Numbers 26 — The Second Census

BIBLE TEXT

Numbers 26:1-65

SUMMARY

A second census, this time of those who had survived the wilderness, is taken prior to the entry into the Promised Land.

ANALYSIS

While some tribes stayed mostly stable, others grew or shrank precipitously from the first census to the second. The largest percentage change occurred in Manasseh, which grew by 64% and in Simeon, which shrank by 63%. The most important thing to note is that the generation that left Egypt was wiped out, with two notable exceptions: Caleb ben Jephunnah and Joshua ben Nun (Numbers 26:64-65), the faithful spies (Numbers 13:1-33).