Numbers 26:52

26:52-56 The second registration, like the first, was a military one, but it also provided the basis for distributing land to Israel’s tribes in proportion to the tribes’ populations (cp. Josh 15–19). • assign the land by lot: Lots were used to seek divine guidance and avoid favoritism in important matters (e.g., Num 27:21; 1 Sam 10:20; 14:41-42; Prov 18:18; Acts 1:26).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

If any ask why such a particular account is kept of the tribes, and families, and numbers, of the people of Israel, here is an answer for them; as they were multiplied, so they were portioned, not by common providence, but by promise; and, for the support of the honour of divine revelation, God will have the fulfilling of the promise taken notice of both in their increase and in their inheritance. When Moses had numbered the people God did not say, By these shall the land be conquered; but, taking that for granted, he tells him, Unto these shall the land be divided. "These that are now registered as the sons of Israel shall be admitted (as it were by copy of court-roll) heirs of the land of Canaan." Now, in the distributing, or quartering, of these tribes, 1. The general rule of equity is here prescribed to Moses, that to many he should give more, and to few he should give less (Num 26:54); yet, alas! he was so far from giving any to others that he must not have any himself, but this direction given to him was intended for Joshua his successor. 2. The application of this general rule was to be determined by lot (v. 55); notwithstanding it seems thus to be left to the prudence of their prince, yet the matter must be finally reserved to the providence of their God, in which they must all acquiesce, how much soever it contradicted their policies or inclination: According to the lot shall the possession be divided. As the God of nations, so the God of Israel in particular, reserves it to himself to appoint the bounds of our habitation. And thus Christ, our Joshua, when he was urged to appoint one of his disciples to his right hand, another to his left in his kingdom, acknowledged the sovereignty of his Father in the disposal: It is not mine to give. Joshua must not dispose of inheritances in Canaan according to his own mind. But it shall be given to those for whom it is prepared of my Father.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

52–56. The manner in which Canaan is to be divided among the tribes. The territories are to be proportionate to the size of the several tribes.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For the Lord had said of them, they shall surely die in the wilderness,.... This was threatened them, Num 14:32 and now it was fulfilled:

and there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun; the only two of the spies that brought a good report of the land of Canaan; all the rest of them, and those that murmured on the ill report of theirs, were now dead.

Next: Numbers Chapter 27

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

HOMILIES BY W. BINNIE Vers. 52-56. The lot is to decide where every tribe shall receive its inheritance.

Seventy years ago a party of emigrants from the Scottish border found themselves at the entrance of the valley in South Africa which had been assigned for their settlement. The patriarch of the party, gazing wistfully on the goal of their long wanderings, gave vent to the feeling of his heart in the exclamation, And this at length is the lot of our inheritance! A sure instinct taught him to see, in the providential ordering of the momentous turning-point in life which he and his companions had now reached, the same thoughtful and wise Hand which appointed to the tribes raider Joshua their inheritance in the promised land; and the language of the Old Testament history rose naturally to his lips.

I To do justice to this aspect of Divine providence, it is of consequence to consider well.WHAT AN IMPORTANT BUSINESS IS THE ORDERING OF THE LOCALITY IN WHICH MEN ARE TO PASS THEIR DAYS. The complexion of a nation"s life and the tenor of its history are exceedingly affected by the sort of locality where it has its seat. A nation whose lot is fixed in the impenetrable depths of Africa, how different its history must necessarily be from that of a nation which has received for inheritance a sea-girt land, like Greece or Italy, Great Britain or Scandinavia! The one is sequestered front all quickening intercourse, and is likely to sleep on in a semi-torpid state; the other lies open to the influence of every tide of foreign thought and sentiment. Now it was precisely this question of locality which was determined for the tribes by lot. It is a mistake to suppose that the lot determined everything. The division of the country was to proceed on the principle that the extent of territory bestowed on the respective tribes was to be proportioned to the number of names in each (verses 53, 54). A glance at the map will show how carefully this was attended to. The number of acres which fell to the lot of "little Benjamin" was much smaller than the number embraced in the inheritance of "the mighty tribe of Ephraim." The business of thus apportioning to every tribe a domain corresponding to the number of its families was devolved on a Commission of Twelve, under the oversight of Eleazar and Joshua. (Num_34:16-29) But before these commissioners could make the apportionment, it had first to be determined whereabouts each tribe was to be planted; and this was done by lot. The Lord reserved to himself the business of determining the bounds of his people"s habitation. And, I repeat, this was a momentous determination. If Judah, instead of occupying the inland hills and valleys of the south, had received for its inheritance the lot of Simeon, on the coast of the Mediterranean, and in the way of the Gentiles, how different the course of its history would have been!

II CONSIDER THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD IN THIS MATTER OF ORDERING THE BOUNDS OF MEN"S HABITATIONS. It is not the tribes of Israel only about whose bounds Divine providence is exercised. Read Deu_32:8 and Act_17:26. But although God "from the place of his habitation looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth," it is equally evident from the Scripture that his providence occupies itself very specially about the affairs of his chosen people, and particularly about the ordering of their lot.

1. How true this is might be shown by many clear testimonies of Holy Scripture. At present it may be sufficient to remind you of the testimony borne by daily experience. When you left school you had in your mind many projects and resolves about the future where you would settle, and what you would do. Have these stood? Have they not rather, in nine cases out of ten, been quite overruled? You proposed, but God disposed. Your portion has fallen to you by lot.

2. This being so, it is surely your duty to consider God"s hand and providence in the matter. "The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord". (Pro_16:33) Here again experience says Amen to God"s word. The man must have been blind indeed who has never perceived the hand of a special providence prospering or frustrating his purposes, and ordering his lot far better than he could himself have ordered it.

3. Due consideration of God"s hand will move the soul to trust his providence. Abraham, being told of a country which he should afterwards receive for inheritance, went out trustfully, although he knew not whither he went. This we also are to do; it is the proper fruit and demonstration of our faith. And as we are to go forward in faith ourselves, so we are in faith to send forth into the world those most dear to us. We need not doubt that in answer to the prayer of faith the Lord will appoint to them a suitable lot, and give them cause to sing, "The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage". B. (Psa_16:6)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Instructions concerning the Distribution of the Land. - In Num 26:53, Num 26:54, the command is given to distribute the land as an inheritance among the twelve tribes ("unto these"), according to the number of the names (Num 1:2-18), i.e., to the tribes and families that contained only a few persons, they were to make it small; to every one according to the measure of its mustered persons (ל must be repeated before אישׁ). In Num 26:55, Num 26:56, it is still further commanded that the distribution should take place by lot. "According to the names on their paternal tribes shall they (the children of Israel) receive it (the land) for an inheritance." The meaning of these words can only be, that every tribe was to receive a province of its own for an inheritance, which should be called by its name for ever. The other regulation in Num 26:56, "according to the measure of the lot shall its inheritance (the inheritance of every tribe) be divided between the numerous and the small (tribe)," is no doubt to be understood as signifying, that in the division of the tribe territories, according to the comparative sizes of the different tribes, they were to adhere to that portion of land which fell to every tribe in the casting of the lots. The magnitude and limits of the possessions of the different tribes could not be determined by the lot according to the magnitude of the tribes themselves: all that could possibly be determined was the situation to be occupied by the tribe; so that R. Bechai is quite correct in observing that "the casting of the lot took place for the more convenient distribution of the different portions, whether of better or inferior condition, that there might be no occasion for strife and covetousness," though the motive assigned is too partial in its character. The lot was to determine the portion of every tribe, not merely to prevent all occasion for dissatisfaction and complaining, but in order that every tribe might receive with gratitude the possession that fell to its lot as the inheritance assigned it by God, the result of the lot being regarded by almost all nations as determined by God Himself (cf. Pro 16:33; Pro 18:18). On this ground not only was the lot resorted to by the Greeks and Romans in the distribution of conquered lands (see the proofs in Clericus, Rosenmller, and Knobel), but it is still employed in the division of lands. (For further remarks, see at Jos 14:1.).

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

Concerning the Divisions of the Land and the Levites

v. 52. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

v. 53. Unto these, in accordance with the census just taken, shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names, each tribe being given a territory whose extent should be proportionate to its own size.

v. 54. To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance; to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him, this consideration applying to the size of the tribal territory, as it would be known after the name of the head of the tribe.

v. 56. Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot, not only to avoid all dissatisfaction and complaint, but also to cause every tribe to accept the territory assigned to it as the gift of God, for so the outcome of the lot was generally regarded; according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.

v. 56. According to the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between many and few. Thus the relative situation of each tribe’s inheritance in Canaan was determined and, at the same time, all cause for dispute removed.

v. 57. And these are they that were numbered of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.

v. 58. These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, which belonged to the Gershonites, the family of the Hebronites, which belonged to the Kohathites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, both of which belonged to the Merarites, the family of the Korathites, which belonged to the Kohathites. And Kohath begat Amram.

v. 59. And the name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt, Exo 2:1-2; Exo 6:20; and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam, their sister.

v. 60. And unto Aaron was born Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

v. 61. And Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before the Lord, Lev 10:1-2.

v. 62. And those that were numbered of them were twenty and three thousand, all males from a month old and upward; for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel, Num 18:20.

v. 63. These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar, the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the Plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho; the census was made under their direction.

v. 64. But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron, the priest, numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the "Wilderness of Sinai, chaps. 1 and 2; the entire generation of people who had been twenty years old and more at the time of the departure out of Egypt had passed away in the wilderness. Cf Num 14:29-38.

v. 65. For the Lord had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. Cf 1Co 10:5-6. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun, the two spies that had opposed the majority report with such emphasis. The judgments of the just and holy God are often carried out with terrifying exactness, as a standing warning to the unbelieving generation of all times.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The land must be divided

This can be stated in active form. AT: "You must divide the land" (See: Active or Passive)

these men

This refers to all of the men that were counted in their clans, beginning in Numbers 26:5.

according to the number of their names

"by the number of people in each clan"

translationWords

Yahweh

Moses

inherit

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.