Bamidbar (In the Wilderness)
(Sefer Bamidbar) Numbers 1:1 – 4:20

1:1- “And YHVH spoke unto Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of
the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
2- Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Yisrael, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls;
3- From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Yisrael: thou and Aharon shall number them by their armies.
5- And these are the names of the men who will stand with you: for Reuven, Elitzur ben Shedeur.
6- For Shimon, Shlumiel ben Tzurishaddai.
7- For Yehudah, Nachshon ben Aminadav.
8- For Yissachar, Natanel ben Tzuar.
9- For Zevulun, Eliav ben Chelon.
10- For the sons of Yoseph: for Ephrayim, Elishama ben Amihud; for Menashe, Gamliel ben Pedahtzur.
11- For Benyamin, Avidan ben Gidoni.
12- For Dan, Achiezer ben Amishaddai.
13- For Asher, Pagiel ben Achran.
14- For Gad, Elyasaph ben of Deuel.
15- For Naphtali, Achira ben Einan.
16- These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Yisrael.
17- And Moshe and Aharon took these men which are expressed by their names:
19- As YHVH commanded Moshe, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.
45- So were all those that were numbered of the children of Yisrael, by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Yisrael;
46- So all those numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.
2:9- All that were numbered in the camp of Yehudah were an hundred thousand and fourscore thousand
and six thousand and four hundred, for their armies. These shall set forth first.
16- All that were numbered in the camp of Reuven were a hundred thousand and fifty and one thousand and four hundred and fifty, for their armies. And they shall journey in the second rank.
24- All that were numbered of the camp of Ephraim were a hundred thousand and eight thousand and a hundred, for their armies. And they shall go forward in the third rank.
31- All they that were numbered in the camp of Dan were a hundred thousand and fifty and seven
thousand and six hundred. They shall set out last by their standards.”

“And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Yaakov, but Yisrael: for as a prince has thou
power with Elohim and with men, and has prevailed.”
(Genesis 32:28)
“And Eliyahu took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Yaakov,
unto whom the word of YHVH came, saying, Yisrael shall be thy name.”
(1 Kings 18:31)
“As the Army of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I
multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.”
(Jeremiah 33:22)
“Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities
of our Elohim: and let YHVH do that which is good in his sight.”
(1 Chronicles 19:13)
“YHVH shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry,
yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.”
(Isaiah 42:13)
“As when the melting fire burns, the fire causes the waters to boil, to make thy name known to
thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!”
(Isaiah 64:2)
“And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of YHVH; and they shall
be afraid of thee.” (Deuteronomy 28:10)

Bamidbar Summary:
1. Assembled by Name, Ordered in Rank for War:
The journey in this life is one which leads us to the battle. Though there are indeed wars without, it is the conquest within which is our mission. Armed with heavenly armor, as Isaiah 59:17 relates:
“For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and
he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak,”
the army of the sons of Yisrael is a telling sign of a Heavenly war plan. For, in this week’s parasha is a covert plan for marching onward to victory. Hidden in the names of tribal representation and rank is the strategy for spiritual success against the enemies of our soul. Consider the ranking of the four phalanxes:
1st – Yehudah: praise - indicating the beginning of true victory is worship as Psalms 100:4 describes:
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and
bless His name.” Likewise is this principle solidified in 2 Chronicles 20:21 with King Yehoshaphat:
“…he appointed singers unto YHVH, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out
before the army, and to say, Praise YHVH; for His mercy endures forever.”
2nd – Reuven: behold a son - this denotes a steady vision on Mashiyach, as 1 Chronicles17:13 reveals:
“I will be his father, and he shall be My son: and I will not take my mercy away from him…”
And, again HaShem paternally sees Mashiyach ben David as Psalms 2:7 confirms:
“I will declare the decree: YHVH has said unto me, Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten thee.”
3rd – Ephraim: fruitful - originating in Eden’s early edict to be fruitful and multiply, the aim toward
increase facilitates the distancing from any uninvited spiritual bankruptcy as Proverbs 11:24 recalls:
“There is that scatters, and yet increases; and one that withholds what is right, but tends to poverty.”
Re: this righteous planter, Psalms 1:3 speaks clearly of the prospering soul who is planted in Torah:
“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season…”
4th – Dan: judge - acting as the final offensive, the force of judgment must guard our advancing
situation. Of numerous verses paralleling sound judgment with assured victory, Daniel 7:22 attests:
“Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and
the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.”
With the battle ahead and the enemies of Elohim filled with disdain, let us remember 1 Samuel 17:45:
“Then said David to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a
shield: but I come to thee in the name of YHVH of hosts, the Elohim of the armies of Yisrael.”

2. A Calculated Name to Determine One’s Course:
Even as the armies of Yisrael were assembled by their patriarchal tribes and numbered under their renowned princes, the identity with those names would demonstrate a mystical reality not new to our people. As it was with Avraham, association with a name reveals much, as Genesis 17:5 foretold;
“Neither shall thy name any more be called Avram, but thy name shall be Avraham; for a father
of many nations have I made thee.”
Ecclesiastes 7:1 speaks of this necessary dimension of our understanding, yet hinting to needed change:
“A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.”
As Father Yaakov wrestled for his blessing, we too must be unrelenting for that new day beyond impending death. For those named in Isaiah 56:5, delighting in things that please the Eternal is thus:
“Even unto them will I give in Mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of
sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.”