“And those that were numbered of them were twenty and three thousand, all males from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.”
Context:The book of Numbers is the fourth book in the Old Testament and continues the account of the Israelites’ journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. The events in this particular verse take place after the Israelites had spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness, as a consequence of their disobedience and lack of faith.
Census:In Numbers 26, Moses is commanded by God to take a census of the Israelites who were eligible for military service. The census was conducted to determine the number of males aged 20 years and older who would be fit for war. This verse specifically focuses on the descendants of Joseph’s son Manasseh.
Twenty-three thousand males:The verse tells us that there were twenty-three thousand males among the descendants of Manasseh who were counted in the census. It is important to note that this number represents only the males who were a month old and older. The total population of the tribe of Manasseh, including women and children, would have been significantly larger.
No inheritance among the children of Israel:The reason given for not including the descendants of Manasseh in the inheritance among the other children of Israel is because they had no inheritance allotted to them. In the division of the Promised Land, each tribe was given a portion of the land as their inheritance, except for the tribe of Levi, which was set apart for priestly duties. It seems that the tribe of Manasseh did not receive a specific portion of land.
Explanation:The lack of inheritance for the descendants of Manasseh is likely due to the fact that they had already received their allotted portion of land on the east side of the Jordan River. When the Israelites were preparing to enter the Promised Land, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh requested to settle in the land east of the Jordan, which was suitable for their large herds and livestock (Numbers 32). Therefore, when the inheritance was distributed among the other tribes, the descendants of Manasseh were not included because they had already been provided for.
