“These are the families of the Reubenites: and they that were numbered of them were forty and three thousand and seven hundred and thirty.”
In this verse, we find a reference to the Reubenites, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The context of this verse is a census that was conducted by Moses and Eleazar the priest in the wilderness of Sinai. The purpose of this census was to determine the number of men available for military service among the Israelites who were twenty years old or above.
The Reubenites were descendants of Reuben, who was the eldest son of Jacob and Leah. They formed one of the prominent tribes of Israel and were allocated an inheritance of land on the eastern side of the Jordan River. This verse specifically mentions the number of Reubenite men who were counted in the census, which was forty-three thousand, seven hundred, and thirty.
Throughout the book of Numbers, various tribes are mentioned along with their respective numbers. These censuses were conducted at different times during the Israelites’ journey in the wilderness and served to organize the people and allocate them their portions of land when they entered the Promised Land.
Numbers 26 as a whole provides an account of the second census conducted by Moses, which happened after the Israelites had spent forty years wandering in the wilderness due to their disobedience and lack of faith in God. This census was conducted to prepare for the upcoming conquest of Canaan, the land promised to them by God.
The numbering of the tribes demonstrated God’s faithfulness in preserving and multiplying the descendants of Israel, as well as His plan to fulfill the promise made to their forefathers. The numbers mentioned in this chapter served as a reminder of the size and strength of the nation of Israel as they prepared to enter the land God had promised to them.
As you continue reading Numbers 26 and the subsequent chapters, you will find further details about the distribution of the land among the tribes and the importance of remaining faithful to God’s commandments.
