Catholic Public Domain Version
Numbers 26:34
“These are the families of Manasseh, and their number was fifty-two thousand seven hundred.”
Verse Explanation
A saved explanation for Numbers 26:34.
Plain-language explanation
Numbers 26:34 is part of a census list. It names the families of the tribe of Manasseh and gives their total number: fifty-two thousand seven hundred.
Catholic context
In the Old Testament, God’s people are often counted and organized in ways that show real covenant life—faithfulness expressed through order, memory, and community. Many Catholics see these genealogical details as more than statistics: they reflect that God cares about persons and families, not just ideas.
Historical background
This verse comes from the wilderness-era census described in Numbers 26, taken as the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land. The purpose was to record the families and their numbers for leadership, military readiness, and inheritance arrangements connected to the tribes.
Reflection
Even a simple number can point to God’s attention to the concrete. This verse reminds us that God’s plans move through ordinary family life and real people with names, households, and histories.
Practical takeaway
Today, consider counting your blessings the same way—look for the “family and faithful details” of your life. Pray for your own household, your parish community, and the people God has placed around you.
Prayer
Lord God, thank You for knowing and caring about each person and family. Help me to value the ordinary ways You guide Your people. Strengthen my home, my community, and my faith, that I may serve You with patience and trust. Amen.