Numbers 1:5-16 The Heads of the Clans of Israel!

 The Leaders of the Tribes

5These are the names of the men who are to assist you:

From the tribe of Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;

6from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;

7from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;

8from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;

9from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon;

10from the sons of Joseph:

from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud,

and from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;

11from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;

12from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;

13from Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran;

14from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;

15and from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.”

16These men were appointed from the congregation; they were the leaders of the tribes of their fathers, the heads of the clans of Israel.

“This was a military census, and the absence of the tribe of Levi among the potential soldiers is important but explained later in the chapter.” (Guzik)

The leaders, the heads of the clans of Israel in these scriptures is important, not just for the leaders of the 12 tribes but it shows the genealogy of Jesus Christ from the tribe of Judah.

Matthew 1: 1This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham:

2Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.

3Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar,

Perez the father of Hezron,

and Hezron the father of Ram.a

4Ram was the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

and Nahshon the father of Salmon.

Look at the prophecy of the coming messiah in:

Jeremiah 23: 5Behold, the days are coming,

declares the LORD,

when I will raise up for Davida

a righteous Branch,

and He will reign wisely as King

and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.

6In His days Judah will be saved,

and Israel will dwell securely.

And this is His name by which He will be called:

The LORD Our Righteousness.b

6 b Hebrew YHWH Tsidqenu 

The Lord wouldn’t have put the prophecy and genealogy in the Bible if it wasn’t important!

Blessings, David