Charles Ellicott Commentary Numbers 26:14

Charles Ellicott Commentary

Numbers 26:14

1819–1905
Anglican
Charles Ellicott
Charles Ellicott

Charles Ellicott Commentary

Numbers 26:14

1819–1905
Anglican
SCRIPTURE

"These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred." — Numbers 26:14 (ASV)

Twenty and two thousand and two hundred.— This shows a decrease of 37,100 in the tribe of Simeon. Zimri, the chief offender in the matter of Baal-peor, belonged to this tribe, and, as in the case of the Reubenites, it is probable that he had led astray many of his tribe with him. It is remarkable that this is the only tribe on which, according to the present Hebrew text, no blessing was pronounced by Moses (Deuteronomy 33), and that in the allotment of the land of Canaan the inheritance of Simeon was only the remnant of that which was assigned to Judah (Joshua 19:9).

The “Codex Alexandrinus” inserts a clause: “Let Simeon be many in number.