Go and teach all nations
Numbers 1:5-19
God chooses the helpers; men from among the people of Israel
v5 ‘These are the names of the men who must help you.
Elizur, Shedeur’s son, from Reuben’s tribe.
v6 Shelumiel, Zurishaddai’s son, from Simeon’s tribe.
v7 Nahshon, Amminadab’s son, from Judah’s tribe.
v8 Nethanel, Zuar’s son, from Issachar’s tribe.
v9 Eliab, Helon’s son, from Zebulun’s tribe.
v10 Elishama, Ammihud’s son, from the tribe of Ephraim, Joseph’s son.
Gamaliel, Pedahzur’s son, from the tribe of Manasseh, Joseph’s son.
v11 Abidan, Gideoni’s son, from Benjamin’s tribe.
v12 Ahiezer, Ammishaddai’s son, from Dan’s tribe.
v13 Pagiel, Ocran’s son, from Asher’s tribe.
v14 Eliasaph, Deuel’s son, from Gad’s tribe.
v15 Ahira, Enan’s son, from Naphtali’s tribe.’
v16 God chose these men from among the people. They were the leaders of their ancestors’ tribes. They were Israel’s leaders.
v17 Moses, Aaron and these leaders
v18 asked the people to meet together that same day. They registered all the people by clans and families. They recorded the names of all the men who were 20 years old or older. They counted each one.
v19 They obeyed the LORD’s command to Moses. In this way, Moses counted the people when they were in the Sinai desert.
Comment:
Verses 4-9 This list reminds us that this is a book about history. These are the names of real people, with their fathers’ names and their tribes’ names.
The Israelites’ ancestors were Jacob’s sons (Genesis 35:23-26). Each of Jacob’s sons started a tribe. Each son’s name became the name of his descendants’ tribe.
In this list, two half tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh, are there on behalf of Joseph’s tribe. Levi’s tribe had a special job to do. So Moses counted them separately (Numbers 3:14-39).
Names were very important to the Israelites. They chose names carefully. If you knew a person’s name, you knew something about their character.
Apart from the names of the tribes, there are 24 names in this list. Many of these names have one of the Hebrew names for God inside them. These Hebrew names are ‘El’ (God), ‘Shaddai’ (All-Powerful) and ‘Zur’ (Rock). For example, Elishama means ‘My God listens’. Zurishaddai means ‘The All-Powerful God is my Rock (security).’ Often, the Israelites said that God is like a rock. A rock can be a shelter for people. It can provide security. It can protect people. God does these things for his people.
6 of these names, like Abi (My Father) and Ahi (My Brother), also refer to God. God is like a father and a brother to us.
These names show us that God was very important to the Israelites. They were very aware of him.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.
Go and teach all nations