The plague having swept away the last of that devoted generation, which provoked the Lord to "swear in his wrath that they should not enter" Canaan; he now, after an interval of 38 years, commands another census of the Israelites to be made, to preserve the distinction of families, and to regulate the tribes previous to their entry into the promised land, as well as to ascertain the proportion of land which should be allotted to each tribe. For, though the whole was divided by lot, yet the portions were so disposed, that a numerous tribe did not draw where the lots assigned small inheritances, or the contrary. "Takeª° ye¹ the sumª of all¹ the congregationª of the childrenª of Israel,ª after their families,ª by the houseª of their fathers,ª with the numberª of [their] names,ª every¹ maleª by their polls;ª ... From twentyª yearsª oldª¹ and upward,ª all¹ that are able to go forthª° to warª in Israel:ª thou¹ and Aaronª shall numberª° them by their armies.ª" {Num 1:2-3} + "When¹ thou takestª°¹ the sumª of the childrenª of Israelª after their number,ª° then shall they giveª° every manª a ransomª for his soulª unto the LORD,ª when thou numberestª° them; that there be¹ no¹ plagueª among them, when [thou] numberestª° them." {Exd 30:12} + "And the silverª of them that were numberedª° of the congregationª [was] an hundredª talents,ª and a thousandª sevenª hundredª and threescore and fifteenªª shekels,ª after the shekelª of the sanctuary:ª ... A bekahª for every man,ª [that is], halfª a shekel,ª after the shekelª of the sanctuary,ª for every one¹ that wentª° to¹ be numbered,ª° from twenty² years² oldª¹¹¹ and upward,ª for sixª hundredª thousandª and threeª thousandª and fiveª hundredª and fiftyª [men]." {Exd 38:25-26}