THE FOURTH BOOK OF MOSES, CALLED NUMBERS THE ARGUMENT This Book giveth us a history of almost forty years travel of the children of Israel through the wilderness, where we have an account of their journeys, and what happened to them therein, with their government, and how they were managed thereby;…

They now had been in the wilderness a full year, or near it, as may be gathered by comparing this place with Ex. 19:1, Ex. 40:17, and other places. In the tabernacle; from the mercy seat. B.C. 1490

This is not the same muster with that Ex. 38:26, as plainly appears, because that was before the building of the tabernacle, which was built and set up on the first day of the first month, Ex. 40:2; but this was after it, to wit, on the first day of the second month, as is said Num. 1:1.

To inspect the work, that it might be faithfully and impartially done.

With you, to wit, with Moses and Aaron, who were the chief managers of the work. The tribes are here numbered according to the order or quality of their birth, first the children of Leah, then of Rachel, and then of the hand-maids.

Called Reuel, Num. 2:14, the Hebrew letters daleth and resh being very like, and oft changed.

The renowned, Heb. the named or called, to wit, by Moses and by God’s appointment, to manage this affair, and others as there was occasion. Compare Num. 16:2, Num. 26:9. Heads of thousands. See Ex. 18:21, Num. 10:4.

By their generations, Heb. to wit, their generations, i.e. the persons begotten of Reuben’s immediate children, who are here subdivided into families, and they into houses, and they into particular persons.

Far more than any other tribe, in accomplishing of Jacob’s prophecy, Gen. 49:0.

Above eight thousand more than Manasseh, towards the accomplishment of that promise, Gen. 48:20, which the devil in vain attempted to defeat by stirring up the men of Gath against them, 1 Chron. 7:21–22

The smallest number, except one, though Benjamin had more immediate children than any of his brethren, Gen. 46:21; whereas Dan had but one immediate son, Gen. 46:23, yet now his number is the biggest but one of all the tribes, and is almost double to that of Benjamin.

Because they were not generally to go out to war, which was the thing principally eyed in this muster, Num. 1:3, Num. 1:20, Num. 1:45 but were to attend upon the service or the tabernacle, and therefore are reserved to another distinct muster, Num. 3:15, Num. 4:2;c.

The tabernacle of testimony; so called here, and Ex. 38:21 because it was made chiefly for the sake of the ark of the testimony, 2 Sam. 7:2, which is oft called the testimony, as hath been observed before.

The stranger elsewhere is one of another nation, here one of another tribe, one no Levite. That cometh nigh, so as to do the offices mentioned Num. 1:50.

No wrath, to wit, from God, who is very tender of his worship, and will not suffer the profaners of it to go unpunished; whose wrath is called simply wrath by way of eminency, as the most terrible kind of wrath. Shall keep the charge, i.e.