1
Nu 1:1-54.
英文原文
Nu 1:1-54.
MOSES NUMBERING THE MEN OF WAR.
1, 2. on the first day of the second month, &c.--Thirteen months had elapsed since the exodus. About one month had been occupied in the journey; and the rest of the period had been passed in encampment among the recesses of Sinai, where the transactions took place, and the laws, religious and civil, were promulgated, which are contained in the two preceding books. As the tabernacle was erected on the first day of the first month, and the order here mentioned was given on the first day of the second, some think the laws in Leviticus were all given in one month. The Israelites having been formed into a separate nation, under the special government of God as their King, it was necessary, before resuming their march towards the promised land, to put them into good order. And accordingly Moses was commissioned, along with Aaron, to take a census of the people. This census was incidentally noticed
(Ex 38:26),
in reference to the poll tax for the works of the tabernacle; but it is here described in detail, in order to show the relative increase and military strength of the different tribes. The enumeration was confined to those capable of bearing arms
[Nu 1:3],
and it was to be made with a careful distinction of the tribe, family, and household to which every individual belonged. By this rule of summation many important advantages were secured: an exact genealogical register was formed, the relative strength of each tribe was ascertained, and the reason found for arranging the order of precedence in march as well as disposing the different tribes in camp around the tabernacle. The promise of God to Abraham
[Ge 22:17]
was seen to be fulfilled in the extraordinary increase of his posterity, and provision made for tracing the regular descent of the Messiah.
3
無標題
3. 亞倫要按着他們的軍隊數點他們——或作「隊伍」。他們出埃及時分為五大隊
(Ex 13:18)， 但自曠野起行到過約但河，則編為四大隊。此處所指的乃是後者。
英文原文
3. Aaron shall number them by their armies--or companies. In their departure from Egypt they were divided into five grand companies
(Ex 13:18),
but from the sojourn in the wilderness to the passage of the Jordan, they were formed into four great divisions. The latter is here referred to.
4
無標題
4-16. 每支派中必有一個人等——以色列人在曠野中的社會狀況，與今日東方遊牧部落極為相近。支派之首是世襲的尊榮，由長子或轉移了長子名分的其他人承襲；其下又有各分支的次要首領，亦皆世襲。以色列人既分為十二支派，便立了十二位首領協助數點百姓。
英文原文
4-16. with you there shall be a man of every tribe, &c.--The social condition of the Israelites in the wilderness bore a close resemblance to that of the nomad tribes of the East in the present day. The head of the tribe was a hereditary dignity, vested in the oldest son or some other to whom the right of primogeniture was transferred, and under whom were other inferior heads, also hereditary, among the different branches of the tribe. The Israelites being divided into twelve tribes, there were twelve chiefs appointed to assist in taking the census of the people.
5
無標題
5. 這些人的名字如下，要與你們同站等——各人以其支派祖先之名來標明，那支派的百姓便被稱為「流便之子」、「利未之子」——這是阿拉伯人至今仍沿用的習俗，也是其他分宗族的民族所共有的，如蘇格蘭的 Mac、威爾斯的 Ap、愛爾蘭的 O 和 Fitz〔CHALMERS〕。
英文原文
5. these are the names of the men that shall stand with you, &c.--Each is designated by adding the name of the ancestors of his tribe, the people of which were called "Beni-Reuben," "Beni-Levi," sons of Reuben, sons of Levi, according to the custom of the Arabs still, as well as other nations which are divided into clans, as the Macs of Scotland, the Aps of Wales, and the O's and the Fitzes of Ireland [CHALMERS].
16
無標題
16-18. 這都是會中有名的人——按字面是會眾「被召的人」，被點名召來；他們在命令下達的當日便着手統計。
英文原文
16-18. These were the renowned--literally, "the called" of the congregation, summoned by name; and they entered upon the survey the very day the order was given.
18
無標題
18. 按着宗族——即按人頭，逐一地。
英文原文
18. by their polls--individually, one by one.
19
無標題
19. 耶和華怎樣吩咐摩西等——數點百姓本身並非有罪之舉，因摩西是奉神之命而行；但大衛卻因未經神的授權而行此事，便擔了罪。（參
2Sa 24:10）。
英文原文
19. As the Lord commanded Moses, &c.--The numbering of the people was not an act sinful in itself, as Moses did it by divine appointment; but David incurred guilt by doing it without the authority of God. (See on
2Sa 24:10).
20
無標題
20-44. 這些就是被數點的——這次登記中，猶大支派人數最多；因此，正如雅各已將首位歸給猶大〔Ge 49:8-12〕， 它在以色列一切營盤中都居首位。約瑟的兩個半支派——約瑟被看為「多結果子的樹枝」〔Ge 49:22〕—— 中以法蓮較大，正如所預言的。各支派人數的相對增長，如上述兩支派一樣，都歸於神特別的賜福，與垂死的先祖預言性的宣告相符。但神的賜福通常藉着次要原因的影響而賜下；我們有理由相信，在神之下，各支派人數的多寡，取決於所分得各地的出產豐嗇。〔列表見
Nu 26:64。〕
英文原文
20-44. These are those that were numbered--In this registration the tribe of Judah appears the most numerous; and accordingly, as the pre-eminence had been assigned to it by Jacob
[Ge 49:8-12],
it got the precedence in all the encampments of Israel. Of the two half-tribes of Joseph, who is seen to be "a fruitful bough"
[Ge 49:22],
that of Ephraim was the larger, as had been predicted. The relative increase of all, as in the two just mentioned, was owing to the special blessing of God, conformably to the prophetic declaration of the dying patriarch. But the divine blessing is usually conveyed through the influence of secondary causes; and there is reason to believe that the relative populousness of the tribes would, under God, depend upon the productiveness of the respective localities assigned to them. [For tabular chart, see on
Nu 26:64.]
45
無標題
45, 46. 被數的人共有六十萬等——從約二百十五年前下到埃及的七十五人（參見
Ge 46:8）
增長至此，何等驚人！而且他們曾經受了極大的困苦與艱難！然而這次數點僅限於二十歲以上的男子
[Nu 1:3]。
若包括婦女、孩童與老人，再加上利未人，按一般的計算原則，以色列的總人口約達二百四十萬。
英文原文
45, 46. all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand, &c.--What an astonishing increase from seventy-five persons who went down to Egypt about two hundred fifteen years before [see on
Ge 46:8],
and who were subjected to the greatest privations and hardships! And yet this enumeration was restricted to men from twenty years and upwards
[Nu 1:3].
Including women, children, and old men, together with the Levites, the whole population of Israel, on the ordinary principles of computation, amounted to about 2,400,000.
47
無標題
47-54. 惟獨利未人……沒有按其中數點的——他們必須自行保存一份名冊。他們被分別為聖歸於祭司的職任，這職任在各國通常都免服兵役，在以色列則是藉神明確的權柄而定。專獻於事奉神之物的看守，如此專屬於他們，以致「凡外人」——即任何別支派的以色列人——都不可挨近這些事物，違者處死
[Nu 16:40]。
因此他們在帳幕四圍安營，免得神的憤怒臨到百姓中間。如此，百姓的數點便服務於兩個目的：將利未人從適合服役的以色列人中分別出來，並實際引進關乎長子的律法——利未支派成為長子的替代
[Ex 13:2； Nu 3:12]。
英文原文
47-54. But the Levites . . . were not numbered among them--They were obliged to keep a register of their own. They were consecrated to the priestly office, which in all countries has been exempted customarily, and in Israel by the express authority of God, from military service. The custody of the things devoted to the divine service was assigned to them so exclusively, that "no stranger"--that is, no person, not even an Israelite of any other tribe, was allowed, under penalty of death, to approach these
[Nu 16:40].
Hence they encamped round the tabernacle in order that there should be no manifestation of the divine displeasure among the people. Thus the numbering of the people was subservient to the separation of the Levites from those Israelites who were fit for military service, and to the practical introduction of the law respecting the first-born, for whom the tribe of Levi became a substitute
[Ex 13:2; Nu 3:12].
Nu 1:1-54.
摩西數點能打仗的人
1, 2. 二月初一日等——出埃及至今已過了十三個月。其中約一個月耗於行程，其餘時間都紮營在西奈的深山之中；其間所發生的事，以及在前兩卷書中所載的宗教與民事律法，都在此頒佈。帳幕既在正月初一日立起，而這裏所記的命令又在二月初一日下達，便有人推想《利未記》中的律法全是在這一個月之內賜下的。以色列人既已成為一個獨立的民族，在神親自作王、特別治理之下，在恢復向應許之地進發之前，必須先把他們整飭得井然有序。於是摩西奉命與亞倫一同數點百姓。這次數點在
(Ex 38:26)
中已附帶提及，是為帳幕工程的人頭稅而設；此處卻詳細記述，為要顯明各支派人數的增減與軍力強弱。統計的範圍只限於能拿兵器的人
[Nu 1:3]， 且要仔細分辨每個人屬於哪一支派、哪一家族、哪一宗室。按此法統計帶來許多重要的好處：精確的族譜得以建立，各支派的相對實力得以查明，行軍的先後次序與各支派圍繞帳幕紮營的佈置也有了依據。神對亞伯拉罕的應許
[Ge 22:17]
在他後裔奇妙的繁增中得到應驗，並為追尋彌賽亞正統譜系鋪設了途徑。