John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 1:5
And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you ,.... Be present with Moses and Aaron when numbering the people; not merely as spectators of the affair, and inspectors of the accounts, but as assistants in the work; each man in his tribe, being best acquainted with the families and houses in it; and these men were not pitched upon by Moses and Aaron, nor chosen by their respective tribes, but were appointed and named by the Lord himself, which was doing them great honour: ... read more
John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 1:4
And with you there shall be a man of every tribe ,.... Excepting Levi, of which Moses and Aaron were, to assist in taking the account, and to see that it was an exact and perfect one: everyone head of the house of his fathers ; and prince of the tribe he belonged to, as appears from Numbers 1:16 and Numbers 7:2 , where an account is given of the same persons as princes of the tribes that offered at the dedication of the altar, who here assisted in the taking this account; the Targum... read more