructed by God, Moses and Aaron took the heads of each tribe and assembled all of the congregation together on that first day of the second month.  The people declared their pedigrees, of what tribe, family, and house they were, and each "poll" (head) was counted and listed by name, that was twenty years and older, and I assume, also able-bodied enough for war.

(19) As the LORD commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.

Moses did as the Lord had commanded him, and he numbered the armies of the Lord as instructed there in the wilderness of Sinai.

Once again I have reached the total number of labels allowed and will continue this chapter in the next post:

The Numbering of the Israelites, Part 3