\\INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS\\

This book has its name from the account it gives of the "numbers" of
the children of Israel, twice taken particularly; which name it has
with this Greeks and Latins, and so with the Syriac and Arabic
versions; but with the Jews it is called sometimes "Vajedabber", from
the first word of it, "and the Lord spake"; and sometimes "Bemidbar",
from the fifth word of the first verse, "in the wilderness", and
sometimes "Sepher Pikkudim"; or, as with Origen {a}, "Ammesphkodim",
the book of musters or surveys. That it was written by Moses is not to
be doubted; and is indeed suggested by our Lord himself, \\#Joh 5:46\\
compared with \\#Nu 3:14\\, and the references to it, in the New Testament,
fully ascertain to us Christians the authenticity of it, as that of our
Lord hinted at, and those of the apostle in \\#1Co 10:4 Heb 9:13,14\\.
It contains an history of the affairs of the Israelites, and of their
travel in the wilderness for the space of thirty eight years; though
the principal facts it relates were done in the second year of their
coming out of Egypt, and in the last of their being in the wilderness;
and it is not merely historical, but gives a particular account of
several laws, ceremonial and judicial, to be observed by the people of
Israel, as well as has many things in it very instructive, both of a
moral and evangelical nature.

\\INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 1\\

In this chapter orders are given to Moses to take the number of the
children of Israel, from twenty years old and upwards, \\#Nu 1:1-3\\; and
the men that were to assist in this work, one of each tribe are
mentioned by name, \\#Nu 1:4-16\\; all which was accordingly done,
\\#Nu 1:17-19\\; and the particular numbers of each tribe are recorded,
as they were taken, \\#Nu 1:20-44\\; and the sum total is given,
\\#Nu 1:45,46\\; the Levites being excepted, who were employed about the
tabernacle, and so not to be employed in military service,
\\#Nu 1:47-51\\; they encamped about that, while the Israelites pitched
their tents every man by his own camp and standard, \\#Nu 1:52-54\\.

{a} Apud Euseb. Hist. Ecclesiast. l. 6. c. 25.