Numbers 26:50
These are the families of Naphtali according to their families: and they that were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and four hundred.
Original Language Analysis
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם
These are the families
H4940
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם
These are the families
Strong's:
H4940
Word #:
2 of 10
a family, i.e., circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extension a tribe or people
נַפְתָּלִ֖י
of Naphtali
H5321
נַפְתָּלִ֖י
of Naphtali
Strong's:
H5321
Word #:
3 of 10
naphtali, a son of jacob, with the tribe descended from him, and its territory
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם
These are the families
H4940
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם
These are the families
Strong's:
H4940
Word #:
4 of 10
a family, i.e., circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extension a tribe or people
וּפְקֻ֣דֵיהֶ֔ם
and they that were numbered
H6485
וּפְקֻ֣דֵיהֶ֔ם
and they that were numbered
Strong's:
H6485
Word #:
5 of 10
to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc
Historical Context
Naphtali's 45,400 warriors would later produce Barak, the judge who defeated Sisera (Judges 4-5). This census numbered the grandfathers of those who would sing Deborah's victory song. Every census is a prophecy—these numbers represent future deliverers, future worshipers, future witnesses.
Questions for Reflection
- Why might stability (maintaining numbers) be as significant as dramatic growth in God's economy?
- How does God's precise numbering of Naphtali demonstrate that He knows and values each believer individually?
- What future purposes was God preparing through these 45,400 Naphtalites that wouldn't be revealed for generations?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Forty and five thousand and four hundred (45,400)—Naphtali maintained almost exactly its first census number (53,400 in Numbers 1:43 was likely a scribal error for 45,400, or this represents an 8,000 decline). Among the dramatic population shifts—Simeon's collapse, Manasseh's explosion—Naphtali held steady. Stability is sometimes the greatest miracle.
The Hebrew phrase וּפְקֻדֵיהֶם ("and their numbered ones") emphasizes these aren't random people but counted, known individuals. God's people aren't a mob but a numbered flock. Jesus said, "I know my sheep" (John 10:14)—and He knows them by exact count, down to the hundred.