Numbers 1:21
Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.
Original Language Analysis
פְּקֻֽדֵיהֶ֖ם
Those that were numbered
H6485
פְּקֻֽדֵיהֶ֖ם
Those that were numbered
Strong's:
H6485
Word #:
1 of 8
to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc
לְמַטֵּ֣ה
of them even of the tribe
H4294
לְמַטֵּ֣ה
of them even of the tribe
Strong's:
H4294
Word #:
2 of 8
a branch (as extending); figuratively, a tribe; also a rod, whether for chastising (figuratively, correction), ruling (a sceptre), throwing (a lance),
שִׁשָּׁ֧ה
and six
H8337
שִׁשָּׁ֧ה
and six
Strong's:
H8337
Word #:
4 of 8
six (as an overplus beyond five or the fingers of the hand); as ordinal, sixth
Historical Context
These 46,500 men of military age (20 and above) represented Reuben's contribution to Israel's fighting force. The tribe's size, though substantial, was middling among the tribes, reflecting neither dominance nor insignificance in Israel's military structure.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's knowledge of the exact number of Israelites encourage your faith in His particular care for you as an individual?
- What does the census's combination of corporate and individual counting teach us about the balance between church and personal faith?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The specific number (46,500) demonstrates God's exhaustive knowledge of His people and the precise fulfillment of His promise to Abraham that his descendants would be numerous. Each number represented a real person known individually to God, anticipating Jesus's teaching that God knows the number of hairs on each head (Matthew 10:30). The census combined both God's corporate care for His people and His particular providence over individuals.