Numbers 26:42-43 · Bible study
Numbers 26:42-43 Commentary: Dan’s Surprising Growth from One Son
Hebrew · 6 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does the tribe of Dan, with only one son, number 64,400? This study explores the census, God’s blessing, and the meaning of 'mishpachah' (clan).
Research Summary
- Meaning: The tribe of Dan, despite having only one son (Shuham), numbered 64,400 fighting men, a striking example of God’s blessing on a small beginning.
- Key words: מִשְׁפָּחָה (mishpachah, “clan/family”) appears four times, emphasizing that Dan’s entire tribe was a single clan; שׁוּחָם (Shuham, “pit-digger”) is the sole descendant of Dan in this census.
- Main debate: None. Commentators agree that the passage demonstrates God’s sovereignty in population growth.
- Theological theme: God’s blessing does not depend on human lineage or effort; He can multiply the smallest family.
- Best use: A reminder for those who feel small or overlooked that God gives increase according to His will, not our expectations.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
42These were the descendants of Dan by their clans: The Shuhamite clan from Shuham. These were the clans of Dan.
43All of them were Shuhamite clans, and their registration numbered 64,400.
WEB World English Bible 2000
42These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.
43All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were counted of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.
KJV King James Version 1769
42These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.
43All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those that were numbered of them, were threescore and four thousand and four hundred.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
42These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.
43All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those that were numbered of them, were threescore and four thousand and four hundred.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
42These are sons of Dan by their families: of Shuham is the family of the Shuhamite; these are families of Dan by their families;
43all the families of the Shuhamite, by their numbered ones, are four and sixty thousand and four hundred.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
42These are the sons of Dan, after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.
43All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those that were numbered of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
42The sons of Dan by their kindreds: Suham, of whom is the family of the Suhamites: These are the kindreds of Dan by their families.
43All were Suhamites, whose number was sixty-four thousand four hundred.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Numbers 26:42
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Numbers 26:42-43 highlights a striking reversal of human expectation. The tribe of Dan produced 64,400 fighting men from a single son, Shuham (called Hushim in Genesis 46:23). Wesley notes this is “all from one son and family,” contrasting Benjamin, who had ten sons yet numbered only 45,600. The point, Wesley explains, is to show that the increase of families depends “singly upon God’s blessing and good pleasure.” Gill adds that Dan increased by 1,700 from the first census (Numbers 1:38-39), while many tribes with larger family lines declined. The Cambridge Bible observes that the census as a whole shows such shifts, some tribes down, some up, and treats the figures as historically plausible within the narrative’s own framework, though some modern readers question the numbers. What all agree on: the passage teaches that lineage alone does not guarantee growth; God’s hand determines the outcome.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The passage records that the tribe of Dan, descended from a single son, produced 64,400 men of fighting age, and this outcome is presented as evidence of God’s blessing.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The cause of Dan's large population | All commentators see it as a sign of divine blessing, not human merit. | None. The focus is consistent across traditions. |
| Historical accuracy of the census numbers | The narrative presents the numbers as a faithful record of God's people. | Some modern scholars question the literal size of the numbers (e.g., 64,400 from one clan), while traditional commentators accept them as historical. The supplied sources do not resolve this debate. |
| Relation to Genesis 46:23 (Hushim vs. Shuham) | Shuham is understood as an alternate name for Hushim, Dan's only son. | None. Both names refer to the same person or the same clan. |
| The role of the census in the land division | The census is directly tied to the distribution of the Promised Land (Numbers 26:52-56). | None. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Numbers 26 records the second census of Israel, taken on the plains of Moab just before entering Canaan (Numbers 26:63-65). This census replaces the first one from Numbers 1, because the entire generation of those twenty years old and older at Sinai had died in the wilderness, except Caleb and Joshua. The new count prepares for dividing the land by inheritance (Numbers 26:52-56).
The tribe of Dan descends from Jacob’s fifth son, Dan, born to Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant. In Genesis 46:23, Dan is listed with only one son: Hushim. The name Shuham appears here in Numbers 26:42-43, likely a variant spelling or a different branch of the same family (the root letters shin-chet-mem appear in both). Dan’s single family line made him one of the smallest tribes at the start, yet this census shows him with a population that rivals or exceeds tribes with multiple clans, like Benjamin (45,600) and Ephraim (32,500).
The phrase “after their families” (mishpachot) reflects the clan-based social structure of ancient Israel. Each clan (mishpachah) was a subdivision of the tribe, typically consisting of extended households. That Dan has only one clan, the Shuhamites, makes his large count even more remarkable. The repeated use of “families” (four times in two verses) emphasizes that this single clan was the entire tribe; there were no other branches.
Wesley, commenting on the passage, draws a direct comparison with Benjamin in verse 41: Benjamin had five families (from his ten sons) but fewer men. The lesson, he argues, is that population growth does not follow natural or human logic; it follows God’s blessing. This historical moment, on the threshold of the Promised Land, reinforces that Israel’s future depends not on tribal pedigree but on divine favour.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Numbers 26:42-43. The name Shuham appears consistently across manuscripts, with the synonymous Hushim (Genesis 46:23) representing an older spelling or tradition. The numbers are stable across versions.
Reception History
In the history of interpretation, these verses have often been used to illustrate the sovereignty of God over population growth. Matthew Henry’s commentary (1710) draws the contrast with Benjamin and stresses that “God can and does make strange changes in families.” Wesley (1754) makes the same point, using Dan as a case study. The passage has also been read as a pastoral encouragement for small churches and families: growth is not guaranteed by human resources but by God’s pleasure. Jewish commentators, such as Rashi, note the link between the census and the land inheritance, emphasizing that every family receives its portion from the Lord. Across traditions, the verses are not seen as controversial but as a quiet prompt to trust God rather than human strength.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The small beginning. Dan had only one son, yet his tribe grew to 64,400. God often starts with what seems too small.
- The sovereign blessing. Benjamin had ten sons but fewer people; Dan had one son but more. Growth does not come from human effort alone.
- The faithful count. The census shows God knows His people by number and name. He prepares an inheritance for each one.
Five-point outline
- Dan’s single clan (the Shuhamites) makes up the whole tribe, an outlier in the census.
- Comparison with Benjamin: more sons, fewer people. God’s blessing is not mechanical.
- The increase from the first census (62,700 to 64,400) shows steady growth, not decline.
- This census takes place just before entering Canaan; the numbers matter for land distribution.
- The repeated phrase “after their families” highlights that clan identity and inheritance go together.
Illustration hooks
- A farmer plants a single seed; the harvest feeds an entire village. God works through the smallest beginnings.
- A church plant with a handful of members becomes a congregation of hundreds within a generation, not because of strategy, but because of blessing.
- A family that feels small or overlooked: this passage says God can multiply what seems insignificant.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why do some families or churches grow while others struggle, even when both are faithful?
- Does this mean God does not care about numbers? Or does He care deeply but in His own way?
- How does this census connect to the New Testament idea that each believer is known and named (John 10:3)?
Leading a Discussion
Numbers 26:42-43 seems like a simple census record, but it carries a surprising message. Dan’s tribe had only one son, yet it produced 64,400 fighting men. The passage invites us to see the hand of God behind population numbers, and to consider how our own ‘small beginnings’ might be blessed.
Discussion questions
- What stands out to you about the tribe of Dan in these two verses? What makes it unusual?
- Compare Dan’s numbers with Benjamin’s in verse 41. Why do you think the Bible puts these side by side?
- Wesley says this shows that the increase of families depends “singly upon God’s blessing.” Do you agree? Why or why not?
- How does the fact that this census was taken before entering the Promised Land change the way you read these numbers?
- What does the repeated word “families” (mishpachot) tell you about how Israel understood identity and inheritance?
- In what areas of life do you feel like you are starting with “one son” rather than many? How does this passage speak to that?
- How can we trust God’s blessing for growth, whether in family, church, or personal calling, without becoming proud or discouraged?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 46:23 | The son of Dan: Hushim. |
| Numbers 1:38 | Of the children of Dan, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: |
| Numbers 1:39 | those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Dan, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred. |
| Numbers 2:25 | “On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. |
| Numbers 2:26 | His division, and those who were counted of them, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes the slight drop in Israel's total fighting men from the first census, from 603,550 to 601,730, and observes that five tribes decreased while seven increased. He also points out that the secular tribes are counted separately from Levi, and that Manasseh now precedes Ephraim in the tribal order.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes observe that the tribe of Dan had only one family, the Shuhamites, because Dan had just one son. This makes Dan unique among the tribes in the census, yet it still counted a substantial sixty-four thousand four hundred people.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill observes that although Dan had only one son, Scripture uses the plural "sons" to include all his descendants. From that single son, Shuham (also called Hushim), came the family of the Shulamite, yet this one family numbered 64,400 men, an increase of 1,700 from the earlier count.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes that this census differs from the earlier one in chapter 1. The first counted soldiers for war, but this one prepares for settling the land by organizing tribes by family size for the inheritance. The new generation, purified by judgment, is being readied to receive what God promised.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that this census list deliberately names Dathan and Abiram, notorious rebels against Moses and Aaron, as a lasting sign of God's judgment. At the same time, he observes the mercy that spared Korah's children, who did not die with their father. The record thus preserves both a warning and an example of grace.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley points out that one son and family produced 64,400 people while Benjamin, who had ten sons and five families, yielded only 45,600. The contrast shows that population growth depends entirely on God's blessing and good pleasure, not on human numbers or circumstances.