Fragmenda

Scripture

Numbers 1–3

Book Introduction

This fourth Book of Moses is called NUMBERS, because it begins with the numbering of the people. The Hebrews, from its first words, call it VAIEDABBER. It contains the transactions of the Israelites from the second month of the second year after their going out of Egypt, until the beginning of the eleventh month of the fortieth year; that is, a history almost of thirty-nine years.

Numbers 1

The children of Israel are numbered: the Levites are designed to serve the tabernacle.

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai in the tabernacle of the covenant, the first day of the second month, the second year of their going out of Egypt, saying:
2 

Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel by their families, and houses, and the names of every one, as many as are of the male sex,

3 

From twenty years old and upwards, of all the men of Israel fit for war, and you shall number them by their troops, thou and Aaron.

4 

And there shall be with you the princes of the tribes, and of the houses in their kindreds,

5 

Whose names are these: Of Ruben, Elisur the son of Sedeur.

6 

Of Simeon, Salamiel the son of Surisaddai.

7 

Of Juda, Nahasson the son of Aminadab.

8 

Of Issachar, Nathanael the son of Suar.

9 

Of Zabulon, Eliab the son of Helon.

10 

And of the sons of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elisama the son of Ammiud: of Manasses, Gamaliel the son of Phadassur.

11 

Of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gedeon.

12 

Of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammisaddai.

13 

Of Aser, Phegiel the son of Ochran.

14 

Of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Duel.

15 

Of Nephtali, Ahira the son of Enan.

16 

These are the most noble princes of the multitude by their tribes and kindreds, and the chiefs of the army of Israel:

17 

Whom Moses and Aaron took with all the multitude of the common people:

18 

And assembled them on the first day of the second month, reckoning them up by the kindreds, and houses, and families, and heads, and names of every one from twenty years old and upward,

19 

As the Lord had commanded Moses. And they were numbered in the desert of Sinai.

20 

Of Ruben the eldest son of Israel, by their generations and families and houses and names of every head, all that were of the male sex, from twenty years old and upward, that were able to go forth to war,

21 

Were forty-six thousand five hundred.

22 

Of the sons of Simeon by their generations and families, and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names and heads of every one, all that were of the male sex, from twenty years old and upward, that were able to go forth to war,

23 

Fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

24 

Of the sons of Gad, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

25 

Forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

26 

Of the sons of Juda, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds, by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

27 

Were reckoned up seventy-four thousand six hundred.

28 

Of the sons of Issachar, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds, by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that could go forth to war,

29 

Were reckoned up fifty-four thousand four hundred.

30 

Of the sons of Zabulon, by the generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

31 

Fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

32 

Of the sons of Joseph, namely, of the sons of Ephraim, by the generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

33 

Forty thousand five hundred.

34 

Moreover of the sons of Manasses, by the generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that could go forth to war,

35 

Thirty-two thousand two hundred.

36 

Of the sons of Benjamin, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

37 

Thirty-five thousand four hundred.

38 

Of the sons of Dan, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

39 

Sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

40 

Of the sons of Aser, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war,

41 

Forty-one thousand and five hundred.

42 

Of the sons of Nephtali, by their generations and families and houses of their kindreds, were reckoned up by the names of every one from twenty years old and upward, were able to go forth to war,

43 

Fifty-three thousand four hundred.

44 

These are they who were numbered by Moses and Aaron, and the twelve princes of Israel, every one by the houses of their kindreds.

45 

And the whole number of the children of Israel by their houses and families, from twenty years old and upward, that were able to go to war,

46 

Were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty men.

47 

But the Levites in the tribes of their families were not numbered with them.

48 

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

49 

Number not the tribe of Levi, neither shalt thou put down the sum of them with the children of Israel:

50 

But appoint them over the tabernacle of the testimony, and all the vessels thereof, and whatsoever pertaineth to the ceremonies. They shall carry the tabernacle and all the furniture thereof: and they shall minister, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.

51 

When you are to go forward, the Levites shall take down the tabernacle: when you are to camp, they shall set it up. What stranger soever cometh to it, shall be slain.

52 

And the children of Israel shall camp every man by his troops and bands and army.

53 

But the Levites shall pitch their tents round about the tabernacle, lest there come indignation upon the multitude of the children of Israel, and they shall keep watch, and guard the tabernacle of the testimony.

54 

And the children of Israel did according to all things which the Lord had commanded Moses.


Numbers 2

The order of the tribes in their camp.

1 

And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:

2 

All the children of Israel shall camp by their troops, ensigns, and standards, and the houses of their kindreds, round about the tabernacle of the covenant.

3 

On the east Juda shall pitch his tents by the bands of his army: and the prince of his sons; shall be Nahasson the son of Aminadab.

4 

And the whole sum of the fighting men of his stock, were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

5 

Next unto him they of the tribe of Issachar encamped, whose prince was Nathanael, the son of Suar.

6 

And the whole number of his fighting men were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

7 

In the tribe of Zabulon the prince was Eliab the son of Helon.

8 

And all the army of fighting men of his stock, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

9 

All that were numbered in the camp of Juda, were a hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred: and they by their troops shall march first.

10 

In the camp of the sons of Ruben, on the south side, the prince shall be Elisur the son of Sedeur:

11 

And the whole army of his fighting men, that were numbered, were forty-six thousand five hundred.

12 

Beside him camped they of the tribe of Simeon: whose prince was Salamiel the son of Surisaddai.

13 

And the whole army of his fighting men, that were numbered, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

14 

In the tribe of Gad the prince was Eliasaph the son of Duel.

15 

And the whole army of his fighting men that were numbered, were forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

16 

All that were reckoned up in the camp of Ruben, were a hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty, by their troops: they shall march in the second place.

17 

And the tabernacle of the testimony shall be carried by the officers of the Levites and their troops. As it shall be set up, so shall it be taken down. Every one shall march according to their places, and ranks.

18 

On the west side shall be the camp of the sons of Ephraim, whose prince was Elisama the son of Ammiud.

19 

The whole army of his fighting men, that were numbered, were forty thousand five hundred.

20 

And with them the tribe of the sons of Manasses, whose prince was Gamaliel the son of Phadassur.

21 

And the whole army of his fighting men, that were numbered, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

22 

In the tribe of the sons of Benjamin the prince was Abidan the son of Gedeon.

23 

And the whole army of fighting men, that were reckoned up, were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

24 

All that were numbered in the camp of Ephraim, were a hundred and eight-thousand one hundred by their troops: they shall march in the third place.

25 

On the north side camped the sons of Dan: whose prince was Ahiezar the son of Ammisaddai.

26 

The whole army of his fighting men, that were numbered, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

27 

Beside him they of the tribe of Aser pitched their tents: whose prince was Phegiel the son of Ochran.

28 

The whole army of his fighting men, that were numbered, were forty-one thousand five hundred.

29 

Of the tribe of the sons of Nephtali the prince was Ahira the son of Enan.

30 

The whole army of his fighting men, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

31 

All that were numbered in the camp of Dan, were a hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred: and they shall march last.

32 

This is the number of the children of Israel, of their army divided according to the houses of their kindreds and their troops, six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

33 

And the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel: for so the Lord had commanded Moses.

34 

And the children of Israel did according to all things that the Lord had commanded. They camped by their troops, and marched by the families and houses of their fathers.


Numbers 3

The Levites are numbered and their offices distinguished. They are taken in the place of the firstborn of the children of Israel.

1 

These are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the Lord spoke to Moses in mount Sinai.

2 

And these the names of the sons of Aaron: his firstborn Nadab, then Abiu, and Eleazar, and Ithamar.

3 

These the names of the sons of Aaron the priests that were anointed, and whose hands were filled and consecrated, to do the functions of priesthood.

4 

Now Nadab and Abiu died, without children, when they offered strange fire before the Lord, in the desert of Sinai: and Eleazar and Ithamar performed the priestly office in the presence of Aaron their father.

5 

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

6 

Bring the tribe of Levi, and make them stand in the sight of Aaron the priest to minister to him, and let them watch,

7 

And observe whatsoever appertaineth to the service of the multitude before the tabernacle of the testimony,

8 

And let them keep the vessels of the tabernacle, serving in the ministry thereof.

9 

And thou shalt give the Levites for a gift,

10 

To Aaron and to his sons, to whom they are delivered by the children of Israel. But thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons over the service of priesthood. The stranger that approacheth to minister, shall be put to death.

11 

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

12 

I have taken the Levites from the children of Israel, for every firstborn that openeth the womb among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.

13 

For every firstborn is mine: since I struck the firstborn in the land of Egypt: I have sanctified to myself whatsoever is firstborn in Israel both of man and beast, they are mine: I am the Lord.

14 

And the Lord spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, saying:

15 

Number the sons of Levi by the houses of their fathers and their families, every male from one month and upward.

16 

Moses numbered them as the Lord had commanded.

17 

And there were found sons of Levi by their names, Gerson and Caath Merari.

18 

The sons of Gerson: Lebni and Semei.

19 

The sons of Caath: Amram, and Jesaar, Hebron and Oziel:

20 

The sons of Merari, Moholi and Musi.

21 

Of Gerson were two families, the Lebnites, and the Semeites:

22 

Of which were numbered, people of the male sex from one month and upward, seven thousand five hundred.

23 

These shall pitch behind the tabernacle on the west,

24 

Under their prince Eliasaph the son of Lael.

25 

And their charge shall be in the tabernacle of the covenant:

26 

The tabernacle itself and the cover thereof, the hanging that is drawn before the doors of the tabernacle of the covenant, and the curtains of the court: the hanging also that is hanged in the entry of the court of the tabernacle, and whatsoever belongeth to the rite of the altar, the cords of the tabernacle, and all the furniture thereof.

27 

Of the kindred of Caath come the families of the Amramites and Jesaarites and Hebronites and Ozielites. These are the families of the Caathites reckoned up by their names:

28 

All of the male sex from one month and upward, eight thousand six hundred: they shall have the guard of the sanctuary,

29 

And shall camp on the south side.

30 

And their prince shall be Elisaphan the son of Oziel:

31 

And they shall keep the ark, and the table and the candlestick, the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary, wherewith they minister, and the veil, and all the furniture of this kind.

32 

And the prince of the princes of the Levites, Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, shall be over them that watch for the guard of the sanctuary.

33 

And of Merari are the families of the Moholites, and Musites, reckoned up by their names:

34 

All of the male kind from one month and upward, six thousand two hundred.

35 

Their prince Suriel the son of Abihaiel: their shall camp on the north side.

36 

Under their custody shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars, and the pillars and their sockets, and all things that pertain to this kind of service:

37 

And the pillars of the court round about with their sockets, and the pins with their cords.

38 

Before the tabernacle of the covenant, that is to say on the east side shall Moses and Aaron camp, with their sons, having the custody of the sanctuary, in the midst of the children of Israel. What stranger soever cometh unto it, shall be put to death.

39 

All the Levites, that I Moses and Aaron numbered according to the precept of the Lord, by their f families, of the male kind from one month and upward, were twenty-two thousand.

40 

And the Lord said to Moses: Number the firstborn of the male sex of the children of Israel, from one month and upward, and thou shalt take the sum of them.

41 

And thou shalt take the Levites to me for all the firstborn of the children of Israel, I am the Lord: and their cattle for all the firstborn of the cattle of the children of Israel:

42 

Moses reckoned up, as the Lord had commanded, the firstborn of the children of Israel:

43 

And the males by their names, from one month and upward, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.

44 

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

45 

Take the Levites for the firstborn of the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites for their cattle, and the Levites shall be mine. I am the Lord.

46 

But for the price of the two hundred and seventy-three, of the firstborn of the children of Israel, that exceed the number of the Levites,

47 

Thou shalt take five sicles for every head, according to the weight of the sanctuary. A sicle hath twenty obols.

48 

And thou shalt give the money to Aaron and his sons, the price of them that are above.

49 

Moses therefore took the money of them that were above, and whom they had redeemed from the Levites,

50 

For the firstborn of the children of Israel, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five sicles, according to the weight of the sanctuary,

51 

And gave it to Aaron and his sons according to the word that the Lord had commanded him.

Catechism

Catechism of the Council of Trent, Part 1, Chapter 7, Sections 1-4

Meaning Of This Article

For the glory and adornment of His Church Jesus Christ is invested with three eminent offices and functions: those of Redeemer, Mediator, and Judge. Since in the preceding Articles it was shown that the human race was redeemed by His Passion and death, and since by His Ascension into heaven it is manifest that He has undertaken the perpetual advocacy and patronage of our cause, it remains that in this Article we set forth His character as Judge. The scope and intent of the Article is to declare that on the last day Christ the Lord will judge the whole human race.

"From Thence He Shall Come"

The Sacred Scriptures inform us that there are two comings of the Son of God: the one when He assumed human flesh for our salvation in the womb of a virgin; the other when He shall come at the end of the world to judge all mankind. This latter coming is called in Scripture the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord, says the Apostle, shall come, as a thief in the night; and our Lord Himself says: Of that day and hour no one knoweth.

"To Judge the Living and the Dead"

In proof of the (last) judgment it is enough to adduce the authority of the Apostle: We must all appear before the judgment­seat of Christ, that every one may receive the proper things of the body, according as he hath done, whether it be good or evil. There are numerous passages of Sacred Scripture which the pastor will find in various places and which not only establish the truth of the dogma, but also place it in vivid colours before the eyes of the faithful. And if, from the beginning of the world that day of the Lord, on which He was clothed with our flesh, was sighed for by all as the foundation of their hope of deliverance; so also, after the death and Ascension of the Son of God, we should make that other day of the Lord the object of our most earnest desires, looking for the blessed hope and coming of the glory of the great God.'

Two Judgments

In explaining this subject the pastor should distinguish two different occasions on which everyone must appear in the presence of the Lord to render an account of all his thoughts, words and actions, and to receive immediate sentence from his Judge.

The first takes place when each one of us departs this life; for then he is instantly placed before the judgment­seat of God, where all that he has ever done or spoken or thought during life shall be subjected to the most rigid scrutiny. This is called the particular judgment.

The second occurs when on the same day and in the same place all men shall stand together before the tribunal of their Judge, that in the presence and hearing of all human beings of all times each may know his final doom and sentence. The announcement of this judgment will constitute no small part of the pain and punishment of the wicked; whereas the good and just will derive great reward and consolation from the fact that it will then appear what each one was in life. This is called the general judgment.