your eyes on high, and behold, who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number." So also Ps. 147: 4, "He telleth the number of the stars, he calleth them all by their names. That by numbering in these passages is signified to ordain, order, or arrange, is evident from the fact that it is spoken of the Most High, who does not in reality number or name armies or stars, but inspects, orders, arranges, and disposes the things represented by them, which are of course things pertaining to the kingdom of heaven and the church. As this is the high prerogative of Jehovah himself, who alone is competent to the task, we may gather from this source, perhaps, the true grounds of the reason why David's conduct in numbering the people was viewed by the Lord in so heinous a light. As the people of Israel represented typically the church, and as it is the province of the Lord alone to order the internal conditions and interests of the church, therefore any measure which by its representative significancy would imply that man was invested with that power involved a high degree of presumption, and therefore called for punishment. Such was the character of David's conduct in the transaction referred to. He took it upon him to do that which in its true bearings implied an invasion of the divine prerogative. Hence its enormity. We may farther observe upon this subject of number

ter their forces do not only take account how many their soldiers are, and so number them, but they also take notice and inquire how able, how well appointed, how well furnished they are for war. Besides, the Scripture throughout this and the next chapter useth diverse words, as mispar for number, and pâkad for visiting or mustering. So that the translation confounds those acts which the Spirit of God distinguisheth.' To this he adds that the muster prescribed involved the idea of inspection as to sex, age, pedigree, etc., and as the design of this was to cull out the choice, the flower of the host, the most hale, vigorous, and valiant, or the truly "excellent ones," therefore the term visiting or numbering is applied to them; for that "such are highly esteemed, loved, cared for, numbered, appears from the contrary; as it is said of persons despicable and contemned, extra numerum esse; nullo numero esse; nullius esse numeri-military phrases implying such as are of no reckoning, no account, who stand for ciphers. But the Lord's soldiers are all numbered, visited, mustered." That there is an ulterior purport in this, would appear from the usage of the term in the following passage: Luke 12:7, "Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered." The idea here is not precisely that of numbering, which would of course be useless to Omniscience, but of the minutest inspection, of the most intimate provi-ing, that while it evidently has no spedential cognizance, a knowledge accompanied with the most watchful and tender care. Is. 13:4, "The Lord of hosts mustereth (Heb. mepakked) the host of the battle." The battle here is spiritual, for the Lord wages no other, and mustering the host is arranging, ordering, and arraying the internal states and principles of those who compose it. Again, Is. 40: 26, "Lift up

cial moral character when viewed in itself, yet it is occasionally introduced in such connections as to compel us to seek some sense beyond that of the simple letter. Thus for example, P's. 90:12, "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." As man is ignorant of the number of his days on earth, Ps. 71:15, as "the number of his years is

hidden," not to the "oppressor" only, I be carried over, as we may say, to the but to all other men, it is evident that more adequate and substantial subject a man can “number his days" only by of the Lord's church under the New ordering and regulating the states of Testament. Thus, for instance, the his life from one day to another in such promises in regard to the excessive a manner as to meet the demands of multiplication of the seed of Abraham true wisdom. Is. 38: 10, "I said, in cannot be regarded as having been fulthe cutting off of my days, I shall go filled in the literal history of that peoto the gates of the grave; I am deprived ple. Gen. 13:16, "And I will make of the residue of my years (Heb. pik- thy seed as the dust of the earth: so kadti, I am numbered as to the residue that if a man can number the dust of of my years)." That is, the term of my the earth, then shall thy seed also be existence is ordered and arranged, and numbered." Gen. 15:5, "And he in the divine counsels brought to a brought him forth abroad, and said, completion. Dan. 5: 25, 26, "And this Look now toward heaven, and tell the is the writing that was written, Mene, stars, if thou be able to number them: Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. This is the in- and he said unto him, So shall thy seed terpretation of the thing: Mene; God be." Num. 28: 10, "Who can count hath numbered thy kingdom;" i. e. hath the dust of Jacob, or number the fourth brought to an end, hath finished, thy part thereof?" This language can only kingdom, after accurately exploring, be considered as holding good of the weighing, and estimating its quality. spiritual and not of the natural Israel. And so elsewhere. From the whole, They became indeed a populous nation, then, we gather that the numbering but the expressions cited above far here commanded to Moses and Aaron transcend the actuality of their literal has respect rather to the visitation, in- increase. It is in the Christian church spection, and orderly arrangement im- only that they receive a complete fulfilplied in the more genuine import of the ment. The same remark may be made term, and that in its typical bearings it in regard to the perpetuity of David's refers to that inner process which causes throne. 2 Sam. 7:10, "Thine house the church to "shine forth fair as the and thy kingdom shall be established moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as for ever before thee: thy throne shall an army with banners," in which last be established for ever." Comp. Ps. expression we are probably to recog- 89: 36, 37. Luke 1:33. We are comnize an allusion to the appearance of pelled to have recourse to an ulterior the hosts of Israel when marshalled in meaning in order to satisfy the demands the order described in this and the fol- of these texts. In giving, therefore, a lowing chapters. The principle we re- similar scope to the word number in gard as sound that the nation of Israel this connection, we consider ourselves sustained a typical relation to the warranted by the principle above church of after times-the relation, as stated, and which has ever been conit were, of a shadow to a substance- sidered sound by the great mass of and that consequently it is no matter Christian expositors. of surprise if we occasionally meet with of this principle is in our view a most terms which, though applied in the first injudicious and dangerous concession instance to the Israelitish economy, yet to the spirit of German rationalism, have not their meaning exhausted in which would fain eliminate from the that application, and are therefore to Word of God every divine element.

The giving up

4 And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers.

5 And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: Of the tribe of Reuben; Elizur the son of Shedeur.

d

6 Of Simeon; Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

8 Of Issachar; Nethaneel the son of Zuar.

9 Of Zebulun; Eliab the son of Helon.

10 Of the children of Joseph of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud: of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

11 Of Benjamin; Abidan the

7 Of Judah; Nahshon the son of Gideoni. son of Amminadab.

12 Of Dan; Ahiezer the son

deh. 2. 10, etc. ch. 7. of Ammishaddai.

e Ex. 18. 25. Josh. 22. 14. d ch. 2. 16, etc. ch. 7. 30, etc. 10. 18, etc. e Ruth 4. 20.

V. 4. And with you there shall be a man of every tribe. Heb. "With you there shall be (plur.) a man, a man to a tribe." This is rendered for the most part by the different versions as in ours -"a man of every tribe," as the subsequent verses show to have been the fact; although from the plural usage and the repetition of "man," it might seem that more than one individual was intended for each tribe. But as shown from parallel usage it is doubtless a distributive form of expression involving no special peculiarity of sense. Probably the more exact idea is, "there shall be with you some man or other to each tribe," but whoever he were, he was to be one holding a conspicuous rank in his tribe. This is implied in the appellation "head of the house of his fathers," which however does not signify the first-born in their several tribes, but those who were acknowledged as prominent on some other account, as their wisdom or valor, or some other distinguishing trait.

tribe of) Reuben. Heb. "To Reuben." Gr. "Of those of Reuben." The supply of "tribe," "sons," "children," or something equivalent is very proper, as appears from comparing v. 10, where instead of simply "of Joseph," as here "of Reuben," we read "of the children of Joseph."-In the ensuing verses to v. 16 we have barely a list of the names of the twelve chiefs, princes, or headmen who were now selected as assistants to Moses and Aaron in the muster enjoined. In regard to these there is nothing of special note demanding attention, excepting, perhaps, that in the order of recital Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, the sons of Leah, and Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin, the sons of Rachel, take the precedence of Dan, Asher, Gad, and Naphtali, the sons of the handmaids Billah and Zilpah. In the former enumeration, Ex. 1:2, 3, and in the inscription on the precious stones, Ex. 28: 9, 10, the order is very nearly the same, although the name of Asher does not come in here as V. 5. These are the names of the men elsewhere.-Levi and Joseph are omitthat shall stand with you. To "stand ted; the first because that tribe was to with" is to "assist," which is evident be numbered by itself, and the second, from the fact that the word "assist" because Joseph's two sons, Ephraim itself is etymologically equivalent to and Manasseh, representing the double "stand with” (ad and sto).—¶ Of (the portion that pertained to his birthright, |

"And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick, both yesterday and to-day, as heretofore?"

¶ Of the congregation. From the usage of this term in several instances it would appear that it does not always denote the whole congregation, the entire mass of the Israelitish nation, but the deputies or representatives of the several tribes convened and acting in the name of the whole. Michaelis (Laws of Moses, P. I. art. 45) draws this inference from the fact that while Moses is said to have spoken "to the whole con

V. 16. These were the renowned of the congregation. Heb. keruë hâedah, the called ones of the congregation. The original word signifies literally called or named, as if in this instance imply ing those who were designated by the Lord himself to this function, which would of course have the effect to render them more distinguished and honorable than before. The Latin Vulg.gregation," yet he could not possibly accordingly has "nobilissimi principes multitudinis,” most noble princes of the multitude. The Gr. EжIкλNTO, distinguished, illustrious. In other connections, as Num. 16: 2. 26:9. Ez. 23: 23, it is rendered to the same effect, famous and renowned; but for the most part the English words answering to it are called, invited, bidden, and also guests. We may here perhaps unite the two senses, and consider the term as denoting persons renowned for the wisdom of age, and therefore called to consult upon all matters of importance pertaining to the tribes. This is favored by some of the earlier English versions. "Ancient men (or elders).”— Cov. "Counsellors.”—Mat. "The called."--Ains. They who are called."-Pur. Rabbi Sol. Jarchi says these were the same personages who in Egpyt were beaten by Pharaoh's taskmasters. Ex. 5:14,

have been heard by one or two millions of people, and therefore he must have addressed himself to a certain number of persons deputed to represent the rest. These persons he understands to be denoted by "the called of the congregation" here mentioned. Syr. "The celebrated of the assembly." This import of a national council or diet, of a representative character, we regard as probably the correct one. The context will generally determine when it bears this sense. ¶ Princes of the tribes of their fathers. Heb. nesië mattoth, princes or rulers of the tribes. "Captains."-Cov. "Lords."-Mat., Cran. The original is derived from a root signifying to raise, to elevate, and denotes accordingly one who is lifted up and officially preferred above the rest of the people, -T Heads of the thousands in Israel.

Gr. xiλiapxo, chiliarchs.

17 And Moses and Aaron took these men which are expressed by their names i:

h

ed Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.

20 And the children of Reu

18 And they assembled all ben, Israel's eldest son, by the congregation together on their generations, after their the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls. 19 As the LORD command- of them, even of the tribe of

A Rev. 7. 4, etc. i John 10. 3. ver. 20, etc. ver. 2.

families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years. old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; 21 Those that were numbered

These "heads" were not only men of or conveyed to ažovas, tables, denoting note and weight in their tribes, such a process of registration. As they demen as Jethro advised Moses to asso-clared their genealogies, the proper ciate with him in governing the people, Ex. 18:21, but also commanders of the bands or companies of thousands into which the tribes were divided, respecting which see Ex. 18:21, 25. The Heb. term for "thousands" is rendered "families" in Judg. 6:15, though retained in Mic. 5: 2, where it is translated by the Gr. “rulers" or governors,” which rendering is sanctioned by the Spirit of inspiration, as it occurs Mat. 2:6.

V. 17. Which are expressed by their names. Heb. nikkebo, pricked or pierced, i. e. designated. See Note on Lev. 26:11. V. 18. And they assembled, etc. As the command was given by the Lord from the Tabernacle on the first day of the second month, v. 1, so it appears it was immediately executed, or began to be executed, on the same day. True obedience is ever a prompt obedience.

And they declared their pedigrees. líeb. yithyaledu, they genealogized themselves. That is, recited their pedigree according to their families and houses. The Gr., according to one reading, has EaEOKEπNTAV, recounted, and according to another ηovovgav, i. e. referred

officers took them down. The fair implication is, that in all matters pertaining to the order in which the Lord would have his church arranged, while he in a supreme manner controls and overrules every thing, yet his people are not to forego their own agency, but are to do all in their power to number and arrange themselves.- -T By their polls. Heb. “By their skulls.” Gr.

"From head to head.”

V. 20. And the children of Reuben. Reuben holds the first place, not because his tribe was the most numerous, for in this respect it fell short of several of the others, but from his being the first-born. ¶ By their generations, after their families, etc. See on these subdivisions of the tribes the Note on v. 2. above. "Generations" denotes a larger number than "families," and "families" than "houses,' while "houses," or households, comprised all the individuals pertaining to each.

V. 21. Those that were numbered of them, etc. Heb. pekudehem le-matteh re-ubën, the numbered of them to the tribe of Reuber, or more correctly the arranged, the marshalled, the ordered;