Numbers 26:40

Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites in the plains of Moab to finalize the second census before the conquest of Canaan. The record lists the family groups descending from Bela to establish inheritance boundaries.

The words — The text employs בְנֵי־ (benei), meaning "descendants," and מִשְׁפָּחַת (mishpachah), meaning "clan," to trace family lines. These terms establish the structural hierarchy of tribal registration.

The thread — This genealogical record of Bela’s descendants parallels the family lists in 1 Chronicles 8:3. Both passages preserve the tribal structure required for land allotment.

Why it lands — The passage requires the reader to recognize that tribal identity and inheritance depend on documented lineage. It demands attention to the precise recording of names as a foundation for covenant land distribution.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.