1 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses H4872 and unto Aaron, H175 saying, H559
2 Every man H376 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 shall pitch H2583 by his own standard, H1714 with the ensign H226 of their father's H1 house: H1004 far off H5048 about H5439 the tabernacle H168 of the congregation H4150 shall they pitch. H2583
3 And on the east side H6924 toward the rising H4217 of the sun shall they of the standard H1714 of the camp H4264 of Judah H3063 pitch H2583 throughout their armies: H6635 and Nahshon H5177 the son H1121 of Amminadab H5992 shall be captain H5387 of the children H1121 of Judah. H3063
4 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 of them, were threescore and fourteen H7657 H702 thousand H505 and six H8337 hundred. H3967
5 And those that do pitch H2583 next unto him shall be the tribe H4294 of Issachar: H3485 and Nethaneel H5417 the son H1121 of Zuar H6686 shall be captain H5387 of the children H1121 of Issachar. H3485
6 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 thereof, were fifty H2572 and four H702 thousand H505 and four H702 hundred. H3967
7 Then the tribe H4294 of Zebulun: H2074 and Eliab H446 the son H1121 of Helon H2497 shall be captain H5387 of the children H1121 of Zebulun. H2074
8 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 thereof, were fifty H2572 and seven H7651 thousand H505 and four H702 hundred. H3967
9 All that were numbered H6485 in the camp H4264 of Judah H3063 were an hundred H3967 thousand H505 and fourscore H8084 thousand H505 and six H8337 thousand H505 and four H702 hundred, H3967 throughout their armies. H6635 These shall first H7223 set forth. H5265
10 On the south side H8486 shall be the standard H1714 of the camp H4264 of Reuben H7205 according to their armies: H6635 and the captain H5387 of the children H1121 of Reuben H7205 shall be Elizur H468 the son H1121 of Shedeur. H7707
11 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 thereof, were forty H705 and six H8337 thousand H505 and five H2568 hundred. H3967
12 And those which pitch H2583 by him shall be the tribe H4294 of Simeon: H8095 and the captain H5387 of the children H1121 of Simeon H8095 shall be Shelumiel H8017 the son H1121 of Zurishaddai. H6701
13 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 of them, were fifty H2572 and nine H8672 thousand H505 and three H7969 hundred. H3967
14 Then the tribe H4294 of Gad: H1410 and the captain H5387 of the sons H1121 of Gad H1410 shall be Eliasaph H460 the son H1121 of Reuel. H7467
15 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 of them, were forty H705 and five H2568 thousand H505 and six H8337 hundred H3967 and fifty. H2572
16 All that were numbered H6485 in the camp H4264 of Reuben H7205 were an hundred H3967 thousand H505 and fifty H2572 and one H259 thousand H505 and four H702 hundred H3967 and fifty, H2572 throughout their armies. H6635 And they shall set forth H5265 in the second rank. H8145
17 Then the tabernacle H168 of the congregation H4150 shall set forward H5265 with the camp H4264 of the Levites H3881 in the midst H8432 of the camp: H4264 as they encamp, H2583 so shall they set forward, H5265 every man H376 in his place H3027 by their standards. H1714
18 On the west side H3220 shall be the standard H1714 of the camp H4264 of Ephraim H669 according to their armies: H6635 and the captain H5387 of the sons H1121 of Ephraim H669 shall be Elishama H476 the son H1121 of Ammihud. H5989
19 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 of them, were forty H705 thousand H505 and five H2568 hundred. H3967
20 And by him shall be the tribe H4294 of Manasseh: H4519 and the captain H5387 of the children H1121 of Manasseh H4519 shall be Gamaliel H1583 the son H1121 of Pedahzur. H6301
21 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 of them, were thirty H7970 and two H8147 thousand H505 and two hundred. H3967
22 Then the tribe H4294 of Benjamin: H1144 and the captain H5387 of the sons H1121 of Benjamin H1144 shall be Abidan H27 the son H1121 of Gideoni. H1441
23 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 of them, were thirty H7970 and five H2568 thousand H505 and four H702 hundred. H3967
24 All that were numbered H6485 of the camp H4264 of Ephraim H669 were an hundred H3967 thousand H505 and eight H8083 thousand H505 and an hundred, H3967 throughout their armies. H6635 And they shall go forward H5265 in the third rank. H7992
25 The standard H1714 of the camp H4264 of Dan H1835 shall be on the north side H6828 by their armies: H6635 and the captain H5387 of the children H1121 of Dan H1835 shall be Ahiezer H295 the son H1121 of Ammishaddai. H5996
26 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 of them, were threescore H8346 and two H8147 thousand H505 and seven H7651 hundred. H3967
27 And those that encamp H2583 by him shall be the tribe H4294 of Asher: H836 and the captain H5387 of the children H1121 of Asher H836 shall be Pagiel H6295 the son H1121 of Ocran. H5918
28 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 of them, were forty H705 and one H259 thousand H505 and five H2568 hundred. H3967
29 Then the tribe H4294 of Naphtali: H5321 and the captain H5387 of the children H1121 of Naphtali H5321 shall be Ahira H299 the son H1121 of Enan. H5881
30 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 of them, were fifty H2572 and three H7969 thousand H505 and four H702 hundred. H3967
31 All they that were numbered H6485 in the camp H4264 of Dan H1835 were an hundred H3967 thousand H505 and fifty H2572 and seven H7651 thousand H505 and six H8337 hundred. H3967 They shall go H5265 hindmost H314 with their standards. H1714
32 These are those which were numbered H6485 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 by the house H1004 of their fathers: H1 all those that were numbered H6485 of the camps H4264 throughout their hosts H6635 were six H8337 hundred H3967 thousand H505 and three H7969 thousand H505 and five H2568 hundred H3967 and fifty. H2572
33 But the Levites H3881 were not numbered H6485 among H8432 the children H1121 of Israel; H3478 as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses. H4872
34 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 did H6213 according to all that the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses: H4872 so they pitched H2583 by their standards, H1714 and so they set forward, H5265 every one H376 after their families, H4940 according to the house H1004 of their fathers. H1
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Numbers 2
Commentary on Numbers 2 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Order of the Twelve Tribes in the Camp and on the March. - Numbers 2:1, Numbers 2:2. The twelve tribes were to encamp each one by his standard, by the signs of their fathers' houses, opposite to the tabernacle (at some distance) round about, and, according to the more precise directions given afterwards, in such order that on every side of the tabernacle three tribes were encamped side by side and united under one banner, so that the twelve tribes formed four large camps or divisions of an army. Between these camps and the court surrounding the tabernacle, the three leading mishpachoth of the Levites were to be encamped on three sides, and Moses and Aaron with the sons of Aaron (i.e., the priests) upon the fourth, i.e., the front or eastern side, before the entrance (Num 3:21-38). דּגל , a standard, banner, or flag, denotes primarily the larger field sign , possessed by every division composed of three tribes, which was also the banner of the tribe at the head of each division; and secondarily, in a derivative signification, it denotes the army united under one standard, like σημεία , or vexillum . It is used thus, for example, in Numbers 2:17, Numbers 2:31, Numbers 2:34, and in combination with מחנה in Numbers 2:3, Numbers 2:10, Numbers 2:18, and Numbers 2:25, where “standard of the camp of Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan” signifies the hosts of the tribes arranged under these banners. אתת , the signs (ensigns), were the smaller flags or banners which were carried at the head of the different tribes and subdivisions of the tribes (the fathers' houses). Neither the Mosaic law, nor the Old Testament generally, gives us any intimation as to the form or character of the standard (degel). According to rabbinical tradition, the standard of Judah bore the figure of a lion, that of Reuben the likeness of a man or of a man's head, that of Ephraim the figure of an ox, and that of Dan the figure of an eagle; so that the four living creatures united in the cherubic forms described by Ezekiel were represented upon these four standards.
(Note: Jerome Prado, in his commentary upon Ezekiel (ch. 1 p. 44), gives the following minute description according to rabbinical tradition: “The different leaders of the tribes had their own standards, with the crests of their ancestors depicted upon them. On the east, above the tent of Naasson the first-born of Judah , there shone a standard of a green colour, this colour having been adopted by him because it was in a green stone, viz., an emerald, that the name of his forefather Judah was engraved on the breastplate of the high priest (Exodus 25:15.), and on this standard there was depicted a lion, the crest and hieroglyphic of his ancestor Judah, whom Jacob had compared to a lion, saying, 'Judah is a lion's whelp.' Towards the south, above the tent of Elisur the son of Reuben , there floated a red standard, having the colour of the sardus, on which the name of his father, viz., Reuben, was engraved upon the breastplate of the high priest. The symbol depicted upon this standard was a human head, because Reuben was the first-born, and head of the family. On the west, above the tent of Elishamah the son of Ephraim , there was a golden flag, on which the head of a calf was depicted, because it was through the vision of the calves or oxen that his ancestor Joseph had predicted and provided for the famine in Egypt (Gen 41); and hence Moses, when blessing the tribe of Joseph, i.e., Ephraim (Deuteronomy 33:17), said, 'his glory is that of the first-born of a bull.' The golden splendour of the standard of Ephraim resembled that of the chrysolite, in which the name of Ephraim was engraved upon the breastplate. Towards the north, above the tent of Ahiezer the son of Dan , there floated a motley standard of white and red, like the jaspis (or, as some say, a carbuncle), in which the name of Dan was engraved upon the breastplate. The crest upon this was an eagle, the great doe to serpents, which had been chosen by the leader in the place of a serpent, because his forefather Jacob had compared Dan to a serpent, saying, 'Dan is a serpent in the way, an adder ( cerastes , a horned snake) in the path;' but Ahiezer substituted the eagle, the destroyer of serpents as he shrank from carrying an adder upon his flag.”)
Order of the tribes in the camp and on the march . - Numbers 2:3-9. The standard of the tribe of Judah was to encamp in front, namely towards the east, according to its hosts; and by its side the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun, the descendants of Leah, under the command and banner of Judah: an army of 186,400 men, which was to march out first when the camp was broken up (Numbers 2:9), so that Judah led the way as the champion of his brethren ( Genesis 49:10).
Numbers 2:4-9
“ His host, and those that were numbered of them ” (cf. Numbers 2:6, Numbers 2:8, Numbers 2:11, etc.), i.e., the army according to its numbered men.
Numbers 2:10-16
On the south side was the standard of Reuben, with which Simeon and Gad, descendants of Leah and her maid Zilpah, were associated, and to which they were subordinated. In Numbers 2:14, Reuel is a mistake for Reuel (Numbers 1:14; Numbers 7:42; Numbers 10:20), which is the reading given here in 118 MSS cited by Kennicott and De Rossi , in several of the ancient editions, and in the Samaritan , Vulgate , and Jonah Saad ., whereas the lxx, Onk ., Syr ., and Pers . read Reuel . This army of 151,450 men was to break up and march as the second division.
Numbers 2:17
The tabernacle, the camp of the Levites, was to break up after this in the midst of the camps (i.e., of the other tribes). “ As they encamp, so shall they break up, ” that is to say, with Levi in the midst of the tribes, “ every man in his place, according to his banner .” יד , place , as in Deuteronomy 23:13; Isaiah 57:8.
Numbers 2:18-24
On the west the standard of Ephraim, with the tribes of Manasseh and Benjamin, that is to say, the whole of the descendants of Rachel, 108,100 men, as the third division of the army.
Numbers 2:25-30
Lastly, towards the north was the standard of Gad, with Asher and Naphtali, the descendants of the maids Bilhah and Zilpah, 157,600 men, who were to be the last to break up, and formed the rear on the march.
Numbers 2:31
לדגליהם ( according to their standards ) is equivalent to לצבאתם ( according to their hosts ) in Numbers 2:9, Numbers 2:16, and Numbers 2:24, i.e., according to the hosts of which they consisted.
In Numbers 2:32 we have the whole number given, 603,550 men, not including the Levites (Numbers 2:33, see at Numbers 1:49); and in Numbers 2:34 the concluding remark as to the subsequent execution of the divine command-an anticipatory notice, as in Exodus 12:50; Exodus 40:16, etc.