Wesley Corpus

Chapter XXVI Orders for numbering the people, ver. 1 - 4. Their families and number, ver. 5 - 51. Directions for dividing the land between them, ver. 52 - 55. The families and number of the Levites, ver. 56 - 62. Notice taken of the death of them that were first numbered, ver. 62 - 65. Take the sum - They were numbered twice before, Exo 30:11,12 Nu 1:1,2. Now they are numbered a third time, to demonstrate the faithfulness of God, both in cutting all those off whom he had threatened to cut off, Nu 14:29, and in a stupendous increase of the people according to his promise, notwithstanding all their sins, and the sweeping judgments inflicted upon them; and to prepare the way for the equal division of the land, which they were now going to possess. Families - The chief houses, which were subdivided into divers lesser families. Forty three thousand seven hundred and thirty - Whereas in their last numbering they were forty six thousand five hundred; for Korah's conspiracy, as well as other provocations of theirs, had cut off many of them. With Korah - According to this translation Korah was not consumed by fire with his two hundred and fifty men, but swallowed up by the earth. But others rather think he was devoured by the fire, and render these words, and the things of Korah, or belonging to Korah, namely, his tent and goods, and family, children excepted, as here follows. A sign - God made them a monument or example, to warn others not to rebel against God, or magistracy, nor to usurp the priestly office. Died not - God being pleased to spare them, because they disowned their father's fact, and separated themselves both from his tent and company. Hence the sons of Korah are mentioned, 1Chr 6:22,38, and often in the book of Psalms. Jachin - Called also Jarib, 1Chr 4:24. And such names might be either added or changed upon some special occasion not recorded in scripture. Twenty two thousand and two hundred - No tribe decreased so much as Simeon's. From fifty nine thousand and three hundred it sunk to twenty two thousand and two hundred, little more than a third part of what it was. One whole family of that tribe, (Ohad mentioned Exo 6:15) was extinct in the wilderness.