To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him.
If any ask why such a particular account is kept of the tribes, and families, and numbers, of the people of Israel, here is an answer for them; as they were multiplied, so they were portioned, not by common providence, but by promise; and, for the support of the honour of divine revelation, God will have the fulfilling of the promise taken notice of both...
Commenting on Numbers 26:52-56
To many thou shalt give the more inheritance--that is, to the more numerous tribes a larger allotment shall be granted. according to those that were numbered--the number of persons twenty years old at the time of the census being made, without taking into account either the increase of those who might have attained that age, when the land should be actually distributed, or the diminution...
Num 26:52-56 Instructions concerning the Distribution of the Land. - In Num 26:53, Num 26:54, the command is given to distribute the land as an inheritance among the twelve tribes (“unto these”), according to the number of the names (Num 1:2-18), i.e., to the tribes and families that contained only a few persons, they were to make it small; to every one according to the...
Commenting on Numbers 26:52-56