---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible"
author: "Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown"
languages: [en]
shelf: "Commentaries"
section: 54 of 927
url: https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/54/
cite: "Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, section 54. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/54/"
---

# Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

*Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown*

The Victorian standard commentary, critical and practical, from Genesis to Revelation.

## 54. Numbers · 10 of 12

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/54/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/54/#p-N

[¶0] their sister--their countrywoman.

### Chapter 26

### Nu 26:1-51. Israel Numbered

[¶3] 1. after the plague--That terrible visitation had swept away the remnant of the old generation, to whom God sware in His wrath that they should not enter Canaan ([Psa 95:11]).

[¶4] 2. Take the sum of all the congregation--The design of this new census, after a lapse of thirty-eight years, was primarily to establish the vast multiplication of the posterity of Abraham in spite of the severe judgments inflicted upon them; secondarily, it was to preserve the distinction of families and to make arrangements, preparatory to an entrance into the promised land, for the distribution of the country according to the relative population of the tribes.

[¶5] 7. These are the families of the Reubenites--the principal households, which were subdivided into numerous smaller families. Reuben had suffered great diminution by Korah's conspiracy and other outbreaks [Nu 16:1].

[¶6] 10. the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah--rather, "the things of Korah." (See on [Nu 16:35]; compare [Psa 106:17]).

[¶7] 11. Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not--Either they were not parties to their father's crime, or they withdrew from it by timely repentance. His descendants became famous in the time of David, and are often mentioned in the Psalms [Psa 42:1; 44:1; 45:1; 46:1; 47:1; 48:1; 49:1; 84:1; 85:1; 87:1; 88:1], also in [1Ch 6:22], .

[¶8] 12. The sons of Simeon--It is supposed that this tribe had been pre-eminent in the guilt of Baal-peor and had consequently been greatly reduced in numbers.

[¶9] Thus God's justice and holiness, as well as His truth and faithfulness, were strikingly displayed: His justice and holiness in the sweeping judgments that reduced the ranks of some tribes; and His truth and faithfulness in the extraordinary increase of others so that the posterity of Israel continued a numerous people.

[¶10] 53. the land shall be divided according to the number of names--The portion of each tribe was to be greater or less, according to its populousness.

[¶11] 54. To many thou shalt give the more inheritance--that is, to the more numerous tribes a larger allotment shall be granted.

[¶12] according to those that were numbered--the number of persons twenty years old at the time of the census being made, without taking into account either the increase of those who might have attained that age, when the land should be actually distributed, or the diminution from that amount, occasioned during the war of invasion.

[¶13] 55. the land shall be divided by lot--The appeal to the lot did not place the matter beyond the control of God; for it is at His disposal ([Pr 16:33]), and He has fixed to all the bounds of their habitation. The manner in which the lot was taken has not been recorded. But it is evident that the lot was cast for determining the section of the country in which each tribe should be located--not the quantity of their possessions. In other words, when the lot had decided that a particular tribe was to be settled in the north or the south, the east or the west, the extent of territory was allocated according to the rule ([Nu 26:54]).

[¶14] 58. families of the Levites--The census of this tribe was taken separately, and on a different principle from the rest. (See [Ex 6:16-19]).

[¶15] 62. twenty and three thousand--so that there was an increase of a thousand ([Nu 3:39]).

[¶16] males from a month old and upward--(See on [Nu 3:14]).

[¶17] 64. among these there was not a man ... numbered ... in the wilderness of Sinai--The statement in this verse must not be considered absolute. For, besides Caleb and Joshua, there were alive at this time Eleazar and Ithamar, and in all probability a considerable number of Levites, who had no participation in the popular defections in the wilderness. The tribe of Levi, having neither sent a spy into Canaan, nor being included in the enumeration at Sinai, must be regarded as not coming within the range of the fatal sentence; and therefore it would exhibit a spectacle not to be witnessed in the other tribes of many in their ranks above sixty years of age. Tribes Chap. 1 Chap. 26 Increase Decrease Reuben 46,500 43,730 -- 2,770 Simeon 59,300 22,200 -- 37,100 Gad 45,650 40,500 -- 5,150 Judah 74,600 76,500 1,900 -- Issachar 54,400 64,300 9,900 -- Zebulun 57,400 60,500 3,100 -- Ephraim 40,500 32,500 -- 8,000 Manasseh 32,200 52,700 20,500 -- Benjamin 35,400 45,600 10,200 -- Dan 62,700 64,400 1,700 -- Asher 41,500 53,400 11,900 -- Naphtali 53,400 45,400 -- 8,000 Total 603,550 601,730 59,200 61,020 Total decrease 1,820

### Chapter 27

### Nu 27:1-11. The Daughters of Zelophehad Ask for an Inheritance

[¶20] 3. Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not ... in the company of ... Korah--This declaration might be necessary because his death might have occurred about the time of that rebellion; and especially because, as the children of these conspirators were involved along with their fathers in the awful punishment, their plea appeared the more proper and forcible that their father did not die for any cause that doomed his family to lose their lives or their inheritance.

[¶21] died in his own sin--that is, by the common law of mortality to which men, through sin, are subject.

[¶22] 4. Give unto us a possession among the brethren of our father--Those young women perceived that the males only in families had been registered in the census. Because there were none in their household, their family was omitted. So they made known their grievance to Moses, and the authorities conjoined with him in administering justice. The case was important; and as the peculiarity of daughters being the sole members of a family would be no infrequent or uncommon occurrence, the law of inheritance, under divine authority, was extended not only to meet all similar cases, but other cases also--such as when there were no children left by the proprietor, and no brothers to succeed him. A distribution of the promised land was about to be made; and it is interesting to know the legal provision made in these comparatively rare cases for preserving a patrimony from being alienated to another tribe. (See on [Nu 36:5]).

### Nu 27:12-17. Moses Being Told of His Approaching Death, Asks for a Successor

[¶24] 12. The Lord said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land--Although the Israelites were now on the confines of the promised land, Moses was not privileged to cross the Jordan, but died on one of the Moabitic range of mountains, to which the general name of Abarim was given ([Nu 33:47]). The privation of this great honor was owing to the unhappy conduct he had manifested in the striking of the rock at Meribah [Nu 20:12]; and while the pious leader submitted with meek acquiescence to the divine decree, he evinced the spirit of genuine patriotism in his fervent prayers for the appointment of a worthy and competent successor [Nu 27:15-17].

[¶25] 16. God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation--The request was most suitably made to God in this character, as the Author of all the intellectual gifts and moral graces with which men are endowed, and who can raise up qualified persons for the most arduous duties and the most difficult situations.

### Nu 27:18-23. Joshua Appointed to Succeed Him

[¶27] 18. Take thee Joshua ... a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him--A strong testimony is here borne to the personality of the divine Spirit--the imposition of hands was an ancient ceremony. (See [Ge 48:14]; [Le 1:4]; [1Ti 4:14]).

[¶28] 20-21. Thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him--In the whole history of Israel there arose no prophet or ruler in all respects like unto Moses till the Messiah appeared, whose glory eclipsed all. But Joshua was honored and qualified in an eminent degree, through the special service of the high priest, who asked counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord.

### Chapter 28

### Nu 28:1-31. Offerings to Be Observed

[¶31] 2. Command the children of Israel, and say unto them--The repetition of several laws formerly enacted, which is made in this chapter, was seasonable and necessary, not only on account of their importance and the frequent neglect of them, but because a new generation had sprung up since their first institution and because the Israelites were about to be settled in the land where those ordinances were to be observed.

[¶32] My offering, and my bread--used generally for the appointed offerings, and the import of the prescription is to enforce regularity and care in their observance.

[¶33] 9-10. This is the burnt offering of every sabbath--There is no previous mention of a Sabbath burnt offering, which was additional to the daily sacrifices.

[¶34] 11-15. And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord--These were held as sacred festivals; and though not possessing the character of solemn feasts, they were distinguished by the blowing of trumpets over the sacrifices ([Nu 10:10]), by the suspension of all labor except the domestic occupations of women ([Am 8:5]), by the celebration of public worship ([2Ki 4:23]), and by social or family feasts ([1Sa 20:5]). These observations are not prescribed in the law though they obtained in the practice of a later time. The beginning of the month was known, not by astronomical calculations, but, according to Jewish writers, by the testimony of messengers appointed to watch the first visible appearance of the new moon; and then the fact was announced through the whole country by signal-fires kindled on the mountain tops. The new-moon festivals having been common among the heathen, it is probable that an important design of their institution in Israel was to give the minds of that people a better direction; and assuming this to have been one of the objects contemplated, it will account for one of the kids being offered unto the Lord ([Nu 28:15]), not unto the moon, as the Egyptians and Syrians did. The Sabbath and the new moon are frequently mentioned together.

[¶35] 16-25. in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover--The law for that great annual festival is given ([Le 23:5]), but some details are here introduced, as certain specified offerings are prescribed to be made on each of the seven days of unleavened bread [Nu 28:18-25].

[¶36] 26-27. in the day of the first-fruits ... offer the burnt offering--A new sacrifice is here ordered for the celebration of this festival, in addition to the other offering, which was to accompany the first-fruits ([Le 23:18]).

### Chapter 29

### Nu 29:1-40. The Offering at the Feast of Trumpets

[¶39] 1. in the seventh month--of the ecclesiastical year, but the first month of the civil year, corresponding to our September. It was, in fact, the New Year's Day, which had been celebrated among the Hebrews and other contemporary nations with great festivity and joy and ushered in by a flourish of trumpets. This ordinance was designed to give a religious character to the occasion by associating it with some solemn observances. (Compare [Ex 12:2]; [Le 23:24]).

[¶40] it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you--This made it a solemn preparation for the sacred feasts--a greater number of which were held during this month than at any other season of the year. Although the institution of this feast was described before, there is more particularity here as to what the burnt offering should consist of; and, in addition to it, a sin offering is prescribed. The special offerings, appointed for certain days, were not to interfere with the offerings usually requisite on these days, for in [Nu 29:6] it is said that the daily offerings, as well as those for the first day of the month, were to take place in their ordinary course.

[¶41] 7-11. ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation--This was the great day of atonement. Its institution, together with the observance to which that day was devoted, was described ([Le 16:29], ). But additional offerings seem to be noticed, namely, the large animal sacrifice for a general expiation, which was a sweet savor unto the Lord, and the sin offering to atone for the sins that mingled with that day's services. The prescriptions in this passage appear supplementary to the former statement in Leviticus.

[¶42] 12-34. on the fifteenth day--was to be held the feast of booths or tabernacles. (See [Le 23:34], ). The feast was to last seven days, the first and last of which were to be kept as Sabbaths, and a particular offering was prescribed for each day, the details of which are given with a minuteness suited to the infant state of the church. Two things are deserving of notice: First, that this feast was distinguished by a greater amount and variety of sacrifices than any other--partly because, occurring at the end of the year, it might be intended to supply any past deficiencies--partly because, being immediately after the ingathering of the fruits, it ought to be a liberal acknowledgment--and partly, perhaps, because God consulted the weakness of mankind, who naturally grow weary both of the charge and labor of such services when they are long-continued, and made them every day less toilsome and expensive [Patrick]. Secondly, it will be remarked that the sacrifices varied in a progressive ratio of decrease every day.

[¶43] 35-40. On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly--The feast of tabernacles was brought to a close on the eighth day, which was the great day ([Joh 7:37]). Besides the common routine sacrifices, there were special offerings appointed for that day though these were fewer than on any of the preceding days; and there were also, as was natural on that occasion when vast multitudes were convened for a solemn religious purpose, many spontaneous gifts and services, so that there was full scope for the exercise of a devout spirit in the people, both for their obedience to the statutory offerings, and by the presentation of those which were made by free will or in consequence of vows.