Numbers 1:7
from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;
from Judah,

Judah held the leading position among Israel’s tribes, reflecting Jacob’s prophecy that royal authority would arise from Judah. The tribe camped on the east side of the tabernacle and led Israel’s march through the wilderness. Jerusalem later stood within Judah’s inheritance, and God established David’s royal line there. Jesus Christ, the promised King and Messiah, was born from the tribe of Judah.

Gen 49:8-10 Judah, your brothers shall praise you.…
1Ch 5:2 And though Judah prevailed over his brothers, …
Rev 5:5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold…

Nahshon

Nahshon served as the tribal leader of Judah during Israel’s wilderness census. He brought Judah’s offering for the dedication of the altar and represented the tribe in matters of national worship and order. His place in the genealogy from Judah to David, and ultimately to Christ, shows God’s faithful preservation of the promised royal line. Later Jewish tradition remembers Nahshon as a man of faith at the Red Sea, though Scripture does not record that event.

Exo 6:23 And Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab…
Rut 4:20 Amminadab was the father of Nahshon,…
Mat 1:4 Ram was the father of Amminadab,…

son of Amminadab;

Amminadab, meaning “my kinsman is noble,” belonged to the line of Perez, Judah’s son, through Ram. His son Nahshon became the father of Salmon, an ancestor of Boaz, David, and Jesus Christ. God’s covenant purposes advanced through ordinary families as well as national leaders, preserving the lineage through which the Savior would come.

Rut 4:19 Hezron was the father of Ram, Ram was the father…
1Ch 2:10 Ram was the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab…
Luk 3:33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Judah
One of the twelve tribes of Israel, descended from Judah, the fourth son of Jacob and Leah. The tribe of Judah is significant in biblical history, as it is the tribe from which King David and ultimately Jesus Christ descended.

2. Nahshon
The son of Amminadab, Nahshon is a leader of the tribe of Judah during the time of the wilderness wanderings. He is noted for his role in the census and is recognized in the genealogy of Jesus in the New Testament.

3. Amminadab
The father of Nahshon, Amminadab is part of the genealogical line leading to King David and Jesus. His name means "my kinsman is noble" in Hebrew.

4. Census of Israel
The event in which Moses and Aaron, by God's command, take a census of the Israelite men able to go to war. This census is significant for organizing the tribes and preparing for the journey to the Promised Land.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Lineage
Understanding the genealogies in the Bible helps us see the fulfillment of God's promises and the continuity of His plan through history. Nahshon's inclusion in the lineage of Christ underscores the significance of each person in God's redemptive account.

Leadership and Responsibility
Nahshon, as a leader of the tribe of Judah, exemplifies the responsibility and honor of leading God's people. This calls us to consider our roles and responsibilities within our communities and how we can lead with integrity.

God's Sovereignty in History
The mention of Nahshon in the census reminds us of God's sovereign hand in history. Every detail, including genealogies, serves a purpose in His divine plan. We can trust that God is at work in the details of our lives as well.

Faithfulness Across Generations
The continuity from Nahshon to Jesus highlights the faithfulness of God across generations. It encourages us to be faithful in our own generation, knowing that our actions can have lasting impacts.
Bible Study Questions
1. What significance does the tribe of Judah hold in the broader account of the Bible, and how does this influence our understanding of Jesus' lineage?

2. How does Nahshon's role as a leader in the census reflect the qualities God values in leadership? How can we apply these qualities in our own lives?

3. In what ways does the genealogy of Jesus, which includes Nahshon, demonstrate the fulfillment of God's promises? How does this encourage us in our faith journey?

4. How can understanding the historical and familial context of biblical figures like Nahshon enhance our reading of the Bible?

5. Reflect on a time when you saw God's sovereignty in the details of your life. How does recognizing His hand in history and genealogy encourage you to trust Him more fully today?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Matthew 1
The genealogy of Jesus Christ includes Nahshon, highlighting the fulfillment of God's promises through the lineage of Judah.

Ruth 4
The genealogy at the end of Ruth connects Nahshon to King David, showing the continuity of God's plan through generations.

Exodus 6
Provides background on the family of Nahshon, linking him to the Levitical priesthood through his sister Elisheba, who married Aaron.
An Honest PedigreeNumbers 1:4-16
Bank and ServiceW Jones.Numbers 1:4-16
God's Knowledge of His PeopleW. Jones.Numbers 1:4-16
The Lord Knows the Number and the Names of All Who Belong to HimW. Attersoll.Numbers 1:4-16
The Pedigree DeclaredC. H. Mackintosh.Numbers 1:4-16
The Men of Renown Who Managed the CensusD. Young Numbers 1:5-16
People
Aaron, Abidan, Ahiezer, Ahira, Ammihud, Amminadab, Ammishaddai, Asher, Benjamin, Dan, Deuel, Eliab, Eliasaph, Elishama, Elizur, Enan, Gad, Gamaliel, Gideoni, Helon, Israelites, Issachar, Joseph, Levi, Levites, Manasseh, Moses, Nahshon, Naphtali, Nethaneel, Ocran, Pagiel, Pedahzur, Reuben, Reuel, Shedeur, Shelumiel, Simeon, Zebulun, Zuar, Zurishaddai
Places
Egypt, Sinai
Topics
Amminadab, Ammin'adab, Judah, Nahshon
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Numbers 1:1-16

     5700   headship

Numbers 1:1-49

     5249   census

Library
The Consolation
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received at the LORD 's hand double for all her sins. T he particulars of the great "mystery of godliness," as enumerated by the Apostle Paul, constitute the grand and inexhaustible theme of the Gospel ministry, "God manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

The Census of Israel
Thirty-eight years had passed away since the first numbering at Sinai, and the people had come to the borders of the Promised Land; for they were in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho. The time had come for another census. The wisdom which commanded the counting of Israel at the beginning of the wilderness journey, also determined to count them at the end of it. This would show that he did not value them less than in former years; it would afford proof that his word of judgment had been fulfilled
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

The Child-Life in Nazareth
THE stay of the Holy Family in Egypt must have been of brief duration. The cup of Herod's misdeeds, but also of his misery, was full. During the whole latter part of his life, the dread of a rival to the throne had haunted him, and he had sacrificed thousands, among them those nearest and dearest to him, to lay that ghost. [1084] And still the tyrant was not at rest. A more terrible scene is not presented in history than that of the closing days of Herod. Tormented by nameless fears; ever and again
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Genealogy According to Luke.
^C Luke III. 23-38. ^c 23 And Jesus himself [Luke has been speaking about John the Baptist, he now turns to speak of Jesus himself], when he began to teach, was about thirty years of age [the age when a Levite entered upon God's service--Num. iv. 46, 47], being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son [this may mean that Jesus was grandson of Heli, or that Joseph was counted as a son of Heli because he was his son-in-law] of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
THE ISRAELITES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN: THE JUDGES--THE PHILISTINES AND THE HEBREW KINGDOM--SAUL, DAVID, SOLOMON, THE DEFECTION OF THE TEN TRIBES--THE XXIst EGYPTIAN DYNASTY--SHESHONQ OR SHISHAK DAMASCUS. The Hebrews in the desert: their families, clans, and tribes--The Amorites and the Hebrews on the left bank of the Jordan--The conquest of Canaan and the native reaction against the Hebrews--The judges, Ehud, Deborah, Jerubbaal or Gideon and the Manassite supremacy; Abimelech, Jephihdh. The Philistines,
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6

And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of Judah
"And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall come forth unto Me (one) [Pg 480] to be Ruler in Israel; and His goings forth are the times of old, the days of eternity." The close connection of this verse with what immediately precedes (Caspari is wrong in considering iv. 9-14 as an episode) is evident, not only from the [Hebrew: v] copulative, and from the analogy of the near relation of the announcement of salvation to the prophecy of disaster
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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