The Numbering of the Army in Their Tribes and Clans (Numbers 26:5-51).
The numbering was far more than a head count. It was a listing of the contingents to which the men belonged.
‘Reuben, the first-born of Israel; the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites; of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites. These are the families of the Reubenites; and they that were numbered of them were forty and three 'eleph and seven hundred and thirty.'
The tribe of Reuben was listed by its four sub-tribes, the Hanochites, the Palluites, the Hezronites, and the Carmites. As we have seen earlier this ‘numbering' could signify forty three leaders/champions, seven ‘hundreds' and a thirty. The number thirty signifies completeness. (Or forty three wider families).
‘And the sons of Pallu: Eliab. And the sons of Eliab: Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. These are that Dathan and Abiram, who were called of the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against Yahweh, and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, together with Korah when that company died, at the time when the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men, and they became a sign. Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah died not.'
This informative second section does not occur with all the tribes. It provides additional information looking back to earlier in the record. Here the reminder is given of the Reubenites Dathan and Abiram who had gained the support of many in Israel (or it could signify ‘who were described as members of the congregation') who strove against Moses and Aaron as adherents of ‘the company of Korah'. But they also thereby strove against Yahweh and were swallowed up when the earth ‘opened its mouth'.
“Together with Korah” is ambiguous. It may refer to him as striving with them against Yahweh, or it may refer to him being swallowed up with them. Either he was swallowed up with them or he died with ‘the two hundred and fifty'. Thus it could rather be saying that they ‘strove against Yahweh --- together with Korah when ‘the company of Korah' (which also included the two hundred and fifty - Numbers 16:6) died.' We are never in fact specifically told how Korah died, only (here) that he did so.
“They became a sign.” They were ever a warning against rebellion, and against seeking to usurp the priesthood. Note that it is stressed that the actual sons of Korah were not included in the rebellion.
‘The sons of Simeon after their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites. These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred.'
The tribe of Simeon was listed by its five sub-tribes, the Nemuelites, the Jaminites, the Jachinites, the Zerahites and the Shaulites. Again this ‘numbering' could signify twenty two leaders/champions, and two ‘hundreds'. (Or twenty two wider families). The huge drop in numbers of the Simeonites partly reflects their part in the sin of Peor when seemingly a larger portion of their leaders were executed, and a large number died in the plague. This emphasises how much they were involved and confirms why Moses excluded their name from the list of tribes in his blessing.
Compare Genesis 46:10. It would seem that Ohad left no family. Nemuel is called Jemuel there, as yod and nun are often interchanged. Zerah is a name with the same meaning as Zohar (Zerah signifies the rising of the sun; Zohar signifies splendour, and the transposition of consonants is often deliberate).