Números 1
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown · Comentário Crítico e Explicativo
Números 1
MOISÉS NUMERANDO OS HOMENS DE GUERRA. (Núm. 1:1-54) no primeiro dia do segundo mês, etc. – Treze meses se passaram desde o êxodo. Cerca de um mês foi ocupado na viagem; e o resto do período foi passado em acampamento entre os recessos do Sinai, onde ocorreram as transações e foram promulgadas as leis, religiosas e civis, que estão contidas nos dois livros anteriores. Como o tabernáculo foi erguido no primeiro dia do primeiro mês, e a ordem aqui mencionada foi dada no primeiro dia do segundo, alguns pensam que as leis de Levítico foram todas dadas em um mês. Tendo os israelitas sido formados numa nação separada, sob o governo especial de Deus como seu Rei, era necessário, antes de retomar a sua marcha em direção à terra prometida, colocá-los em boa ordem. E, conseqüentemente, Moisés foi comissionado, junto com Arão, para fazer um censo do povo. Este censo foi notado incidentalmente (Êxodo 38:26), em referência ao poll tax para as obras do tabernáculo; mas é aqui descrito em detalhes, a fim de mostrar o aumento relativo e o poderio militar das diferentes tribos. A enumeração limitava-se àqueles capazes de portar armas [Nm 1:3], e deveria ser feita com uma distinção cuidadosa da tribo, família e lar a que cada indivíduo pertencia. Por esta regra de soma muitas vantagens importantes foram asseguradas: um registro genealógico exato foi formado, a força relativa de cada tribo foi apurada e a razão encontrada para organizar a ordem de precedência na marcha, bem como para dispor as diferentes tribos no acampamento ao redor do tabernáculo. A promessa de Deus a Abraão [Gn 22:17] foi vista como cumprida no extraordinário aumento de sua posteridade, e foram feitas provisões para traçar a descendência regular do Messias.
Números 1:3
Aaron shall number them by their armies--or companies. In their departure from Egypt they were divided into five grand companies (Exo 13:18), but from the sojourn in the wilderness to the passage of the Jordan, they were formed into four great divisions. The latter is here referred to.
Números 1:4
with you there shall be a man of every tribe, &c.--The social condition of the Israelites in the wilderness bore a close resemblance to that of the nomad tribes of the East in the present day. The head of the tribe was a hereditary dignity, vested in the oldest son or some other to whom the right of primogeniture was transferred, and under whom were other inferior heads, also hereditary, among the different branches of the tribe. The Israelites being divided into twelve tribes, there were twelve chiefs appointed to assist in taking the census of the people.
Números 1:5-15
these are the names of the men that shall stand with you, &c.--Each is designated by adding the name of the ancestors of his tribe, the people of which were called "Beni-Reuben," "Beni-Levi," sons of Reuben, sons of Levi, according to the custom of the Arabs still, as well as other nations which are divided into clans, as the Macs of Scotland, the Aps of Wales, and the O's and the Fitzes of Ireland [CHALMERS].
Números 1:16-17
These were the renowned--literally, "the called" of the congregation, summoned by name; and they entered upon the survey the very day the order was given.
Números 1:18
by their polls--individually, one by one.
Números 1:19
As the Lord commanded Moses, &c.--The numbering of the people was not an act sinful in itself, as Moses did it by divine appointment; but David incurred guilt by doing it without the authority of God. (See on Sa2 24:10).
Números 1:20-44
These are those that were numbered--In this registration the tribe of Judah appears the most numerous; and accordingly, as the pre-eminence had been assigned to it by Jacob [Gen 49:8-12], it got the precedence in all the encampments of Israel. Of the two half-tribes of Joseph, who is seen to be "a fruitful bough" [Gen 49:22], that of Ephraim was the larger, as had been predicted. The relative increase of all, as in the two just mentioned, was owing to the special blessing of God, conformably to the prophetic declaration of the dying patriarch. But the divine blessing is usually conveyed through the influence of secondary causes; and there is reason to believe that the relative populousness of the tribes would, under God, depend upon the productiveness of the respective localities assigned to them. [For tabular chart, see on Num 26:64.]
Números 1:45-46
all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand, &c.--What an astonishing increase from seventy-five persons who went down to Egypt about two hundred fifteen years before [see on Gen 46:8], and who were subjected to the greatest privations and hardships! And yet this enumeration was restricted to men from twenty years and upwards [Num 1:3]. Including women, children, and old men, together with the Levites, the whole population of Israel, on the ordinary principles of computation, amounted to about 2,400,000.
Números 1:47
But the Levites . . . were not numbered among them--They were obliged to keep a register of their own. They were consecrated to the priestly office, which in all countries has been exempted customarily, and in Israel by the express authority of God, from military service. The custody of the things devoted to the divine service was assigned to them so exclusively, that "no stranger"--that is, no person, not even an Israelite of any other tribe, was allowed, under penalty of death, to approach these [Num 16:40]. Hence they encamped round the tabernacle in order that there should be no manifestation of the divine displeasure among the people. Thus the numbering of the people was subservient to the separation of the Levites from those Israelites who were fit for military service, and to the practical introduction of the law respecting the first-born, for whom the tribe of Levi became a substitute [Exo 13:2; Num 3:12]. Next: Numbers Chapter 2