Numbers 26:54 - To the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance. To everyone according to those who were counted of him shall his inheritance be given.

Generated Verse: Numbers 26:54

What does "Numbers 26:54" mean?


This verse from Numbers 26:54 deals with the allocation of land in the Promised Land to the Israelite tribes after the census. It essentially lays out a principle of proportional distribution based on population size. Here's a breakdown:

"To the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance." This is the core concept: tribes with larger populations would receive larger areas of land, while tribes with smaller populations would receive smaller areas.

"To everyone according to those who were counted of him shall his inheritance be given." This reinforces the previous point and emphasizes that the inheritance (the land allotted to each tribe) would be directly proportional to the number of people counted in the census of that tribe.

In simpler terms:

Imagine two tribes: Tribe A has 10,000 people and Tribe B has 5,000 people. According to this verse, Tribe A would receive twice as much land as Tribe B.

Meaning and Purpose:

Fairness and Equity: The principle aimed for fairness in distributing resources. It ensured that tribes with more people would have enough land to support their population.
Practicality: A larger population requires more resources (land for agriculture, grazing, settlement, etc.).
Divine Mandate: This was presented as a directive from God, ensuring that the distribution was not based on favoritism or arbitrary decisions, but on a divinely ordained principle.

Context is important:

It is crucial to remember that the verse is part of a larger narrative about the Israelite's conquest and settlement of Canaan. It's specifically about land allocation based on the census conducted in Numbers 26. While the general principle of proportional distribution can be applied to other contexts, the verse itself is primarily about the allocation of land among the tribes of Israel.

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