Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel …: See the comments on 1.2. As there, the Hebrew imperative verb rendered Take is plural, but here God is speaking to Moses and Eleazar. In languages that lack a plural imperative form or in which a plural imperative on its own would be awkward or overly ambiguous, it may be helpful to begin this verse with “You and Eleazar are to take a census of the whole Israelite community….”

From twenty years old and upward … all in Israel who are able to go forth to war: See the comments on 1.3. A new generation had grown up to replace the wilderness generation, ready to take part in military activities that would be involved in taking possession of Canaan.

By their fathers’ houses may be rendered “by their ancestral houses” (New Revised Standard Version) or “by families” (Good News Translation). See the comments on 1.2. For naturalness Good News Translation places this phrase earlier in the verse, which other languages may find helpful.

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 .