1-2. After the plague God said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, “Number the entire community of Israel by families—count every person who is twenty years and older who is able to serve in the army of Israel.”
3-4. Obeying God’s command, Moses and Eleazar the priest addressed them on the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho: “Count off from age twenty and older.”
4-7. The People of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt:Reuben, Israel’s firstborn. The sons of Reuben were:Hanoch and the Hanochite clan,Pallu and the Palluite clan,Hezron and the Hezronite clan,Carmi and the Carmite clan.These made up the Reubenite clans. They numbered 43,730.
8. The son of Pallu: Eliab.
9-11. The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. (These were the same Dathan and Abiram, community leaders from Korah’s gang, who rebelled against Moses and Aaron in the Korah Rebellion against God. The Earth opened its jaws and swallowed them along with Korah’s gang who died when the fire ate them up, all 250 of them. After all these years, they’re still a warning sign. But the line of Korah did not die out.)
12-14. The sons of Simeon by clans:Nemuel and the Nemuelite clan,Jamin and the Jaminite clan,Jakin and the Jakinite clan,Zerah and the Zerahite clan,Shaul and the Shaulite clan.These were the clans of Simeon. They numbered 22,200 men.