The Number of Every Tribe
Moses and Aaron gather the named leaders, assemble the congregation, record ancestry, and carry out the census exactly as the LORD commanded.
S17o Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name, 18and on the first day of the second month they assembled the whole congregation and recorded their ancestry by clans and families, counting one by one the names of those twenty years of age or older, 19just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
The counting begins with Reuben, Israel's firstborn, and gives his total of military-aged men.
20From the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, according to the records of their clans and families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army, 21those registered to the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.
The section continues through Simeon, Gad, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, repeating the same pattern of registration and count for each tribe.
22From the sons of Simeon, according to the records of their clans and families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army, 23those registered to the tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300. 24From the sons of Gad, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army, 25those registered to the tribe of Gad numbered 45,650. 26From the sons of Judah, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army, 27those registered to the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600. 28From the sons of Issachar, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army, 29those registered to the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400. 30From the sons of Zebulun, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army, 31those registered to the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400.
The list moves through the sons of Joseph and then Benjamin, Dan, Asher, and Naphtali, completing the record of the tribes included in the census.
32From the sons of Joseph: 33From the sons of Ephraim, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army, those registered to the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500. 34And from the sons of Manasseh, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army, 35those registered to the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200. 36From the sons of Benjamin, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army, 37those registered to the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400. 38From the sons of Dan, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army, 39those registered to the tribe of Dan numbered 62,700. 40From the sons of Asher, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army, 41those registered to the tribe of Asher numbered 41,500. 42From the sons of Naphtali, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army, 43those registered to the tribe of Naphtali numbered 53,400.
The named leaders stand with Moses and Aaron in the counting, and the section closes with the total number of men twenty years old and upward who can serve in Israel's army.
44These were the men numbered by Moses and Aaron, with the assistance of the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family. 45So all the Israelites twenty years of age or older who could serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families. 46And all those counted totaled 603,550.