That a comparative view may be easily taken of the state of the tribes, we will here produce them, compared with that of the second census ("And it came to pass¹ afterª the plague,ª that the LORDª spakeª° unto¹ Mosesª and unto¹ Eleazarª the sonª of Aaronª the priest,ª saying,ª°" {Num 26:1}), in their decreasing proportion, beginning with the greatest and proceeding to the least. Thus we find Judah the most populous tribe, and Manasseh the least so; the difference between them being as great as 42,000. Jacob had given Judah the pre-eminence in his prophetic blessing; and that tribe was to have the precedency in the encampments of Israel. Accordingly God had increased them more than any of their brethren. Ephraim and Manasseh, according to the same prophecy, were numbered as distinct tribes, Ephraim having the superiority, as it was foretold; and Joseph indeed appears "a fruitful bough." "On the south sideª [shall be] the standardª of the campª of Reubenª according to their armies:ª and the captainª of the childrenª of Reubenª [shall be] Elizurª the sonª of Shedeur.ª ... And his host,ª and those that were numberedª° thereof, [were] fortyª and sixª thousandª and fiveª hundred.ª" {Num 2:10-11} + "These¹ [are] the familiesª of the Reubenites:ª and they that were numberedª° of them were¹ fortyª and threeª thousandª and sevenª hundredª and thirty.ª" {Num 26:7}