Numbers 26:47
“These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were counted of them, fifty-three thousand and four hundred.”
What does Numbers 26:47 mean?
This verse is part of a census that Moses took of the Israelites as they prepared to enter the promised land. The tribe of Asher, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, numbered just over 53,000 people at this point in their wilderness journey. The specific count served both practical purposes (knowing how many warriors and resources they had) and spiritual ones (confirming God's faithfulness in multiplying Abraham's descendants as he had promised). For those reading through Numbers, these census chapters might feel like lists, but they're really a record of God keeping his covenant with Israel across generations.