Numbers 26:15-18 Sons of Gad

 15The sons of Gad according to their families were: of [d]Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites; 16of [e]Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites; 17of [f]Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites. 18These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered of them: forty thousand five hundred.

“In the first census, the tribe of Gad counted 45,650 men ready for war; 38 years later, they count 40,500. This was a loss of 5,150 fighting men (11%).” (Guzik)

Some Bible scholars say of the loss, of the 1st generation that died off in the wilderness: they had less children, there are some that succumbed to the plagues, and some fell because of Ba'al Peor.

But didn’t the Lord say, Genesis 22: 17blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.

The loss of 11% may not seem significant to some but to me it’s much more because of their many sins in the wilderness! If they kept their trust in the Lord they would have already possessed the promised land and multiplied much more!

But look at the sons of Gad that joined David!

Blessings