Numbers 26:37,38 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Bible Comments

The sons of Ephraim Ephraim, though in future times a tribe flourishing much more than its brother-tribe Manasseh, (Deuteronomy 33:17,) was now, for some cause, it appears, upon the declension, their poll being decreased eight thousand. See Numbers 1:33. The sons of Benjamin When they went into Egypt the sons of Benjamin were ten, Genesis 46:21. Half of these, it seems, had no children, or their families were become extinct, as only five are here named. In amends for the rest, two of his grand-children by the eldest, Bela, namely, Ard and Naaman, became heads of very large families; so that, upon the whole, the sons of Benjamin had increased since the last poll ten thousand two hundred. Compare Num 26:41 with chap Numbers 1:37.

Numbers 26:37-38

37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those that were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families.

38 The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites: of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites: of Ahiram,j the family of the Ahiramites: