This paragraph is about the census of the tribe of Gad. The formulaic phrases here are virtually the same as in verses 5-7 (see the comments there). There is one small difference between verse 7 and verse 18. Verse 7 says “and their number was,” but verse 18 has according to their number. The Hebrew word for number is the verb paqad, as in verse 7 (see the comments there). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh renders according to their number as “persons enrolled,” which expresses the Hebrew more accurately.

The clans of Gad descended from his sons Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ozni, Eri, Arod, and Areli (see Gen 46.16). Most translations have Arod, which is the form of the name in the traditional Hebrew text and the Vulgate. New International Version and New Living Translation have “Arodi,” which follows the Septuagint, the Peshitta, and the Samaritan Pentateuch. These translations probably have “Arodi” in order to bring the text in line with Gen 46.16, where this form of the name occurs. However, it seems better to render variant forms of proper names faithfully, rather than trying to “correct” the Hebrew text. This recommendation applies to all other instances of where such spelling variants (or omissions and additions) occur in the listing of names in Num 26, that is, in comparison with the Septuagint, Num 1, Gen 46, or the genealogies of 1 Chronicles. (For a brief discussion of this issue of variants among the different tribal lists, see Cole, page 454.)

In the Septuagint this census of Gad occurs after that of Zebulun, which corresponds to the order found in Gen 46. However, translators should follow the order of the Hebrew text here.

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .