Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Commentary for Numbers 26:64

וּבְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ לֹא־הָ֣יָה אִ֔ישׁ מִפְּקוּדֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֔ה וְאַהֲרֹ֖ן הַכֹּהֵ֑ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר פָּקְד֛וּ אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי׃

But among these there was not a man of them that were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.

Rashi on Numbers

ובאלה לא היה איש וגו׳ BUT AMONG THESE THERE WAS NO MAN [OF THEM WHOM MOSES AND AARON NUMBERED] — no man; but the decree consequent upon the incident of the spies had not been enacted upon the women, because they held the Promised Land dear. The men had said, (Numbers 14:4) “Let us appoint a chief and return to Egypt”, while the women said, (Numbers 27:4) “Give us a possession in the Land”. On this account, too, the chapter regarding the daughters of Zelophehad follows immediately here (Sifrei Bamidbar 133:1).
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Ramban on Numbers

BUT AMONG THESE THERE WAS NOT A MAN OF THEM THAT WERE NUMBERED BY MOSES AND AARON THE PRIEST. For Joshua and Caleb [who were amongst those who were numbered at the first census] were not [included] now in this census, because they were over sixty years old, and the census was only of [people] aged between twenty and sixty, which [years] are the principal ones of a man’s life, similar to that which is stated in [the law of] Valuations,156Leviticus 27:3. and it is then [in those years] that he goes forth to war in Israel,157Above, Verse 2. and not after the age of sixty, as our Rabbis have said.153Baba Bathra 121b. But when Scripture says [in the following verse], And there was not left a man ‘of them,’ save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun [the words “of them” do not refer to those who were numbered now in the wilderness of Sinai, but to] them that were numbered at the first [census] and did not die [in the wilderness, since Caleb and Joshua, being over sixty years old, were not numbered now in this second census].
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Tur HaArokh

ובאלה לא היה איש מפקודי משה ואהרן, “and among those counted now there had not been a single one who had been counted by Moses and Aaron.” Even though Joshua and Calev were still survivors of the original census, they were not included in the present census as only men between the ages of 20 and 60 were counted, and both Calev and Joshua were far older by then. However, when the Torah states that no man except Joshua and Calev had survived from the original census they had been mentioned because they had been included in the original census.
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Siftei Chakhamim

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Rav Hirsch on Torah

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Siftei Chakhamim

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