Numbers — Chapters

The first chapter of Numbers records the census of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai, listing the eligible warriors by tribe and highlighting the special role of the Levites as the unnumbered people who serve the tabernacle.

The LORD instructs Moses on how the Israelite tribes should arrange themselves in the wilderness encampment, assigning standards, leaders, and ranks, culminating in a total of 600,350 Israelites, while the Levites are not counted.

Numbers 3 records Aaron's priestly lineage, assigns the Levites to specific tabernacle duties, and outlines the census and redemption of Israel's firstborn.

Numbers 4 outlines the Levitical duties of the Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites in maintaining the tabernacle, specifies their ages, tasks, and numerical counts, and commands that they must not touch the most holy items.

Numbers 5 records Israelite laws for removing unclean persons, compensating for sin, and dealing with marital jealousy, emphasizing purity, restitution, and divine judgment.

Numbers 6 outlines the Nazarite vow and the blessing formula for Aaron, emphasizing holiness through abstinence from wine and unshaven hair, and concluding with sacrificial rites and a blessing.

Numbers 7 records the dedication of the altar, where each of the twelve tribal princes offers identical sacrifices, and God instructs Moses on the distribution of altar items to the Levites.

Numbers 8 records Moses receiving instructions from God to sanctify the Levites through purification, sacrifices, and consecration, and then outlines their duties in the tabernacle.

Numbers 9 records the first Passover in the wilderness, the decree for those rendered unclean by a dead body, and the regulations for the Passover, and it describes how the Israelites traveled and rested under the cloud over the tabernacle.

The Israelites receive detailed trumpet instructions for camp movement, warfare, and festivals, then Moses organizes their march with appointed leaders, and seeks help from his father‑in‑law Hobab to escort the Ark.

The Israelites complain of a lack of meat, God sends fire and then manna, Moses pleads with God, God appoints seventy elders to share the burden, Eldad and Medad prophesy in the camp, quail appear, but a plague follows their disobedience.

Miriam and Aaron rebuke Moses over his marriage, provoking God’s wrath that turns Miriam into leprosy; Moses intercedes, and the affliction ends after a seven‑day isolation.

Moses sends twelve spies from each tribe to survey Canaan, and they return with a report of abundant fruit but terrifying inhabitants; only Caleb and Joshua express confidence, leading to Israel’s 40‑year wandering.

The Israelites rebel against God and Moses, leading to divine judgment and the promise that only Caleb and Joshua will enter the Promised Land.

Numbers 15 records the LORD’s instructions to Moses on sacrificial measures, penalties for ignorance, the Sabbath offense, and the law of fringes.

Korah’s rebellion against Moses and Aaron leads to divine judgment: the earth swallows the rebels and fire consumes their incense offerings, affirming Moses’ prophetic authority.

God signs the rod of Aaron to quell Israel’s murmuring, using a miraculous bud as proof of divine choice.

Numbers 18 establishes the priestly inheritance for Aaron and the Levites, outlines their duties and the division of tithes and offerings, and confirms that the priesthood will not receive land inheritance.

The chapter details the ritual of the red heifer, outlining its slaughter, burning, and the use of its ashes to purify the Israelites from uncleanness, especially after death.

The Israelites complain about lack of water at Meribah, God commands Moses to strike the rock; he instead commands them to bring forth water, leading to God’s judgment that Moses and Aaron will not enter the Promised Land. Meanwhile, Edom blocks their passage, and Aaron dies at Mount Hor.

Israel faces the Canaanite king Arad, endures wilderness trials with fiery serpents, and after the brass serpent miracle, conquers the Amorite kings Sihon and Og, taking their lands.

Balak, king of Moab, seeks to curse Israel by sending the prophet Balaam, but God forbids him; eventually Balaam consents under divine instruction, encountering the angel of the LORD and an ass that speaks, before meeting Balak and heading to the high places of Baal.

Balaam, called by King Balak to curse Israel, repeatedly receives divine instruction to bless instead, underscoring God's sovereign control over blessing and curse.

Balaam, guided by God, blesses Israel and prophesies the future triumphs and defeats of surrounding nations, while Balak reacts in anger but ultimately is unable to influence the prophetic vision.

In Numbers 25, Israel's apostasy with Moabite women triggers a plague; Phinehas' zealous act stops the plague, earning a covenant of peace, and God orders vengeance against the Midianites.

The Israelites were recounted in the wilderness, the tribes’ numbers recorded, and the land was to be divided by lot according to those numbers, with the Levites receiving no inheritance.

The daughters of Zelophehad successfully petition Moses for inheritance rights, leading to a new law for succession when a man dies without a son. Moses also receives a command to appoint Joshua as his successor and to view the Promised Land from Mount Abarim.

Numbers 28 outlines the prescribed daily, Sabbath, monthly, and special feast offerings for Israel, detailing the animals, grains, and drinks required for each sacrificial ceremony.

Numbers 29 details the prescribed burnt and sin offerings for the Passover and the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread, outlining the numbers of animals and the timing of each day.

Numbers 30 outlines how vows and oaths made by Israelites are validated or invalidated by parental or marital authority, with provisions for forgiveness when authority disallows a vow.

The Israelites, under Moses’ command, wage war against the Midianites, slaying all males and capturing women and children, then undergo a complex process of purification, tribute, and atonement.

The children of Reuben and Gad petition Moses for the land east of the Jordan, demanding it as inheritance for their cattle and families, and Moses conditions their possession on their participation in Israel’s war against Canaan.

Numbers 33 records the Israelites’ journey from Egypt through the wilderness to the borders of Canaan, noting key encampments, the death of Aaron, and God’s instruction to conquer the land.

Numbers 34 records God's instruction to Moses to define Israel's borders in Canaan and appoints tribal leaders to divide the land.

Numbers 35 establishes the distribution of cities and suburbs to the Levites, designates six cities of refuge for manslayers, and outlines detailed procedures for judging accidental killings.

The chapter records the decree that Zelophehad's daughters inherit her father's land, marry within their father's tribe, and that inheritance remains within each tribe at the Jubilee.