The document provides commentary on Numbers 2, which discusses the orderly arrangement of the Israelite tribes when encamped and traveling. Key details include: 1) Each tribe camped under its own standard or flag near the tabernacle in the center. 2) The tribes were arranged into four divisions of three tribes each, encamped on the four sides of the tabernacle. 3) Tradition holds the standards of Judah, Reuben, Ephraim and Dan depicted a lion, man, ox, and eagle, respectively.

1. NUMBERS 2 COMMENTARY
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
The Arrangement of the Tribal Camps
1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron:
GILL, "And the Lord spake unto Moses, and unto Aaron,.... Very probably after
the number of the children of Israel was taken, of which in the preceding chapter, and
when the congregation of Israel with the tabernacle were about to set forward on their
journey; and therefore directions are here given for their orderly and regular proceeding
in it, in what form and manner they should both encamp and march:
HENRY 1-2, "Here is the general appointment given both for their orderly
encampment where they rested and their orderly march when they moved. Some order,
it is possible, they had observed hitherto; they came out of Egypt in rank and file (Exo_
13:18), but now they were put into a better model. 1. They all dwelt in tents, and when
they marched carried all their tents along with them, for they found no city to dwell in,
Psa_107:4. This represents to us our state in this world. It is a movable state (we are
here today and gone tomorrow); and it is a military state: is not our life a warfare? We do
but pitch our tents in this world, and have in it no continuing city. Let us, therefore,
while we are pitching in this world, be pressing through it. 2. Those of a tribe were to
pitch together, every man by his own standard. Note, It is the will of God that mutual
love and affection, converse and communion, should be kept up among relations. Those
that are of kin to each other should, as much as they can, be acquainted with each other;
and the bonds of nature should be improved for the strengthening of the bonds of
Christian communion. 3. Every one must know his place and keep in it; they were not
allowed to fix where they pleased, nor to remove when they pleased, but God quarters
them, with a charge to abide in their quarters. Note, It is God that appoints us the
bounds of our habitation, and to him we must refer ourselves. He shall choose our
inheritance for us (Psa_47:4), and in his choice we must acquiesce, and not love to flit,
nor be as the bird that wanders from her nest. 4. Every tribe had its standard, flag, or
ensign, and it should seem every family had some particular ensign of their father's
house, which was carried as with us the colours of each troop or company in a regiment
are. These were of use for the distinction of tribes and families, and the gathering and
keeping of them together, in allusion to which the preaching of the gospel is said to lift
up an ensign, to which the Gentiles shall seek, and by which they shall pitch, Isa_11:10,
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2. Isa_11:12. Note, God is the God of order, and not of confusion. These standards made
this mighty army seem more beautiful to its friends and more formidable to its enemies.
The church of Christ is said to be as terrible as an army with banners, Son_6:10. It is
uncertain how these standards were distinguished: some conjecture that the standard of
each tribe was of the same colour with the precious stone in which the name of that tribe
was written in the high priest's ephod, and that this was all the difference. Many of the
modern Jews think there was some coat of arms painted in each standard, which had
reference to the blessing of that tribe by Jacob. Judah bore a lion, Dan a serpent,
Naphtali a hind, Benjamin a wolf, etc. Some of them say the four principal standards
were, Judah a lion, Reuben a man, Joseph an ox, and Dan an eagle, making the
appearances in Ezekiel's vision to allude it. Others say the name of each tribe was written
in its standard. Whatever it was, no doubt it gave a certain direction. 5. They were to
pitch about the tabernacle, which was to be in the midst of them, as the tent of pavilion
of a general in the centre of an army. They must encamp round the tabernacle, (1.) That
it might be equally a comfort and joy to them all, as it was a token of God's gracious
presence with them. Psa_46:5, God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved. Their
camp had reason to be hearty, when thus they had God in the heart of them. To have
bread from heaven every day round about their camp, and fire from heaven, with other
tokens of God's favour, in the midst of their camp, was abundantly sufficient to answer
that question, Is the Lord among us, or is he not? Happy art thou, O Israel! It is
probable that the doors of all their tents were made to look towards the tabernacle from
all sides, for every Israelite should have his eyes always towards the Lord; therefore they
worshipped at the tent-door. The tabernacle was in the midst of the camp, that it might
be near to them; for it is a very desirable thing to have the solemn administrations of
holy ordinances near us and within our reach. The kingdom of God is among you. (2.)
That they might be a guard and defence upon the tabernacle and the Levites on every
side. No invader could come near God's tabernacle without first penetrating the thickest
of their squadrons. Note, If God undertake the protection of our comforts, we ought in
our places to undertake the protection of his institutions, and stand up in defence of his
honour, and interest, and ministers. 6. Yet they were to pitch afar off, in reverence to the
sanctuary, that it might not seem crowded and thrust up among them, and that the
common business of the camp might be no annoyance to it. They were also taught to
keep their distance, lest too much familiarity should breed contempt. It is supposed
(from Jos_3:4) that the distance between the nearest part of the camp and the
tabernacle (or perhaps between them and the camp of the Levites, who pitched near the
tabernacle) was 2000 cubits, that is, 1000 yards, little more than half a measured mile
with us; but the outer parts of the camp must needs be much further off. Some compute
that the extent of their camp could be no less than twelve miles square; for it was like a
movable city, with streets and lanes, in which perhaps the manna fell, as well as on the
outside of the camp, that they might have it at their doors. In the Christian church we
read of a throne (as in the tabernacle there was a mercy-seat) which is called a glorious
high throne from the beginning (Jer_17:12), and that throne surrounded by spiritual
Israelites, twenty-four elders, double to the number of the tribes, clothed in white
raiment (Rev_4:4), and the banner over them is Love; but we are not ordered, as they
were, to pitch afar off; no, we are invited to draw near, and come boldly. The saints of
the Most High are said to be round about him, Psa_76:11. God by his grace keep us close
to him!
K&D 1-2, "Order of the Twelve Tribes in the Camp and on the March. - Num_2:1,
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3. Num_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). ‫ֶל‬‫ג‬ ֶ‫,דּ‬ 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 Num_2:17, Num_2:31, Num_2:34, and in combination
with ‫ֶה‬‫נ‬ֲ‫ח‬ ַ‫מ‬ in Num_2:3, Num_2:10, Num_2:18, and Num_2:25, where “standard of the
camp of Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan” signifies the hosts of the tribes arranged
under these banners. ‫ת‬ֹ‫ת‬ֹ‫א‬, 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 (Exo_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 (Deu_
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
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4. horned snake) in the path;' but Ahiezer substituted the eagle, the destroyer of
serpents as he shrank from carrying an adder upon his flag.”)
CALVIN, "1.And the Lord spake unto Moses, and unto Aaron This distribution
into separate bands must have served to prevent contention; for, had not God thus
assigned to each their proper position, so natural is ambition to man, that they
would have quarrelled for the place of honor. It would have been grievous to the
family of Reuben, the first-born, to resign his dignity; and, even if they had
patiently submitted to the punishment inflicted upon them, they would have been
made to take the lowest place, as being condemned to ignominy. Disputes would also
have arisen respecting the children of the concubines, for they would not have
thought it consistent that; those who sprang from Leah and Rachel should yield
them the superior place. Besides, in proportion as they severally had the advantage
in numbers, they would have thought themselves injured unless they preceded
others.
Thus the children of Simeon would never have suffered themselves to be ranged
under the standard of Reuben. Again, dispute would also have arisen between the
children of Ephraim and Manasseh. God, therefore, at once put a stop to all these
disturbances by so arranging their ranks that each one knew his own band.
Consequently, Judah, although the fourth son of Leah, received the first standard as
an honorable distinction, that he might thus in a manner begin to fulfill the
prophecy of Jacob by anticipation; and two tribes were united with him which
would willingly submit to his rule, Issachar and Zebuhm; because they derived their
origin from the children of the (421) handmaid whom Leah had substituted in her
own place.
Although Reuben had been deprived of his primogeniture, still, that some
consolation might remain for his posterity, he was set over the second standard; two
tribes were associated with him, which on account of their connection would not be
aggrieved at fighting under his command, the tribe of Simeon his uterine brother,
and the tribe of Gad, which also sprang from the handmaid of Leah.
It was necessary that God should interpose His authorify, in order that two tribes
should be formed of a single head, Joseph; otherwise the fact would have led to
contention, because the inequality was odious in itself, and that family might appear
to be elevated not without disgrace to the others. Besides, the children of Manasseh,
who were superior by the law of nature, would never have been induced to obey,
unless a divine decree had interposed. But thtat division could not have been better
formed than of the sons of Rachel, because their consanguinity was closer; for a
sharp contest might also have arisen for the leadership of the fourth band, because
it was unjust that the son of a handmaid should have been placed at its head, and
thus preferred to a legitimate son of Leah, and to the other son of Rachel, especially
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5. when Benjamin was so singularly beloved by Jacob, the common father of them all.
(422) The sole will of God, indeed, was sufficient, and more than sufficient to
prevent all quarrels; but, inasmuch as He chose rather to rule over them generously
and paternally, than in a despotic manner, He rather conformed Himself to their
wishes than drove them by compulsion. Still, however, because their contentions
could not be prevented by mere human decisions, it is again said at the end of the
chapter that Moses did nothing except by God’s command. At the same time the
obedience of the people is noticed in that they peaceably obeyed Moses, since thus
they ratified their acknowledgment of Moses as a true and faithful minister of God;
for this submissiveness is the inseparable companion of sincere piety towards God,
that whatever is proposed by His approved ministers the people should reverently
accept.
COFFMAN, "This chapter details the layout of the camp of the Israelites in the
wilderness, featuring the tabernacle in the center and the twelve tribes with their
armies under the various standards deployed around it, yielding the symbolism of
God (whose presence was symbolized by the tabernacle) always in the midst of His
people. Even in the order of marching the centrality of the tabernacle was
maintained. The strongest forces were placed in the vanguard where Judah and his
hosts led the way and in the rearguard where Dan and his divisions were placed last
in the line of march (Numbers 2:31). "From the position of Numbers 2:17, it is to be
understood that the first two `standards' are to precede the tent of meeting and the
last two to follow it."[1]
Here again we are confronted with the fourfold repetition (after the manner of the
15th century B.C. literary style) of instructions regarding the deployment of the four
primary divisions of Israel's forces under Judah, Dan, Reuben and Ephraim, the
four accounts differing only in the names, numbers, and sectors of their deployment.
We shall quote the passage as it pertained to Judah and present an abbreviated
outline of all four.
"And Jehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, The children of Israel
shall encamp every man by his own standard, with the ensigns of their fathers'
houses: over against the tent of meeting shall they encamp round about. And those
that encamp on the east side toward the sunrising shall be they of the standard of
the camp of Judah, according to their hosts: and the prince of the children of Judah
shall be Nahshon the son of Amminadab. And his host and those that were
numbered of them, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred. And
those that encamp next unto him shall be the tribe of Issachar: and the prince of the
children of Issachar shall be Nethanel the son of Zuar. And his host, and those that
were numbered thereof, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred. And the
tribe of Zebulun: and the prince of the children of Zebulun shall be Eliab the son of
Helon. And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were fifty and seven
thousand and four hundred. All that were numbered of the camp of Judah were a
hundred thousand and fourscore thousand and six thousand and four hundred,
according to their hosts. They shall set forth first."
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6. The balance of the chapter, in the same terminology, describes the great camps on
each of the four cardinal points of the compass, enumerated here in clockwise
rotation East - South - West - North.
EAST:
The host of JUDAH, Issachar, and Zebulun numbering 186,400.
Commanders: Nahshon, Nathanel, and Eliab.
Place in line of march ... FIRST.
SOUTH:
The host of REUBEN, Simeon and Gad numbering 151,450.
Commanders: Elizur, Shelumiel, and Eliasaph.
Place in line of march ... SECOND.
WEST:
The host of EPHRAIM, Manasseh, and Benjamin numbering 108,100.
Commanders: Elishama, Gamaliel, and Abidan.
Place in line of march ... THIRD.
NORTH:
The host of DAN, Asher, Naphtali numbering 157,600.
Commanders: Abiezer, Pagiel, and Ahira.
Place in line of march ... LAST.
A diagrammatic presentation of this is also given in the latter part of Numbers 1.
There are a number of things of very great interest in these verses, and one of these
is the use of the word "standards" in Numbers 2:2,3,10,17,18,25,31,34. The use of
this word in close connection with the word "ensigns" would certainly appear to
suggest a flag or banner of some kind, but, beginning with G. B. Gray (1903) in
International Critical Commentary, persistent efforts have been made to render the
word as "company, or companies."[2] It is regrettable that the Broadman
Commentary continues this error by the allegation that, "In the second chapter, the
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7. word `standard' should be interpreted as division or armed unit."[3] As John
Marsh noted, however, "The evidence (for this change) is inconclusive."[4] Wilson's
Dictionary of O.T. words gives no other meaning than "flag, or banner, of the larger
kind,"[5] as distinguished from lesser flags such as ensigns of the fathers' houses.
The Torah, as translated from the Masoretic Text (1962) renders the word
"standard,"[6] as is also the case in the Interlinear Hebrew English O.T.[7]
A related question with reference to this is, "What, actually, were those `standards'
of Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan"? Traditions, of course, are, in no sense,
dependable, but the traditions associated with these `standards' appear to find
partial corroboration in the near-universal impression that certain passages in
Ezekiel and in Revelation are a reflection of them. According to Jewish expositors,
"The standard of Judah was a lion (Revelation 5:5), that of Reuben was a man, that
of Ephraim was an ox (Deuteronomy 33:17), and that of Dan an eagle."[8] As
Whitelaw said, "If we could be sure of this, we would have the origins of the `living
creatures' in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:26; 10:1) and in Revelation (Revelation 4:4-16).
However, the traditions of the Jews are too fluctuating to carry any weight. The
Targums of Jerusalem assign the lion to Judah, the stag to Reuben, and the young
man to Ephraim, and a serpent to Dan!"[9] Jamieson quoted still other Jewish
writers to the effect that "The banners, or standards, were distinguished by their
colors, the colors of each tribe being the same as that of the precious stone
representing that tribe in the breastplate of the High Priest."[10] The only trouble
with that is that we do not know exactly what those were!
"It is God's delight to do things in an orderly way. The sun, moon, and stars operate
according to a fixed pattern ... even comets are not erratic wanderers, but move with
precision."[11]
This chapter reveals that God had an orderly and systematic plan for the
encampments and movements of Israel in the wilderness, and so it is also for his
Church in our own times.
Any extensive reading of current writings on these chapters reveals all kinds of
objections, none of which are of any value. One such unbelieving comment was
noted by Ward, that it is impossible to find a space big enough in the vicinity of
Sinai for such a deployment as that here presented, but, as he wisely pointed out,
"There are many areas in that vicinity to provide ample space for what God
commanded."[12]
Another objection by critics seeking to late-date Numbers affirms that the
quadrangular arrangement of the tribes of Israel by Moses actually indicated a time
comparable to that of Alexander the Great (4th century B.C.). However, "It is now
known that Rameses II, contemporary with Moses, used this same arrangement in
his Syrian campaign."[13]
In regard to the twelve commanders listed in the summary above, it is of interest
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8. that in each case these are the same as the twelve princes who assisted Moses in the
taking of the sum of the people, also, presumably, the chief of each division with two
subordinate commanders in each instance was the one associated with the four
quadrant leaders, Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan, namely, Nahshon, Elizur,
Elishama, Abiezer.
Another interesting observation with reference to this deployment was seen by
Wade in certain discriminations made with reference to which of the wives of Jacob
was the maternal ancestor: "Those deployed on the east were the children of Leah;
those on the south were from Leah and Zilpah (Leah's maid); on the west were the
descendants of Rachel, and those under Dan on the north were children of either
Bilhah (Rachel's maid) or of Zilpah (Leah's maid)."[14] Oddly enough, this
corresponds roughly to the deployment of his sons upon the occasion when Jacob
went forth to meet Esau. Before leaving this chapter, we wish to cite an occasion for
humor. The liberal, critical commentator, Lindsay B. Longacre, writing in
Abingdon's One Volume Commentary on the Bible, referred to Numbers as a "late
book," dating from post-exilic times, giving many references to the imaginary
documents so frequently mentioned by the critics; and then, he told us what this
chapter teaches, as follows:
"The tribes are given their places with reference to the tabernacle, which holds
the central place of honor and security. FOUR tribes are placed east of the
tabernacle; FOUR south, FOUR west, and FOUR north, with the tribe of Levi next
to the tabernacle (Numbers 2:17). The disposition of Levi, however, is not
clear."[15]
Of course, we have made our own share of glaring mistakes, but something about
this one carries an amazing amusement. If one wonders where Professor Longacre
got all those "documents" mentioned, maybe he got them from the same place he got
the SIXTEEN TRIBES of Israel! It has the utility of giving us another metaphor for
some of the outlandish so-called "discoveries" of critical enemies of the Bible.
The position of the Levites as custodians of the tabernacle has been left somewhat
out of sight just here, but the next chapter will deal with that subject in detail.
WHEDON, " ORDER OF ENCAMPMENT.
1. The Lord spake unto Moses… Aaron — We are not to suppose that Jehovah
utters all the words of this chapter. Divine commands relating to the order seem to
alternate with human statements of the numbers. This should be borne in mind by
the reader. Jehovah relieved Moses of the delicate duty of establishing the order of
the camp, and of making distinctions among his brethren by giving some the post of
honour. He did what all generals claim as their prerogative, deeming it necessary to
their success. He selected his own division, and subordinate commanders, and
assigned each battalion its post in camp and on the march. We see no reason why
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9. Aaron should be addressed with Moses in this chapter, and Moses alone in the first.
The reverse of this would have been natural, inasmuch as duties are enjoined on the
Levites in the first chapter, but none in the second.
CONSTABLE, "The placement of the tribes ch2
The twelve tribes excluding the Levites camped in four groups of three tribes each
on the tabernacle"s four sides. The Levites camped on all four sides of the
tabernacle but closer to the sanctuary than the other tribes ( Numbers 2:17). This
arrangement placed Yahweh at the center of the nation geographically and
reminded the Israelites that His rightful place was at the center of their life
nationally and personally.
"The Egyptians characteristically placed the tent of the king, his generals, and
officers at the center of a large army camp, but for the Israelites another tent was
central: the sanctuary in which it placed God to dwell among his people. From him
proceeds the power to save and to defend, and from this tent in the middle he made
known his ever-saving will." [Note: B. Maarsingh, Numbers: a practical
commentary, p15.]
"This picture of the organization of Israel in camp is an expression of the author"s
understanding of the theology of the divine presence. There are barriers which
divide a holy God from a fallible Israel. The structure of the tent itself and the
construction of the sophisticated priestly hierarchy has the effect, at least
potentially, of emphasizing the difference and distance between man and God. This
is valuable to theology as a perspective, but requires the compensating search for
nearness and presence. The ... author sought to affirm this in and through his
insistence that God is to be found, tabernacled among his people, at the center of
their life as a community." [Note: Budd, p25.]
The tribes to the east and south marched ahead of the tabernacle, whereas those on
the west and north marched behind it while Israel was in transit. The tabernacle
faced east (i.e, "orient") to face the rising sun, as was customary in the ancient
world.
"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 ..." [Note: Keil and Delitzsch, 3:17.
Cf. Ezekiel 1:10; Revelation 4:7.]
The early Christians used these same symbols to represent the four Gospels. They
used a lion to stand for Matthew , an ox for Mark , a man for Luke , and an eagle
for John. These animals symbolize aspects of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ
that each evangelist stressed.
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10. God evidently arranged the tribes in this order because of their ancestry.
Judah, Issachar, Zebulun
Descendants of Leah
Reuben, Simeon, Gad
Descendants of Leah and her maid Zilpah
Ephraim, Prayer of Manasseh , Benjamin
Descendants of Rachel
Daniel , Asher, Naphtali
Descendants of the maids Bilhah and Zilpah
"It will be seen from this arrangement that the vanguard and rearguard of the host
had the strongest forces-186 ,400,157 ,600 respectively-with the smaller tribal
groupings within them and the tabernacle in the center." [Note: James Philippians ,,
Numbers , p43.]
Moses did not explain the relationship of the tribes that camped on each side of the
tabernacle to one another. Some scholars believe they were as my diagram above
indicates while others feel that Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan were in the
center of their groups. [Note: E.g, Leon Wood, A Survey of Israel"s History, p152;
and Ashley, p74.]
"Further, the placement on the east is very significant in Israel"s thought. East is
the place of the rising of the sun, the source of hope and sustenance. Westward was
the sea. Israel"s traditional stance was with its back to the ocean and the descent of
the sun. The ancient Hebrews were not a sea-faring people like the Phoenicians and
the Egyptians. For Israel the place of pride was on the east. Hence there we find the
triad of tribes headed by Judah, Jacob"s fourth son and father of the royal house
that leads to King Messiah." [Note: Allen, p715.]
". . . the Genesis narratives devote much attention to the notion of "the east," a
theme that also appears important in the arrangement of the tribes. After the Fall,
Adam and Eve, and then Cain, were cast out of God"s good land "toward the east"
( Numbers 3:24; Numbers 4:16). Furthermore, Babylon was built in the east
( Genesis 11:2[, 9]), and Sodom was "east" of the Promised Land ( Numbers 13:11).
10

11. Throughout these narratives the hope is developed that God"s redemption would
come from the east and that this redemption would be a time of restoration of
God"s original blessing and gift of the land in Creation. Thus, God"s first act of
preparing the land-when he said, "Let there be light" ( Numbers 1:3)-used the
imagery of the sunrise in the east as a figure of the future redemption. Moreover,
God"s garden was planted for humankind "in the east" of Eden ( Numbers 2:8),
and it was there that God intended to pour out his blessing on them.
"Throughout the pentateuchal narratives, then, the concept of moving "eastward"
plays an important role as a reminder of the Paradise Lost-the garden in the east of
Eden-and a reminder of the hope for a return to God"s blessing "from the east"-the
place of waiting in the wilderness. It was not without purpose, then, that the
arrangement of the tribes around the tabernacle should reflect the same imagery of
hope and redemption." [Note: John H. Sailhamer, The Pentateuch as Narrative,
pp371-72.]
EBC, "THE CAMP
Numbers 2:1-34
The second chapter is devoted to the arrangement of the camp and the position of
the various tribes on the march. The front is eastward, and Judah has the post of
honour in the van; at its head Nahshon son of Amminadab. Issachar and Zebulun,
closely associated with Judah in the genealogy as descended from Leah, are the
others in front of the tabernacle. The right wing, to the south of the tabernacle, is
composed of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad, again connected by the hereditary tie, Gad
by descent from the "handmaid of Leah." The seniority of Reuben is apparently
acknowledged by the position of the tribe at the head of the right wing, which would
sustain the first attack of the desert clans; for dignity and onerous duty go together.
The rear is formed by Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin, connected with one
another by descent from Rachel. Northward, on the left of the advance, Dan, Asher,
and Naphtali have their position. Standards of divisions and ensigns of families are
not forgotten in the description of the camp; and Jewish tradition has ventured to
state what some of these were. Judah is said to have been a lion (compare "the lion
that is of the tribe of Judah," Revelation 5:5); Reuben, the image of a human head:
Ephraim, an ox; and Dan an eagle. If this tradition is accepted, it will connect the
four main ensigns of Israel with the vision of Ezekiel in which the same four figures
were united in each of the four living creatures that issued from the fiery cloud.
The picture of the great organised camp and orderly march of Israel is interesting:
but it presents a contrast to the disorganised, disorderly condition of human society
in every land and every age. While it may be said that there are nations leagued in
creed, allied by descent, which form the van; that others, similarly connected more
or less, constitute the right and left wings of the advancing host; and the rest,
straggling far behind, bring up the rear-this is but a very imaginative representation
11

12. of the fact. No people advances as with one mind and one heart; no group of nations
can be said to have a single standard. Time and destiny urge on the host, and all is
to be won by steady resolute endeavour. Yet some are encamped, while others are
moving about restlessly or engaged in petty conflicts that have nothing to do with
moral gain. There should be unity; but one division is embroiled with another, tribe
crosses swords with tribe. The truth is that as Israel came far short of real spiritual
organisation and due disposition of its forces to serve a common end, so it is still
with the human race. Nor do the schemes that are occasionally tried to some extent
promise a remedy for our disorder. For the symbol of our most holy faith is not set
in the midst by most of those who aim at social organisation, nor do they dream of
seeking a better country, that is, a heavenly. The description of the camp of Israel
has something to teach us still. Without the Divine law there is no progress, without
a Divine rallying-point there is no unity. Faith must control, the standard of
Christianity must show the way: otherwise the nations will only wander aimlessly,
and fight and die in the desert.
PARKER, " Divine Appointments
Numbers 2
This chapter deals with the order of the tribes in their tents. Though at first we may
seem to have no relation to this order, at last it may be perceived that we are in vital
relations to it. Let us first set before the mind vividly the literal exactness of the case.
The camp of Judah was to set forth first; the camp of Reuben was to set forth in the
second rank; the camp of Ephraim was to go forward in the third rank; the camp of
Dan was to go hindmost with their standards. Who arranged this order? The
answer is in the first verse: "And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron,
saying,... the camp of Judah... first;... the camp of Reuben... second;... the camp of
Ephraim... third;... the camp of Dan... hindmost." It was a military tone; there was
nothing suggestive in its music; it was imperative, complete, final. Keep positiveness
of speech quite vividly before the mind, even at the expense of some tediousness in
words. Judah first, Reuben second, Ephraim third;—these terms are arithmetical
and may be accepted without murmuring; but the next term is more than
arithmetical: the camp of Dan "hindmost." That seems to be a word of stigma and
of inferiority and of rebuke. Had the numbers been,—first, second, third, fourth,
the arithmetic would have been complete; but to be hindmost is to be further behind
than to be merely fourth; it is to have the position marked so broadly as almost to
amount to a brand of tribal degradation. All this was to be done; it never could have
been done but by divine appointment. A third party may arrange a controversy, or
a position as between two men; but come to handle hundreds of thousands of men—
nations, solar systems, constellations innumerable, and we can have no
compromising, temporising, giving and taking on a small scale, so as to balance the
pride of all parties; there must be sovereignty, fiat,—the "let it be" out of which all
smaller imperatives are struck, like sparks from an infinite flame.
12

13. Faith in the divine appointment could alone secure religious contentment under
such circumstances. This is as necessary to-day, in view of the distribution of men,
with their various gifts and their endlessly varied vocations. What is that mystic,
subtle, nameless power that keeps society together, with its diversities, antagonisms,
and contradictions? What is the astronomical force that so whirls society around an
invisible centre as to sink the mountains into plains and lift up the valleys to a
common level? Have we not to-day precisely this order in society intellectually,—
Judah first, Reuben second, Ephraim third, Dan hindmost? This is not ancient
history: it is the military rule and law of the passing time. Men cannot alter it.
Ambition attempts to change relations and positions, and ambition dies in the
abortive effort. The Lord will have his way in the whirlwind and in the fire and the
storm. To deny it is to waste words; to contend against it is "to kick against the
pricks"; to say "We will not have this Man to reign over us," is to utter an empty
gasconade—a brag that bursts with its own swelling. We are standing in the region
of law; we are bounded on every side. Every man has his gift, into the use of which
the King will inquire when he comes back from the far country. How is it that men,
being first, second, third, and hindmost in the matter of circumstances, are still knit
together by a mysterious bond? The rich man cannot do without the poor man; the
palace has its kitchen; the throne has its retinue of attendants, and if one be absent
the harmony of the service is impaired. We, being many members, are one body; the
hand cannot say to the foot—"I have no need of thee"; nor can the ear say to the
eye, nor the eye to the ear—"I have no need of thee." Yet some parts are
honourable, and some dishonourable; some comely, some uncomely. How is this?
Marvellous if society made itself!—requiring quite a miraculous infidel to believe
that it invented its own harmony. "The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice."
Order is but another word for purpose, or another word for mind. This mechanism
was not self-invented or self-regulated; behind this military table of position and
movement is the God of the whole universe. He is behind everything. It requires the
whole Trinity to sustain the tiny insect that trembles out its little life in the dying
sunbeam; even that frail heart does not throb by having some small portion of the
divine energy detached to attend to its affairs. Were there but one man in all the
universe, he could only subsist by the omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence
of the Triune God. The Cross was not built for millions, but for the sinner, though
he be the solitary offender in creation. We see in everything that the amount of
order which is represented suggests the extent and quality of the mind behind it.
Acknowledging this in things earthly and human, why should we deny the doctrine
in relation to things not local, not human, and not transient? Singular, if order
means so much in little things, but means nothing in great affairs! A marvellous
thing, we say, is a book. There are in an English book but some six-and-twenty
letters; a most marvellous thing if some skilled printer, shaking the six-and-twenty
letters out of his box, let them fall into the shape of "Paradise Lost"! Might such a
miracle occur? The world is amazed by the majesty of the poem; the world devotes
monumental brass and marble to bear to other ages the name of the poet who so
arranged the letters. A most wonderful thing, then, if six-and-twenty letters cannot
shape themselves into a poem, or be shaped by some magical toss of the
13

14. mechanician"s hand, that Prayer of Manasseh , woman, and child, of all grades, and
classes, and varieties of tongue, gifts, genius, and all stars and systems and
constellations, should have rolled themselves into position and kept together in their
magnificence without any mind, reason, or purpose, being above, below, or around,
to account for and interpret into higher meanings the massive consolidation! The
more exquisite the mechanism, the more valuable the result of its working. What a
mechanism is the world! How the earth rolls on in the midst of all its revolutions
and burials and tragedies! The same world, yet not the same two moments together,
having a permanent quantity centralised in the very heart of changing phenomena.
The wise man looks for the permanent quantity; he is not a mere grubber amongst
details and appearances and fleeting thoughts and complexions: he says,—Under all
this is something that abides. To find out the eternal quantity is the philosophy of
history and the philosophy of religion. We may know much about details, and yet
know nothing about the very thing which brings them into order and flushes them
with the colour of moral purpose and meaning. Who knows most about the history
of England: the man who has been in every market-town, who knows the market
day of every borough, the name of every village, the departure and arrival of every
train, the name of every mayor in every municipality; or the man who knows
England by its conquests, its sovereigns, the philosophy of its legislation, the
measure of its progress, its relation to other kingdoms, the general set and purpose
of its civilisation, but who knows nothing of any market-town in the whole country?
We assign the superiority at once. A country is not an affair of market-towns, and
comings and goings of trains, and changes of local officers; it is a genius, a spirit, a
purpose, and to find that is to find out the true history of the land. It is so with
Providence, with the Almighty Ruler-ship that is above us and around us. We are
affrighted by details, pained by cases of personal suffering, and are at a loss to
reconcile individual anecdotes with the beneficence of a universal Providence; but
we must look for the central and eternal quantity—and that is plainly written in all
history and in all enlightened consciousness: the sum of it was never so grandly
expressed as by the Pauline eloquence—"All things work together for good to them
that love God"—that are in the rhythm and majesty of the divine music. Let us not
be traders in details, puzzle-makers amid the little occurrences of the parish, but
students in the temple of Wisdom of Solomon , worshippers at the throne of light,
recognising eternity amid the fluctuation and the tumult of time.
Dan was to go hindmost. The hindmost position has its advantages. It is a rule in the
higher criticism that a critic, on looking at a picture, shall first look for its beauties.
That rule we have not yet introduced into the Church; but that is the rule in all the
higher life of civilisation. The critic, looking at the picture, first inquires into the
beauties, the fascinations, the marks of ability, the signature of genius; and then
reluctantly suggests the drawback or the point of inferiority, and submits it rather
for consideration than for judgment. We ought, surely, to look so upon the picture
of Providence, the map of human life, the marvellous academy of society. We ought
oftentimes to pity the foremost men. The greater the statesman, the greater the
responsibility he has to sustain; the greater the genius, the more poignant its
occasional agonies; the more sensitive the nature, the more is every wound felt, the
14

15. more is every concussion regarded with fear. The foremost soldiers will be in battle
first; we who are hindmost may have only to shout the hosanna of victory. Judah is
first, and may have first to fight; Dan is hindmost, and may take some pride in
Judah"s victories. The pioneer traveller has the hardships to undergo; he was first
in honour, but he was first in suffering. We travel on the road he made. This age is
the hindmost in procession of time; is it therefore the inferior age? The nineteenth
century comes after all the eighteen; but it therefore comes on the firmer ground,
with the larger civilisation, with the ampler library, with the more extended
resources; it comes with a thousand-handed ability because it is the hindmost of the
days. Take this view of all circumstances, and life will become a joy where it has
long been a pain; our very disqualifications in one direction may become
qualifications in another. If you had been fit for more field work, you could not have
read so much; if your health had been more robust, your spirit might have been
coarser; through the feebleness or the restraint of the body you became acquainted
with processes of chastening and limitation and refinement which have made you
your noblest self. There is no lot that has not in it some point of light; if, indeed, we
except men who have sinned away their day and are now in the wilderness of
despair, still enough remains to justify the reassertion that in every human lot there
are points of advantage. Let no man glory over another; God has set everyone in his
place, and every man must accept the divine appointment. But this was Old
Testament; we have supposedly outlived the venerable record. Is there anything to
correspond with this order of the camps in the New Testament? Read 1 Corinthians
12:28-30 : "And God hath set some in the Church, first apostles, secondarily
prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps,
governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all
teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak
with tongues? do all interpret?" This is the Old Testament translated into later
language. So is this: "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And
there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are
diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all... For to one
is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the
same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by
the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another
discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the
interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit,
dividing to every man severally as he will." Paul, then, was but Moses evangelised;
the God of both Testaments is the same. The great mischief Isaiah , that one man is
so often expected to be all men. This is particularly so in the Church. Outside the
Church we have some little tincture of common sense in these matters; but inside the
Church we have another kind of sense. We thus declaim: The minister is an
excellent visitor, but he is a very poor preacher. A marvellous thing it would have
been, now, if the same man had been both a preacher and a visitor! Or we say: No
doubt he is a very learned theologian, but he has no gift in the relation of anecdotes.
A marvellous thing if he had been great in the theological metaphysics of the
fathers, and profound in his knowledge of anecdotes that never transpired! Or: He
is very solid, but not entertaining. Marvellous if he had been as solid as a Quarterly
15

16. Review, and as great a liar as an evening newspaper! In the Old Testament and in
the New Testament there was some regard to specialty of gift, to definiteness of
position; having lost that regard we have lost power. You do not say, The clock is an
excellent time-keeper, but no use at all as a musical instrument. You do not take up
a trumpet and say, A finer instrument was never made to call men to feast or to
battle, but it is utterly useless if you want it to tell you the time of day. Every man in
his own place, in his sphere. The great question is not in what regiment we are, but
rather, Are we in the army of Christ—whether with Judah first, with Reuben
second, with Ephraim third, or with Dan the hindmost tribe? To be in the army is
the great consideration. There are no inferior positions in the Church; there are no
inferior clergy. There may be valleys; but the valleys are in the Alps—even the
depressed places are on the high mountains; to be on those mountains At all is to be
in an elevated position. We have the same regulation in the New Testament, as Paul
has just proved. We need not have gone to Paul, for Paul was but an echo, not a
voice; the Voice is Christ. The Son hath revealed the Father as a King who has gone
into a far country, and before going divided to his servants, severally as he would, to
one five talents, to another two, to another one, saying to each "Occupy till I come."
So the Book of Numbers is but an earlier edition of the book by which Christian
conduct is regulated and Christian education is completed. So the Bible has many
writers, but only one Author. The hands that shaped its letters are many; the Spirit
that revealed its truth is One.
Note
The book of Numbers is rich in fragments of ancient poetry, some of them of great
beauty, and all throwing interesting light on the character of the times in which they
were composed. Such, for instance, is the blessing of the high-priest ( Numbers
6:24-26):—
In Numbers 21we have a passage cited from a book called "The Book of the Wars of
Jehovah." This was probably a collection of ballads and songs composed on
different occasions by the watch-fires of the camp, and for the most part, though not
perhaps exclusively, in commemoration of the victories of the Israelites over their
enemies. The title shows us that these were written by men imbued with a deep sense
of religion, and who were therefore foremost to acknowledge that not their own
prowess, but Jehovah"s Right Hand had given them the victory when they went
forth to battle. Hence it was called, not "The Book of the Wars of Israel," but "The
Book of the Wars of Jehovah." Possibly this is the book referred to in Exodus 17:14,
especially as we read ( Exodus 5:16) that when Moses built the altar which he called
Jehovah-Nissi (Jehovah is my banner), he exclaimed, "Jehovah will have war with
Amalek from generation to generation." This expression may have given the name
to the book.
LANGE, " Numbers 2:1 sqq. (a) The order of encampment.—The twelve Tribes are
divided into four corps, which encamp about the centre of the Levitical sanctuary,
16

17. and that in the order of East, South, West, and North. The four leading tribes are
Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan. To Judah, the first leader-tribe, with its camp in
the East, are joined Issachar and Zebulun, who also were song of Leah; a very
strong chief force at the Tan of the army. To the south was the camp of Reuben in
conjunction with the tribes of Simeon and Gad. It should be noted in this
connection, that the tribe of Simeon at this time numbered many more warriors
than Reuben. On the west Ephraim was encamped, at the head of Manasseh and
Benjamin. Here then all the children of Rachel are united. To the north Asher and
Naphtali are encamped under the leadership of the tribe of Dan. Here with Dan the
adopted son of Rachel, are associated his brother Naphtali and his half-brother
Asher.
(b) The order of march.—This was determined by the order of encampment. In
front of the camp of the Levites and of the tabernacle marched six tribes, first the
corps of Judah, next the corps of Reuben. The march was covered by the six tribes
in the divisions of Ephraim and Dan. [See below.—Tr.]
“‫ֶל‬‫ג‬ ֶ‫,דּ‬ ‘standard, banner, flag,’ denotes the larger military ensign which each of the
corps composed of three tribes had, and which at the same time was the banner of
that tribe that headed the division; then, in a more extended signification, the army
as united under one banner, similar to σημεία, vexillum, and the old German
Fæhnlein, etc. According to rabbinical tradition, the banner of Judah bore the
image of a lion; that of Reuben the picture of a man or of a human head; that of
Ephraim the image of an ox; that of Dan the emblem of an eagle; so that on these
four standards the four creatures which are united in the cherubic figures given by
Ezekiel, are said to have been represented” (Keil, p200). A more minute rabbinical
account of the colors of the flags, according to Jerome Prado, is given in a note by
Keil, p200 [Eng. Tr, Vol. I:17]. Judah is therefore the champion of his brethren
according to Genesis 49:10. Yet we must understand the position of Ephraim in
covering the march, not as subordinate, but as a sort of parallel one. The name
Reuel, Numbers 2:14, is the error of a copyist for Deuel As they encamp so shall
they set forward, Numbers 2:17; therefore, with Levi in the midst of the tribes,
every man on his own side by their standards, i. e., upon the side where he was
encamped; not as it is generally translated: each at his place, since ‫ָד‬‫י‬, ‘hand,’ does
indeed signify latus, ‘side,’ but not place” (Keil).
It would certainly have been a very difficult and frequently impracticable order of
march, if the three divisions, Reuben on the one side, Dan on the other, and Levi
with the Tabernacle in the middle, had been compelled to march abreast. Moreover
it says very emphatically that Judah and Reuben precede the Tabernacle ( Numbers
2:17)—consequently the like would obtain as to the marching order of the
succeeding corps, Ephraim and Dan. As to the more common meaning of ‫ָד‬‫י‬ see
Genesis.
Besides the military camp we must distinguish two particular camps—the camp of
the pure congregation, composed of women and children, and the encampment of
17

18. the levitically unclean on the outside of the camp. The children of the Levites appear
to have been in the camp from their youth up; probably also in time of peace the
families dwelt with their defenders. A distinction between the warriors and the
people is indicated in Numbers 20:1.
[It appears from Numbers 10:17, that on the march the position of the Tabernacle
and the attendant Gershonites and Merarites was immediately after the division of
three tribes headed by Judah. Then followed Reuben’s division. After that, and in
the middle of the line, the Kohathites with the sacred things. Then came the division
under Ephraim, followed by that of Daniel, which brought up the rear. The only
reason assigned for the position of Tent of Meeting next after Judah’s division, is
that it might be set up by the time the sacred things that were to be put into it
( Numbers 10:21) should arrive at camp.
The foregoing plan represents the arrangement of the encampment as gathered
from chaps2, 3. Such is the ideal disposition. The actual disposition of the
multitudes, even when order was maintained, must often have presented only an
imperfect approach to it, owing to topographical irregularities.—Tr.]
DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL
[See under Numbers 1.
“The ideal form of the encampment was reproduced in the square court with which
the Temple was eventually surrounded, and in the vision of the heavenly city as seen
by Ezekiel 48:20; and by St. John, Revelation 21:16; comp. Revelation 20:9. Thus
the camp of God’s earthly people was divinely ordered, so as to set forth the
completeness of His Church; and to illustrate by its whole arrangement, which was
determined by the Tabernacle in the centre, both the dependence of all on God, and
the access which all enjoyed to God.” The Bible Comm. in loc.
In the plains of Moab, and in the immediate prospect of conquering the promised
land, the ideal plan of the encampment might be conformed to. Perhaps such was
the sight that greeted Balaam’s eyes and made him exclaim: “How goodly are thy
tents, O Jacob,” Numbers 24:5. “Thus the gospel-church, called the camp of saints,
ought to be compact according to the Scripture model, every one knowing and
keeping his place, and then all that wish well to the church rejoice, beholding their
order, Colossians 2:5.” M. Henry.
The comments of M. Henry on this chapter are in his best vein of happy suggestion.
The following thoughts are reproduced from him.
Those of a tribe were to pitch together. Note, it is the will of God that mutual love
and affection, converse and communion should be kept up among relations. The
bonds of nature should be improved for the strengthening of the bonds of Christian
communion.
18

19. Every one must know his place and keep it. Note, it is God that appoints us the
bounds of our habitation, and to Him we must refer ourselves. God is the God of
order and not of confusion. The standards made this mighty army seem more
beautiful to its friends, and more formidable to its enemies. The Church of Christ is
said to be terrible as an army with banners, Song of Solomon 6:10.
The Tabernacle and sacred things were in the middle of the camp and of the line of
march. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved, Psalm 46:5. Their camp
had reason to be hearty when thus they had God in the heart of them. Note, if God
undertake the protection of our comforts, we ought in our plans to undertake the
protection of His institutions, and stand up in the defence of His honor, and interest
and ministers.
Every tribe had a captain, a prince, or commander-in-chief, whom God Himself had
nominated, the same that had been appointed to number them ( Numbers 1:5). Our
being all the children of one Adam is so far from justifying the levellers and taking
away the distinction of place and honor, that even among the children of the same
Abraham, the same Jacob, the same Judah, God Himself appointed that one should
be captain of all the rest. There are powers ordained of God, and those to whom
honor and fear are due, and must be paid.
Some observe the significancy of the names of these princes, at least in general, and
how much God was in the thoughts of those that gave them their names, for most of
them have El, God, at one end or other of their names. (See above, Introd., § 6). By
which it appears that the Israelites in Egypt did not quite forget the name of their
God, but when they wanted other memorials, preserved the rememblance of it in the
names of their children, and therefore comforted themselves in their affliction.
Nahshon is reckoned among the ancestors of Christ ( Matthew 1:4). So that when he
went before them, Christ Himself went before them in effect, as their Leader.—Tr.]
HOMILETICAL HINTS
The regulation of the host. The camp of God’s army. The sacredness of number.
The sanctifying and the distribution of the number. Arithmetic and geometry, and
book-keeping and mensuration brought into the service of the Holy One. The tribes
of the army of God, and their significance for the organization of the church, of the
state, especially with reference to its means of defence. The standards. The
significance of the Tabernacle in the midst of the camp. Jehovah as King and
Commander-in-Chief in the midst of His warriors. So Christ is the Captain of
salvation. The New Testament army of God: the Apostolic spirit in twelvefold gifts
and forms. The Church of God in relation to war in the world. The war of light (of
self-defence for right of conscience and freedom) and the war of darkness.
19

20. PETT, "Introduction
SECTION 1. THE PREPARATIONS TO GO FORWARD FROM SINAI WITH
YAHWEH’S PROVISIONS RELATED THERETO (1:1-10:10).
The Mobilisation of the Army of Israel, and the Preparation of the Levites For Their
Work of Bearing the Ark and Dwellingplace of Yahweh (1:1-4:49).
The first stage towards entry into the land had to be the mobilisation of the army of
Israel, both of its fighting men, and of its ‘servants of the dwellingplace of Yahweh’.
That is what is in mind in the first four chapters.
The description of this follows a general chiastic pattern indicated by the letters a to
d and can be divided up as follows:
a The taking of the sum of the tribes and their responsibility (to war) (Numbers
1:1-46).
b The Levites’ responsibility for the Dwellingplace (Numbers 1:47-54).
c Positioning and arrangements for travel of the people (Numbers 2:1-32).
d The consecration of the priests to Yahweh (Numbers 3:1-4).
d The dedication of the Levites to the priests and to Yahweh (Numbers 3:5-13)
c Positioning and arrangements for travel of the Levites (Numbers 3:14-51).
b The priests’ responsibility for the Dwellingplace (Numbers 4:5-15).
a The taking of the sum of the Levites and their responsibilities (Numbers 4:1-4;
Numbers 4:21-49).
Chapter 2 The Camp Of Israel.
In this chapter Israel are depicted as needing to be organised around the God’s
‘Dwellingplace’, (mishkan, often translated ‘the tabernacle’), in square formation in
a similar way to the camp of the Egyptians around the tent of Rameses II.
Encamped to the east of the Dwellingplace were to be Judah, with Issachar and
Zebulun (all Leah tribes). On journeying these were seemingly to form the advance
guard. To the south were to be Reuben with Simeon and Gad (two Leah tribes with
Gad replacing Levi, compare Gad’s similar listing with the Leah tribes earlier
(Numbers 1:24). These were to move off second, taking up a second line of defence.
In the centre around the Dwellingplace were to be the priests and Levites. They
were, as it were, the Dwellingplace’s special bodyguard. They were then to be
followed up by Ephraim, with Manasseh and Benjamin, who encamped to the west
20

21. but followed the Dwellingplace when on the march (Rachel tribes), and finally came
Dan, with Asher and Naphtali (concubine tribes along with Gad), who encamped to
the north, but followed up in the rear on marching.
The whole picture is of Yahweh’s ‘holy nation’. The people are seen as holy as they
surround the Tent of Meeting. This will be followed in Numbers 3 by those who are
even more holy, the Levites, set apart by Yahweh in holiness to replace the firstborn
sons of Israel as servants of the Sanctuary, and to come between the people and the
Sanctuary. The most holy are the priests, who alone can deal with holy things,
approaching the altar to make offerings, applying the blood of the offerings,
entering within the inner Sanctuary, the Holy Place (but not the Holy of
Holies/‘Most Holy Place’). All this reflects Exodus and Leviticus.
Verses 1-15
Chapter 2 The Camp Of Israel.
In this chapter Israel are depicted as needing to be organised around the God’s
‘Dwellingplace’, (mishkan, often translated ‘the tabernacle’), in square formation in
a similar way to the camp of the Egyptians around the tent of Rameses II.
Encamped to the east of the Dwellingplace were to be Judah, with Issachar and
Zebulun (all Leah tribes). On journeying these were seemingly to form the advance
guard. To the south were to be Reuben with Simeon and Gad (two Leah tribes with
Gad replacing Levi, compare Gad’s similar listing with the Leah tribes earlier
(Numbers 1:24). These were to move off second, taking up a second line of defence.
In the centre around the Dwellingplace were to be the priests and Levites. They
were, as it were, the Dwellingplace’s special bodyguard. They were then to be
followed up by Ephraim, with Manasseh and Benjamin, who encamped to the west
but followed the Dwellingplace when on the march (Rachel tribes), and finally came
Dan, with Asher and Naphtali (concubine tribes along with Gad), who encamped to
the north, but followed up in the rear on marching.
The whole picture is of Yahweh’s ‘holy nation’. The people are seen as holy as they
surround the Tent of Meeting. This will be followed in Numbers 3 by those who are
even more holy, the Levites, set apart by Yahweh in holiness to replace the firstborn
sons of Israel as servants of the Sanctuary, and to come between the people and the
Sanctuary. The most holy are the priests, who alone can deal with holy things,
approaching the altar to make offerings, applying the blood of the offerings,
entering within the inner Sanctuary, the Holy Place (but not the Holy of
Holies/‘Most Holy Place’). All this reflects Exodus and Leviticus.
Positioning and Arrangements for Travel of the People (Numbers 2:1 to Numbers
3:1).
Numbers 2:1
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22. ‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “The children of Israel shall
encamp every man by his own standard, with the ensigns of their fathers’ houses.
Over against the tent of meeting shall they encamp round about.” ’
All the children of Israel, man by man, were to encamp in their own ranks beneath
the ensigns of their fathers’ houses, at some distance from (over against) the Tent of
Meeting, but surrounding it.
BI 1-2, "Pitch by his own standard.
The marshalling of Israel, and its lessons
I. They all dwelt in tents; and when they marched carried all their tents
along with them (Psa_107:4). This represents to us our state in this world.
1. It is a movable state; here to-day and gone to-morrow.
2. It is a military state; is not our life a warfare?
II. Those of a tribe were to pitch together, every man by his own standard. It
is the will of God that mutual love and affection, conerse and communion,
should be kept up among relations. Those that are of kin to each other
should, as much as they can, be acquainted with each other, and the bonds
of nature should be improved for the strengthening of the bends of
Christian communion.
III. Every one must know his place, and keep in it. They were not allowed to
fix where they pleased, nor to remove when they pleased; but God quarters
them, with a charge to abide in their quarters. It is God that appoints us the
bounds of our habitation, and to Him we must refer ourselves (Psa_47:4);
and in His choice we must acquiesce, and not love to flit, nor be as the bird
that wanders from her nest.
IV. Every tribe had its standard, flag, or ensign, and it should seem every
family had some particular ensign of their father’s house, which were
carried, as with us the colours of each company in a regiment are. These
were of use for the distinction of tribes and families, and the gathering and
keeping of them together; in allusion to which the preaching of the gospel is
said to lift up an ensign, to which the Gentiles shall seek, and by which they
shall pitch (Isa_11:10; Isa_11:12). God is the God of order, and not of
confusion. These standards made this mighty army seem more beautiful to
its friends, and more formidable to its enemies. The Church of Christ is said
to be as terrible as an army with banners (Son_6:10).
V. They were to pitch about the tabernacle, which was to be in the midst of
them, as the tent or pavilion of a general in the centre of an army. They must
encamp round the tabernacle—
1. That it might be equally a comfort and joy to them all, as it was a token
of God’s gracious presence with them (Psa_46:5). The tabernacle was in
the midst of the camp, that it might be near to them; for it is a very
desirable thing to have the solemn administration of holy ordinances
22

23. near us, and within our reach. The kingdom of God is among you.
2. That they might be a guard and defence upon the tabernacle and the
Levites on every side. No invader could come near God’s tabernacle, but
he must first penetrate the thickest of their squadrons. If God undertake
the protection of our comforts, we ought in our places to undertake the
protection of His institutions, and stand up in defence of His honour,
and interest, and ministers.
VI. Yet they were to pitch afar off, in reverence to the sanctuary, that it
might not seem crowded and thrust up among them; and that the common
business of the camp might be no annoyance to it. They were also taught to
keep their distance, lest too much familiarity should breed contempt. But
we are not ordered, as they were, to pitch afar off; no, we are invited to
draw near, and come boldly. The saints of the Most High are said to be
round about Him (Psa_76:12). God by His grace keeps us close to Him.
(Matthew Henry, D. D.)
Israel typical of the Christian Church: -
I. The one israel.
1. Their real oneness of descent. The children of Abraham.
2. Their original condition. All bondsmen.
3. Their Divine deliverance. Brought out of Egypt, &c.
4. In one Divine covenant. Promises, &c.
5. Journeying to the one inheritance.
6. Under one command.
See how this all applies to the Church of the Saviour. All the children of God
by faith, all heirs, all pilgrims, all of one covenant, one Saviour, &c.
essentially one; one in Christ Jesus.
II. The various tribes.
1. Their different names. Necessary for distinction—recognition.
2. Their different positions in the camp. See next chapter. East side,
Num_2:3; south side, Num_2:10; west, Num_2:18; north, Num_2:25.
3. The various tribes were in one general accord and union. All one
religious confederacy, absolutely one, worship one, &c.; in perils one, in
warfare one, in prospects one.
III. The special directions to the different tribes.
1. Each tribe had their own standard or banner to distinguish it from the
rest. No order without.
2. Each man was to be by his own standard. Not a wanderer; not a visitor
to all; but his own fixed, legitimate position.
23

24. 3. Thus the duties of every tribe would be regarded and fulfilled.
4. Thus the interests of all would be sustained.
IV. Spiritual lessons.
1. We see now the denominational tribes in the kingdom of Christ.
Christians of different conditions, education, training, leaders, &c.
2. Christians have a special interest in their own camp.
3. To devote themselves to these is the first duty and privilege. Just as
families are constituted, so churches.
4. All the various denominational camps constitute the one Church of the
Saviour. Only one Israel, one body, one army, &c. For particular
purposes, every man by his own camp; for general purposes, all acting in
conjunction and harmony. (J. Burns, D. D.)
The marshalling of the people: -
I. Order.
1. God Himself delights in order.
2. The importance of order is recognised in human affairs.
3. This order was probably divinely institated as a means to peace and
unity.
II. Variety. Each camp had its own characteristic standard. And each tribe
and each father’s house had its own distinctive ensign. Monotony is not a
mark of divinity. Variety characterises the works of God, Countries differ in
their climates, conformations, productions, &c. The features of landscapes
differ. Trees, flowers, faces, minds differ. With one spirit there may be
many forms.
III. Unity. All the tribes were gathered “about the tabernacle of the
congregation,” as around a common centre. They had different standards,
but constituted one nation.
1. The dependence of all on God. All the tribes looked to Him for support,
provision, protection, direction, &c.
2. The access of all to God. The tabernacle was the sign of the presence of
God with them.
3. The reverence of all towards God. They were to pitch “over against the
tabernacle.” Probably the tribes were two thousand cubits from it. Cf.
Jos_3:4. They were thus to encamp around the sacred place, that no
stranger might draw near to it; and the Levites were to encamp near the
tabernacle on every side, that the people themselves might not draw too
near to it, but might be taught to regard it with respect and reverence.
IV. Security. The tabernacle of God in the midst of the camp was a guarantee
of their safety. His presence in their midst would tend to—
24

25. 1. Quell their fears. He had wrought marvellous things on their behalf in
the past: He was ever doing great things for them. Then why should they
quail before any danger or enemy?
2. Inspire their confidence and courage. It should have given to them the
assurance of victory in conflict, &c. (Num_10:35-36). Distance from God
is weakness and peril to His Church.
Nearness to Him is safety and power. Living in vital union with Him all-
conquering might is ours. Conclusion—
1. Learn sincerely and heartily to recognise as members of the Christian
Israel all who have the Christian spirit, however widely they may differ
from us in forms and opinions.
2. Think less of our isms and more of Christ’s Church; less of theological
and ecclesiastical systems, and more of Christ’s gospel; less of human
authority and patronage, and more of the Lord Jesus Christ. (W. Jones.)
Why God assigns to every tribe his place and order:
The causes of this dealing of God toward His people are three: one in
respect of Himself, another in respect of Israel, the third in regard of the
enemies of them both, of God and His people.
1. The cause respecting God is, that they and all other might see what a
wise God they serve. If they, professing the knowledge and service of the
true God, had wandered up and down in the wild and waste wilderness,
in such troops of men, in a confused manner, not knowing who should go
before, nor regarding who should follow after, the name of God would
have been dishonoured, His wisdom impaired, and His glory
diminished. He leaveth them not to themselves, but assigneth to each
tribe his proper mansion, to take away from them all confusion, and to
cut off all matter of contention. For except He had established as by a law
the order that should be observed among them, and thereby decided all
questions that might arise touching priority, many hurly-burlies and
heart-burnings would be entertained, and part-takings would be
nourished; which being kindled at the first as a little spark of fire, would
afterwards break out into such a flame as would spread further, and in
the end hardly be quenched.
2. They are mustered and marshalled into an exact and exquisite order,
to dismay and terrify their enemies, as also to confirm and encourage
their own hearts. Great is the force of unity, peace, and concord. One
man serveth to strengthen and establish another, like many staves
bound together in one. Many sticks or staves joined in one bundle are not
easily broken; but sever them and pull them asunder, they are soon
broken with little strength. Thus the case standeth in all societies,
whether it be in the Church or Commonwealth, or in the private family.
If our hearts be thoroughly united one to another, we need not fear what
man can do unto us; but if we be at war between ourselves, we lie open to
our enemies to work us indignity whatsoever. (W. Attersoll.)
25

26. God’s delight in order: -
1. God is the God of order, not of confusion. As He hath order in Himself,
so He commandeth and commendeth an order to be used of us.
2. All wise men will order their affairs with wisdom and discretion, and
will dispose of them with seemliness and comeliness. An expert captain
that goeth against his enemies will keep his soldiers in good array,
whether he march or retire. If he fly out of the field out of order one is
ready to overthrow another, and all are left to the mercy of his
adversary.
3. The Church is not a confused multitude shuffled together, where no
man knoweth his place or his office, and one encroacheth upon another;
but it is the house of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth. Now
in a house well ordered is to be seen the master as the ruler, and the
family subject to his government, every one employing his proper gifts,
and no man usurping the place and calling of another. If this be to be
seen in our private houses, how much more must we conceive this of the
Church of God, which is the house that He hath builded, the mountain of
the Lord which He hath prepared, and the peculiar people which He
hath chosen?
Uses:
1. Learn from hence to acknowledge an exquisite order in all God’s words
and works above and beneath, in heaven and on earth.
2. This reproveth such as know no order, but bring in all confusion and
disorder in Church or commonwealth; these have nothing to do with
God, but are the children of the devil, that hath transformed them into
his image and likeness. For from whence are seditions and confusions
but from our own lusts, enflamed and kindled from his furnace?
3. Seeing God requireth orderly observation of His ordinances, we learn
this duty, that we must be careful to observe it and practise it with a due
regard of His commandment. This is the general rule that the apostle
commendeth unto us (1Co_14:1-40). (W. Attersoll.)
Divine appointments:
The camp of Judah was to set forth first, the camp of Reuben was to set
forth in the second rank, the camp of Ephraim was to go forward in the
third rank, the camp of Dan was to go hindmost with their standards. Judah
first, Reuben second, Ephraim third; these terms are arithmetical and may
be accepted without murmuring; but the next term is more than
arithmetical—the camp of Dan “hindmost.” That seems to be a word of
inferiority and of rebuke. Had the numbers been—first, second, third,
fourth, the arithmetic would have been complete; but to be hindmost is to
be further behind than to be merely fourth; it is to have the position marked
26

27. so broadly as almost to amount to a brand of tribal degradation. Faith in the
Divine appointment could alone secure religious contentment under such
circumstances. This is as necessary to-day, in view of the distribution of
men, with their various gifts and their endlessly varied vocations. What is
the astronomical force that so whirls society around an invisible centre as to
sink the mountains into plains and lift up the valleys to a common level?
Order is but another word for purpose, or another word for mind. This
mechanism was not self-invented or self-regulated; behind this military
table of position and movement is the God of the whole universe. It requires
the whole Trinity to sustain the tiny insect that trembles out its little life in
the dying sunbeam; even that frail heart does not throb by having some
small portion of the Divine energy detached to attend to its affairs. Dan was
to go hindmost. The hindmost position has its advantages. It is a rule in the
higher criticism that a critic on looking at a picture shall first look for its
beauties. We ought, surely, to look so upon the picture of Providence, the
map of human life, the marvellous academy of society. The greater the
statesman, the greater the responsibility he has to sustain; the greater the
genius, the more poignant its occasional agonies; the more sensitive the
nature, the more is every wound felt, the more is every concussion regarded
with fear. The foremost soldiers will be in battle first; we who are hindmost
may have only to shout the hosanna of victory. This age is the hindmost in
procession of time; is it therefore the inferior age? The nineteenth century
comes after all the eighteen; but it therefore comes on the firmer ground,
with the larger civilisation, with the ampler library, with the more extended
resources; it comes with a thousand-handed ability because it is the
hindmost of the days. Take this view of all circumstances, and life will
become a joy where it has long been a pain; our very disqualifications in one
direction may become qualifications in another. In the Old Testament and
in the New Testament there was some regard to specialty of gift, to
definiteness of position; having lost that regard we have lost power. You do
not say the clock is an excellent timekeeper, but no use at all as a musical
instrument. You do not take up a trumpet and say, a finer instrument was
never made to call men to feast or to battle, but it is utterly useless if you
want it to tell you the time of day. Every man in his own place, in his sphere.
The great question is not in what regiment we are, but rather, are we in the
army of Christ—whether with Judah first, with Reuben second, with
Ephraim third, or with Dan the hindmost tribe? To be in the army is the
great consideration. (J. Parker, D. D.)
Satisfied with one’s own position:
Many would do well to learn the lesson taught in an old parable. “I don’t
know,” said the turnstile one day, in a reflective mood, “I don’t know that I
ought to have thought so ill of my lot, and to have fretted over it as I have
done. ‘Tis true a turnstile has plenty of worry, as I have truly proved; worry
and whirl all the day long I Nobody will ever pass without giving a turnstile
a swing round; and whoever returns, ten to one but he gives the turnstile a
whirling twist the other way! Indeed, I have said that I wouldn’t wish to any
one, whether friend or foe, the life of a poor turnstile. No. But then, as that
27

28. old wheel of the waggon said yesterday, mine’s a pleasant life and a
favoured lot compared with his. If I have to turn round, he has the same;
and whilst he has the burden of the cart, there is beside the weight of the
load it carries pressing on him, and I have no encumbrances. So, on the
whole, perhaps I’d better try and be satisfied; that is, as satisfied as I can
afford to be, with so many turns about as must in my situation naturally
come to my lot.” (Biblical Museum.)
The camp: -
1. The tents. They stand to-day; to-morrow sees the cords relaxed, the
fastenings removed, and a vacant place. My soul, from Israel’s tents you
learn how fleeting is life’s day! Press then the question, When I go hence,
is an abiding mansion mine?
2. The order. Let Israel’s camp be now more closely scanned. What
perfect regularity appears! Rule draws each line. Our God delights in
order. Is it not so in every Christian heart? When Jesus takes the throne,
wise rule prevails. Disturbing lusts lie down. Is it not so in Christian life?
There is no tangled labyrinth of plans—no misspent diligence—no toll
without a purpose.
3. The position. All these tents share one grand privilege. They all have
common focus. As the planets circle the sun, so these surround the
sanctuary. God is the centre. They form the wide circumference. And
from each door one sight—the holy tent—is visible. God in Christ Jesus is
the centre, the heart, the life, the strength, the shield, the joy of His
believing flock.
4. The standard. A standard floats above each tribe. Beneath the well-
known sign they rest, and by its side they march. Believers have an
ensign too. The banner over them is Jesu’s love (Solomon Son_2:4). The
standard is a pledge of safety. Beneath it there is sweet repose. Beside it
there is misery. (Dean Law.)
The most prominent banner:
It is narrated that when, in the time of the Crusades, the lion-hearted
Richard I. of England, the Emperor of Austria, and the King of France were
jointly waging war against the valiant heathen, Saladin, a jealousy sprang
up in the camp between England and Austria, and one morning the British
banner was found lying in the dust on St. George’s Mount—a distinguished
point on which it had long waved—and the banner of Austria was planted in
its stead; impetuous Richard, who was confined to his tent through severe
illness, no sooner heard of it than he strode forth alone, and before the
assembled hosts hurled Austria’s ensign to the ground, and caused the lion
once more to take the prominence, remarking, “Your banners may be
arranged around mine, but must never take its place.” So may it be in our
preaching. Let the Lion of the tribe of Judah alone have the prominence. (C.
28

29. H. Spurgeon.)
God the centre:
For more than fifty centuries men watched the starlit sky, noted the changes
of the planets, and endeavoured to discover the laws which governed their
movements; they took careful observations, made elaborate calculations,
and yet the law of the harmony of the heavens remained a mystery. The
stars were still supposed to follow fantastic circles which no rule of science
could explain: their orbits formed a labyrinth of which the most learned
failed to find the clue. One day a man of genius said, “The sun, and not the
earth, is the centre from which the worlds must be regarded.” At once the
harmony appeared; planets and their satellites moved in regular orbits; the
system of the universe was revealed. God is the sun and the true centre of
the spiritual world; only in the light in which He dwells can the destinies of
man be truly read. (Eugene Bersier.)
Effectiveness of unity:
Pliny writes of a stone in the island of Scyros, that if it be whole, though a
large and heavy one, it swims above water, but being broken it sinks. So long
as the Church keeps together nothing can sink it. “A thousand grains of
powder, or a thousand barrels scattered, a grain in a place, and fired at
intervals, would burn, it is true, but would produce no concussion. Placed
together in effective position they would lift up a mountain and cast it into
the sea. Even so the whole Church, filled with faith and the Holy Ghost, will
remove every mountain and usher in the jubilee of the redemption.”
Lessons from our national banner
When the Union Jack flies to the breeze the meaning is that what is under it
is British property, and is a sort of challenge to touch that property. Every
country had a flag. In old times very little did for a flag. One great nation
had simply a wisp of straw on a pole, and another power in the East had but
a blacksmith’s apron. The Union Jack was their flag, and its composition
was very simple. It was not made at all; like all the best things in this world,
it grew. At first, in the thirteenth century, there was nothing but a single
cross-one straight horizontal line and another perpendicular line. That was
the cross of St. George, and it was introduced by Richard of the Lion-heart
on his return from the Crusades. When away fighting in Palestine he came
to know about St. George, whom he installed as his patron saint, took for his
battle cry, and emblazoned on his flag. When England and Scotland were
united under James I. of England, that monarch added the Scottish cross,
and called the flag the Union Jack. That was his own name, as he usually
signed it in the French way, Jacques. Two centuries later the Irish flag was
placed on the top of the other two. The Union Jack was thus made up of
three crosses, each being laid on the top of the other as each country came
into the Union. These were the emblems of St. George, St. Andrew, and St.
Patrick—the patron saints of the three countries. First, there was St.
29

30. George. “George” originally meant a cultivated piece of ground, and parents
in thus christening their children meant to say, “Would that God would
make this little boy a garden of God!” They could desire nothing better than
to be gardens of God. They must be gardens—they must allow themselves to
be sown in—and they had to in their choice either to produce good or evil.
Every good thought was a good seed. Now let us think a little about St.
Andrew. There never was a live apostle in Scotland, but some one thought
the bones of St. Andrew would do the Scots some good. So they were
brought to St. Andrews, and that was the beginning of what was at one time
the greatest city in Scotland. Andrew meant manly. Why was the object of
the Brigade said to be the promotion of true manliness? Was it not as
opposed to false manliness? Every one despised those who tried to be men
before their time. Little was known about St. Patrick. He was carried away
captive from Scotland to Ireland when a boy, and after obtaining his liberty
he so pitied the people of Ireland that he went back to try and do them good.
It was well for them to remember St. Patrick. Now, what did the flag teach
them? It was a union—a Union Jack. It had been the strength of the British
army all through, and it was owing to it that the English, Scotch, and Irish
had fought side by side and helped one another. What they had to learn was
the strength of union. The Cross led to victory. The Cross meant death to
Christ, and the death of Christ meant that One came from heaven to die for
them that they might be God’s children. Under which flag would they
determine to serve? Under that of Christ, which led to happiness, or under
that which assuredly would lead to misery and ruin? The greatest disgrace
that could befall a man was the forsaking of his own flag to serve under
another. To act thus was to be a traitor to his king. It was the worst thing
possible not to yield themselves to Christ. Let them not try to serve Christ
and some one else. Let them make up their minds and resolve that they
would henceforth fight for what was good and do what was good. (Prof.
Marcus Dods, D. D. , Sermon to Boys’ Brigade.)
2 “The Israelites are to camp around the tent of
meeting some distance from it, each of them under
their standard and holding the banners of their
family.”
30

31. BARNES, "standard ... ensign - The “standard” marked the division, or camp (cf.
Num_1:9, Num_1:16, Num_1:24, Num_1:31); the “ensign” the family. There would thus
be four “standards” only, one for each “camp” of three tribes. The “standard” was
probably a solid figure or emblem mounted on a pole, such as the Egyptians used.
Tradition appropriates the four cherubic forms (Eze_1:5-12; Rev_4:7 ff), the lion, man,
ox, and eagle, to the camps of Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan respectively; and this,
as to the first, has a certain support from Gen_49:9 (compare Rev_5:5), and as to the
third, from Deu_33:17.
Far off - See the margin, over against; i. e. facing the tabernacle on every side. The
distance was perhaps 2,000 cubits or rather more than 14 mile: compare Jos_3:4.
CLARKE, "Every man - shall pitch by his own standard - Commentators,
critics, philosophers, and professional men, have taken a great deal of pains to illustrate
this chapter by showing the best method of encampment for such a vast number of men,
and the manner in which they conceive the Israelites formed their camp in the
wilderness. As God gave them the plan, it was doubtless in every respect perfect; and
fully answered the double purpose of convenience and security. Scheuchzer has entered
into this subject with his usual ability, and in very considerable detail. Following the
plan of Reyher, as in the preceding chapter, he endeavors to ascertain the precise order
in which the several tribes were disposed; and as his work is both scarce and dear, the
reader will not be displeased - to meet here with a translation of all that refers to the
subject.
Scheuchzer’s Description and Plan of the Encampments of the Israelites in the
Wilderness
“If we form a proper idea of God, of his essence and his attributes, we shall easily
perceive that this infinite and supreme Being wills and executes what his Divine wisdom
appoints; in a word, we shall see that he is the God of order. This order displays itself in
the perfection, arrangement, and assemblage of all created beings; in the construction of
the earth which we inhabit, where every thing is formed in order, number, weight, and
measure; and in all bodies, great and small. It is certain that Noah’s ark is a perfect
model of naval architecture. The temple of Solomon, and that of Ezekiel were likewise
masterpieces in their kind. But at present we are to consider the Divine arrangement of
the Israelitish camp, and the manner in which it was formed. “The Israelitish army was
divided Into three principal divisions. The first, which was the least in extent, but the
strongest and the most powerful, occupied the center of the army: this was the throne of
God, i. e., the Tabernacle. The second, which was composed of the priests and Levites,
surrounded the first. The third, and the farthest from the center, took in all the other
tribes of Israel, who were at least about a mile from the tabernacle. For it appears from
Josephus, iii. 4, that the nearest approach they dared make to the ark, except during the
time of worship, was a distance of 2,000 cubits. The reverence due to the Divine
Majesty, the numerous army of the Israelites, composed of 600,000 soldiers, with their
families, which made about 3,000,000 souls, naturally demanded a considerable extent
of ground. We are not to imagine that all these families pitched their tents pell-mell,
without order, like beasts, or as the troops of Tartary, and the eastern armies; on the
contrary, their camp was divided according to the most exact rules. And we cannot even
doubt that their camp was laid out, and the place of every division and tribe exactly
31

32. assigned by some engineers, or geometricians, before the army stopped to encamp, in
order that every person might at once find his own quarter, and the road he ought to
take to reach the other tents. “Four divisions, which faced the four quarters of the
heavens, each with his own ensign, formed the center of the army. Judah was placed on
the east, and under him he had Issachar and Zebulun; on the south was Reuben, and
under him Simeon and Gad: on the west was Ephraim, and under him Manasseh and
Benjamin; finally, Dan was on the north, and he had under him Asher and Naphtali. It
has been pretended by some that these four principal divisions were not alone
distinguished by their ensigns, but that each particular tribe had likewise its standard or
ensign. On this subject we might refer to the Talmudists, who have gone so far as to
define the colors, and the figures or arms, of the very ensigns. They pretend that on that
of Judah a lion was painted, with this inscription: ‘Rise, Lord, let thine enemies be
dispersed, and let those that hate thee flee before thee;’ and they found this description
of Judah’s ensign in Gen_49:9. They give to Issachar an ass, Gen_49:14; to Zebulun a
ship, Gen_49:13; to Reuben a river, Gen_49:4, (others give Reuben the figure of a man);
to Simeon a sword, Gen_49:5; to Gad a lion, Deu_33:20; to Ephraim a unicorn, Deu_
33:17; an ox to Manasseh, Deu_33:17; a wolf to Benjamin, Gen_49:27; and a serpent to
Dan, Gen_49:17, though others give him an eagle. In short, they pretend that the ensign
of Asher was a handful of corn, Gen_49:20, and that of Naphtali a stag, Gen_49:21. “To
prove that the sums here are correctly added, we have but to join together the detached
numbers, and see if they agree with the total. The text will furnish us with an example of
this: there was in the quarter of: -
Judah 186,400 Num_2:9
Reuben 151,450 Num_
2:16
Ephraim 108,100 Num_
2:24
Dan 157,600 Num_
2:31
“Among other things we must remark that rule of military tactics which requires that
the advanced and rear guards should be stronger than the center. “In a well-regulated
camp, cleanliness is considered indispensably necessary; this is particularly remarkable
in the Israelitish army, where the most exact order was maintained. Hence every person
who had any kind of disease, and those who were reputed unclean, were forbidden to
enter it; Num_5:2, Num_5:3; Deu_23:10. “Those who have the health of men, and of a
whole army confided to them, are not ignorant that diseases may be easily produced by
putrid exhalations from excrementitious matter; and that such matter will produce in
camps pestilential fevers and dysenteries. For this reason, care should be always taken
that offices, at a distance from the camp, be provided for the soldiers, and also that those
who are sick should be separated from the others, and sent to hospitals to be properly
treated. “In military tactics we find two distinct wings spoken of; the right and the left.
The Israelitish army not only had them on one side, as is customary, but on all their four
sides. On the eastern side, the tribe of Issachar formed the right, that of Zebulun the left,
and that of Judah the center. On the south, Simeon formed the right wing, Gad the left,
and Reuben the center. Towards the west, Manasseh composed the right, Benjamin the
left, and Ephraim the center. And on the north, Asher was on the right wing, Naphtali on
32

33. the left wing, and Dan in the center.
Notwithstanding this, however, the army was not in danger of being easily broken; for
every tribe being numerous, they were supported by several ranks, in such a manner that
the first being broken, the second was capable of making resistance; and if the second
gave way, or shared the same fate as the first, it found itself supported by the third, and
so on with the rest. The square form in which the Jewish army was ordinarily placed,
was the very best for security and defense. The use and importance of the hollow square
in military tactics is well known. “For so large a multitude of people, and for so
numerous an army, it was needful that all the necessary articles of life should be
prepared beforehand, or be found ready to purchase. In these respects nothing was
wanting to the Israelites. Their bread came down to them from heaven, and they had
besides an abundance of every thing that could contribute to magnificence. If we may
credit Josephus, they had amongst them public markets, and a variety of shops. Ant., i.
iii. c. 12, sec. 5. The tabernacle being erected, it was placed in the midst of the camp, each
of the three tribes stretching themselves on the wings, and leaving between them a
sufficient space to pass. “It was, says Josephus, like a well appointed market where every
thing was ready for sale in due order, and all sorts of artificers kept their shops; so that
this camp might be considered a movable city. “In Exo_32:27 we likewise find that
mention is made of the gates of the camp: ‘Put every man his sword by his side, and go in
and out from gate to gate throughout the camp.’ From whence we may certainly
conclude that if the camp had gates, the Israelites had also sentinels to guard them. If
this be true, we may also believe that they were surrounded with entrenchments, or that
at least their gates were defended by some fortifications. Sagittarius (de Jan. Vet., c. 18.
10) pretends that the tabernacle was not only guarded by the Levites, but that there were
likewise sentinels at the gates, and at the entrance of the Israelitish camps. See the note
on Exo_32:27. “If we examine and compare the camp of Israel with that of our most
numerous armies, which in these days are composed of 100,000 or of 150,000 men, we
cannot but consider it of vast extent. The Jews say it was twelve miles in circumference;
this is not at all improbable, and consequently the front of each wing must be three miles
in extent. But taking in the tents, the soldiers and their numerous families, the beasts of
burden, the cattle, and the goods, it certainly must have formed a very considerable
enclosure, much more than twelve miles. See the notes on Exo_12:37, and Exo_13:18
(note). Reyher (Math. Mos., p. 568) assigns to the Tribe of Judah, A space of 298 2/5
cubits in breadth and 250 in length - Which makes 74,600 square cubits. “We must
observe that we are here merely speaking of the ground which the soldiers of this tribe
occupied whilst remaining close to each other in their ranks, and that in this
computation there is but one cubit square allowed for each man; wherefore, if we take in
the arrangement of the soldiers, the tents, the necessary spaces, the families, the beasts
of burden, and the movables, a much larger extent of ground is requisite. All those
circumstances do not come into Reyher’s calculation. He continues thus: -
For the tribe of Issachar, 217 3/5cubits in breadth 250 in length - Total 54,400
square cubits.
For the tribe of Gad, 140 5/11 cubits in breadth 325 in length - Total 45,650 square
cubits.
For the tribe of Zebulun, 229 3/4 cubits in breadth 250 in length - Total 57,400
square cubits.
For the tribe of Ephraim, 202 1/2 cubits in breadth 200 in length - Total 40,500
square cubits.
33

34. For the tribe of Reuben, 143 1/5 cubits in breadth 325 in length - Total 46,500 square
cubits.
For the tribe of Manasseh, 161 cubits in breadth 200 in length - Total 32,200 square
cubits.
For the tribe of Simeon, 182 6/13 cubits in breadth 325 in length - Total 59,300
square cubits.
For the tribe of Benjamin, 177 cubits in breadth 200 in length - Total 35,400 square
cubits.
For the tribe of Dan, 156 3/4 cubits in breadth 400 in length - Total 62,700 square
cubits.
For the tribe of Asher, 103 3/4 cubits in breadth 400 in length - Total 41,500 square
cubits.
For the tribe of Naphtali, 133 1/2 cubits in breadth 400 in length - Total 53,400
square cubits.
“If we make the ichnography, or even the scenography, of the camp on this plan, in
following it we must first, in the center, form a parallelogram of 100 cubits long and 50
broad for the court of the tabernacle with an empty space all round of 50 cubits broad.
We must then place the camp of the Levites in the following order: -
To the west, the Gershonites, Num_3:22, Num_3:23. Breadth 30 cubits Length 250
cubits - Total 7,500
To the south, the Kohathites, Num_3:28, Num_3:29. Breadth 86 cubits Length 100
cubits - Total 8,600
To the north, the Merarites, Num_3:34, Num_3:35. Breadth 62 cubits Length 100
cubits - Total 6,200
“On the east we must place tents for Moses, Aaron, and his sons, Num_3:38.
“At the place where the camp of the Levites ends, a space must be left of 2,000 square
cubits, after which we must take the dimensions of the camp of the twelve tribes.
“This plan is in the main well imagined, but it does not afford an ichnography of
sufficient extent. To come more accurately to a proper understanding of this subject, I
shall examine the rules that are now in use for encampments, and compare them
afterward with what is laid down in the Holy Scriptures, in order that we may hereby
form to ourselves an idea of the camp of God, the grandeur and perfection of which
surpassed every thing of the kind ever seen. I shall now mention what I am about to
propose as the foundation upon which I shall proceed.
“In Exo_18:21, Deu_1:15, we find the advice given by Jethro to Moses respecting
political government and military discipline: ‘Thou shalt provide out of all the people
able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over
them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of
tens.’ [See the note on Exo_18:21]. We may very well compare these tribunes, or rather
these chiliarchs, to our colonels, the centurions or hecatontarchs to commanders or
captains, the quinquagenaries or pentecontarchs to lieutenants, and the decurions or
decarchs to our sergeants. These chiefs, whether they were named magistrates or
officers, were each drawn from his own particular tribe, so that it was not permitted to
place over one tribe an officer taken from another. Whatever matter the decarchs could
not decide upon or terminate, went to the pentecontarchs, and from thence by degrees to
the hecatontarchs, to the chiliarchs, to Moses, and at length to God himself, the
34

35. sovereign head of the army. If we divide the whole army (such as it was at its departure
from Egypt) by the numbers already laid down, we shall find 600 chiliarchs, 6,000
hecatontarchs, 12,000 pentecontarchs, 60,000 decarchs, which in all make 78,600
officers. Josephus regulates the number of them still more exactly by saying that there
were chiefs set over 10,000, 1,000, 500, 50, 30, 20, and 10. We find this regulation in
Ant. Jud., b. iii., c. 4: ‘Take a review of the army, and appoint chosen rulers over tens of
thousands, and then over thousands, then divide them into five hundreds, and again into
hundreds, and into fifties, and set rulers over each of them who may distinguish them
into thirties, and keep them in order; and at last number them by twenties and by tens,
and let there be one commander over each number, to be denominated from the number
of those over whom they are rulers.’
“We ought not to pass over in silence this division by tens, for twice 10 make 20, three
times 10, 30, five times 10, 50, ten times 10, 100, ten times 50, 500, ten times 1,000,
10,000. It was in this manner, as is pretended, that Cangu, the first of the great Khans,
(as he is called), and after him Tamerlane, drew out an army, i.e., by 10, 100, 1,000,
10,000, mentioned in Alhazen, c. v. Probably these Tartars borrowed from the very
Hebrews themselves this manner of laying out a camp. At all events it is certain that
nothing more ancient of the kind can be found than that mentioned in the books of
Moses. To distinguish it from that of the Greeks and Romans we may with justice call it
the Hebrew castrametation, or, if we judge it more proper, the Divine castrametation,
and consequently the most perfect of all. For although Moses places the pentecontarchs
in the middle, between the hecatontarchs and the decarchs, i.e., 50 between 100 and 10;
and although Josephus afterward places 1,000 between 500 and 10,000, and 30 and 20
between 10 and 50, this does not at all derange the progression by tens, which Is the
foundation of arithmetic. These subaltern officers were equally useful and necessary, as
we now see that their number, far from creating confusion, helps maintain order, and
that the more there are of them the better is order preserved. According to the modern
method of carrying on war, the next in rank to the generals of the army (who have the
supreme command) are field marshals and brigadiers, who command 5,000 men.
There are then between the chiliarchs or colonels and the hecatontarchs or captains,
lieutenant-colonels; and between the hecatontarchs and the decarchs, lieutenant-
captains; and these have under them lieutenants and ensigns. “It is certain that this
method of distributing an army by tens, and of encamping, which is very concise, has far
greater advantages even with respect to expense than the very best plans of the Greeks,
Romans, or any other ancient nation. On this subject we have the testimony of Simon
Steven, Castrametat. c. 1, art. 1, and c. 4. art. 3, Oper. Math., p. 574 and 596, etc.
According to this arrangement each soldier, or if more proper, each father of a family,
being thus placed by ten and ten in a straight line one after the other, might very easily
name themselves first, second, etc. Each troop in like manner might be distinguished by
its ensigns, that of 100 might have them small, that of 1,000 larger, and that of 10,000
still larger. Every officer, from the lowest subaltern to the general officers of the camp,
and even to the generalissimos themselves, had only an easy inspection of ten men each;
the decarch had the inspection of 10 soldiers, the hecatontarch of 10 decarchs, and the
chiliarch of 10 hecatontarchs. After the chiliarchs, which in no troop can amount to ten,
there is the chief or head of each tribe. Each then exactly fulfilling the duty assigned him,
we may suppose every thing to be in good order, even were the camp larger and more
numerous. The same may be said respecting the contentions that might arise among the
soldiers, as well as every thing relative to the general duty of the officers, as to the labors
they were to undertake, whether for striking their tents for works of fortification or for
35

36. making entrenchments. This arrangement might be easily retained in the memory, or a
general list be kept of the names of both officers and soldiers to distribute to them their
pay, and to keep exact accounts. “It was possible in one moment to know the number of
those who were either wanting or were out of their ranks, and to avoid this disorder in
future by obliging each man to attend to his duty and keep in his rank. If by chance it
happened that any one man wished to desert or had escaped, it was easy to notice him
and inflict on him the punishment he merited. The ensigns being distinguished by their
marks, and the company being known, it was easy to find any soldier whatever. “The
armies themselves might have certain marks to distinguish them, and by that means
they might at once ascertain the person in question; for example: 8. 2. 7. 3. might signify
the eighth soldier or father of a family, of the second rank, of the seventh company, in
the third chiliad; 7. 3. 5. the halberdier of the decurion or sergeant of the seventh line, in
the third company, of the fifth chiliad or thousand; 5. 8. the hecatontarchs or captains of
the fifth company, in the eighth chiliad; 7. the chiliarchs or colonels of the seventh rank;
0. finally, the general of the whole army. Farther, by the same means the loss or
misplacing of their arms might be prevented. Again, the soldiers might in a very short
time be instructed and formed to the exercise of arms, each decad having its sergeant for
its master; and the chariots or other carriages might easily be divided amongst several,
10 under the decurion, 100 under the hecatontarch; and by thus following the above
method, every thing might be kept in good order.
A Plan of the Whole Israelitish Camp
“We shall finally, in one plate, represent the whole camp of the Israelites, in that order
which appears the most proper. For this purpose we must extract the square roots of the
preceding spaces, in order that we may be able to assign to each tribe square areas, or
rectangular parallelograms. I therefore find for
Tribe Square Cubits
Reuben 3049
Simeon 3443
The
Gershonites
1224
The Kohathites 1311
The Merarites 1113
Judah 3862
Issachar 3298
Zebulun 3388
Gad 3019
Asher 2880
Manasseh 2537
Ephraim 2846
Benjamin 2660
Dan 3541
Naphtali 3268
36

37. “The tabernacle, which was 100 cubits long and 50 broad, I place in the center of the
camp, at the distance of 840 feet from the camp of the Levites, which is placed exactly in
the same manner as described in the sacred writings. I find therefore that the whole
space of the camp is 259,600,000 feet. Now, according to the manner we have just
divided the camp for each tribe, the sum total being 125,210,000, it follows that the
space between the tents contained 134,390,000. If, with Eisenschmid, we estimate the
Roman mile at 766 French fathoms and two feet, (consequently 21,141,604 square feet to
a Roman square mile), the Israelitish camp will contain a little more than 12 such square
miles.” The reader will have the goodness to observe that the preceding observations, as
well as the following plate or diagram, which was made by Scheuchzer on the exactest
proportions, could not be accurately copied here without an engraved plate; and after all,
the common reader could have profited no more by the plate than he can by the
diagram. It is not even hoped that disquisitions of this kind can give any thing more than
a general idea how the thing probably was; for to pretend to minute exactness, in such
cases, would be absurd. The sacred text informs us that such and such tribes occupied
the east, such the west, etc., etc.; but how they were arranged individually we cannot
pretend absolutely to say. Scheuchzer’s plan is such as we may suppose judgment and
skill would lay down; but still it is very probable that the plan of the Israelites’
castrametation was more perfect than any thing we can well imagine; for as it was the
plan which probably God himself laid down, it must be in every respect what it ought to
be, for the comfort and safety of this numerous multitude. As there are some differences
between the mode of distributing the command of a large army among the British, and
that used on the continent, which is followed by Scheuchzer, I shall lay down the
descending scale of British commanders, which some may think applies better to the
preceding arrangement of the Israelitish army than the other. The command of a large
army in the British service is thus divided: -
1. The Commander-in-chief.
2. Lieutenant-generals, who command divisions of the army: (these divisions consist
of 2 or 3 brigades each, which, on an average, amount to 5,000 men).
3. Major-generals, who command brigades: (these brigades consist of from 2 to
3,000 men [2,500 is perhaps the average] according to the strength of the
respective regiments of which the brigade is composed).
4. Colonels in the army, or lieutenant-colonels, who command single regiments; they
are assisted in the command of these regiments by the majors of the regiments. [I
mention the major, that there may be no break in the descending scale of
gradation of ranks, as in the event of the absence of the above two officers, he is
the next in command].
5. Captains who command companies: these companies (on the war establishment)
consist of 100 men each, and there are 10 companies in every regiment,
consequently a colonel, or lieutenant-colonel, commands 1,000 men.
6. Lieutenants, of which there are 2 to every company
7. Ensign; 1 to each company.
The Lietuenants and ensigns are subaltern officers, having no command, but assisting
the captain.
37

38. 1. Commander-in-chief
2. Lieutenant-generals
commanding divisions
of 5,000 each
3. Major-generals,
brigades 2,500.
}
These are called
general officers.
4. Colonels,
lieutenant-colonels,
and
majors;
}
Three officers belonging to each regiment
in the service, and are solely employed in
the disciplining and commanding the
men; these are mounted on horseback,
and termed field-officers.
5. 1 Captain
6. 2 Lieutenants
7. 1 Ensign
}
to each company
Ascending scale of ranks which every officer must pass through.
Ensign
Lieutenant
Captain
Major
Lieutenant-colonel
Colonel
}
to every
regiment
Major-general, brigade-commander.
Lieutenant-general, division-commander.
General-in-chief, who commands the whole army
Diagram of the Israelitish Camp
Though I particularly refer the reader to the above diagram (see Scheuchzer's plate #1)
of the Israelitish camp, taken from Scheuchzer's plate, which I have thought necessary to
be subjoined to his description, yet I think it also proper to introduce that on the next
page (see Scheuchzer's plate #2), as it gives a general and tolerably correct idea of this
immense camp, in the description of which the inspired writer has been so very
particular; but still I must say these things are to be considered as probably, not as
absolutely certain; as comprising a general view of what may be supposed probably,
likely, and practicable.
The whole may be said to consist of three camps, viz.,
1. The camp of the Lord;
2. The camp of the Levites; and
3. The camp of the people.
These in the grand camp in the wilderness, corresponded with the holy of holies, the
holy place, and the outward court of the Temple at Jerusalem. See Ainsworth.
38

39. GILL, "Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own
standard,.... Or banner, of which there were four, as appears from the following
account, under each of which were placed three tribes; and so every man of each tribe
was to pitch his tent in the tribe he belonged to, and by the standard under which his
tribe was marshalled, and in the rank that he was placed:
with the ensigns of their father's house; which were either lesser standards or
banners, somewhat different from the great standard or banner, which belonged to the
camp consisting of three tribes, and which were peculiar to their several families and
houses, and distinguished one from another, like flags in different regiments; or these
were signs (f), as the word may be rendered, or marks in the standards or banners,
which, distinguished one from another; so the Targum of Jonathan, the signs which
were marked in their standards: but what they were is not easy to say; Aben Ezra
observes, and Abendana from him, that their ancients were used to say, that there was in
the standard of Reuben the form of a man, on account of the mandrakes, Gen_30:14;
and in the standard of Judah the form of a lion, because Jacob compared him to one,
Gen_49:9; and in the standard of Ephraim the form of an ox, from the sense of those
words, the firstling of his bullock, Deu_33:17; and in the standard of Dan the form of an
eagle, so that they might be like the cherubim the prophet Ezekiel saw, Eze_1:10, which
is not very likely, such images and representations not being very agreeable, yea, even
detestable to the people of the Jews in later times, and can hardly be thought to be in use
with their early ancestors: others, as Jarchi, fancy that those standards were
distinguished by their colours, as our flags or ensigns are; which, if they stopped here,
would not be much amiss, but they go on and say, that each was according to the colour
of his stone fixed in the breastplate, so that there were three colours in every flag or
standard; thus, for instance, in the standard of Judah, which is the first, were the colours
of the three precious stones, on which were the names of Judah, Issachar, and Reuben,
namely, the emerald, sapphire, and diamond; and so in the rest of the standards; but
others say, the letters of the names of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
differently disposed of, were on those standards; but rather, one would think, the names
of the three tribes under every standard were embroidered on them, which would
sufficiently distinguish one from another, and direct where tribe was to pitch; but of
those things there is no certainty:
far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch: a mile from it,
according to Jarchi, or two thousand cubits, which is supposed to be a sabbath day's
journey, Act_1:12; and this distance is gathered from Jos_3:4, and is not improbable.
JAMISON, "Every man ... shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign
of their father’s house — Standards were visible signs of a certain recognized form
for directing the movements of large bodies of people. As the Israelites were commanded
to encamp “each by his own standard, with the ensign of their father’s house,” the
direction has been considered as implying that they possessed three varieties: (1) the
great tribal standards, which served as rallying points for the twelve large clans of the
39

40. people; (2) the standards of the subdivided portions; and, (3) those of families or
houses. The latter must have been absolutely necessary, as one ensign only for a tribe
would not have been visible at the extremities of so large a body. We possess no
authentic information as to their forms, material, colors, and devices. But it is probable
that they might bear some resemblance to those of Egypt, only stripped of any idolatrous
symbols. These were of an umbrella or a fanlike form, made of ostrich feathers, shawls,
etc., lifted on the points of long poles, which were borne, either like the sacred central
one, on a car, or on men’s shoulders, while others might be like the beacon lights which
are set on poles by Eastern pilgrims at night. Jewish writers say that the standards of the
Hebrew tribes were symbols borrowed from the prophetic blessing of Jacob - Judah’s
being a lion, Benjamin’s a wolf, etc. [Gen_49:3-24]; and that the ensigns or banners
were distinguished by their colors - the colors of each tribe being the same as that of the
precious stone representing that tribe in the breastplate of the high priest [Exo_
28:17-21].
far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch — that is,
“over against,” at a reverential distance. The place of every tribe is successively and
specifically described because each had a certain part assigned both in the order of
march and the disposition of the encampment.
COKE, ". Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch, &c.— The tribes being
mustered, registered, and formed into distinct troops; the next order given to Moses
and Aaron is about the regular form of their encampments. Their general camp is
appointed to be in the form of an oblong square, of twelve miles in compass,
according to the Jews; each side to consist of the united bodies of three tribes,
nearest related in blood to each other, to pitch at such a distance from the
tabernacle, which stood in the midst of them, as might bespeak their reverence to
that sacred place, and make their whole camp a general fence and guard to it. This
distance was about 2000 cubits, as is inferred from Joshua 3:4 and was left for the
priests and Levites to pitch their tents within, next to the tabernacle: the two
strongest bodies, those of Judah and Dan, were to march in front and rear; the
standard, by which they were to pitch, is thought by some to have been the common
banner, under which every three tribes were united: besides which, each tribe seems
to have had a separate ensign, in the nature of our colours. How these standards
were distinguished, is uncertain. The learned Dr. Gregory Sharpe quotes Aben Ezra
in testimony of his opinion, that the four cherubic animals formed the four
standards of Israel. "There were figures in each standard," says Aben Ezra; "and
our ancients said, that, in the standard of Reuben, there was the figure of a man;
which they argue from the mandrakes: in the standard of Judeah was the figure of a
lion, to which Jacob his father has compared him: in the standard of Ephraim, the
figure of a bullock; from the text, his glory is like the firstling of his bullock: and in
the standard of Dan, there was the figure of an eagle; in order that they should be
like the cherubim seen afterwards by the prophet Ezekiel." See the Rise and Fall of
Jerusalem, p. 34. The Jews tell us further, that in the midst of Judah's standard was
inscribed, in large characters, Let Jehovah arise, and his enemies shall fly before
him: and to the same purpose in the other standards. The best comment on this
subject, will be an inspection of Lamy's print of the camp of the Israelites, to which
40

41. we refer the reader: as also to book 1 Chronicles 7 sect. 6 of the Universal History.
Dr. Beaumont upon this verse observes, that, "according to the manner of this
encamping, the Christian church is described, Revelation 4:4; Revelation 4:11 as a
throne in the midst; and the temple is God's throne, Ezekiel 43:4-7. The elders are
double the number of these tribes here encamping, because the church is increased,
Isaiah 54:2. Between the throne and the circuit about it, are four living creatures,
the ministers and watchmen of the church; as here the Levites in four quarters:
Thus, the church, are those who are round about the Lord; Psalms 76:11."
REFLECTIONS.—Order in their march and encampments is here prescribed. They
were a military body, moving to the promised land. God's Israel, like them, are
fighting the good fight of faith, and waiting to change the tabernacle of the body for
the city of God. Each tribe was encamped under the ensign of his squadron; and
each man posted under his own standard, among his own relations. Thus mutual
love would be cultivated, and mutual assistance be given.—Each squadron had a
different ensign, but all served in the same cause. The different denominations of
real christians, though their standards differ, are engaged in the same warfare. The
tabernacle was in the centre: for God is the strength of his Israel; their courage and
success is from him. And each of their camps at a respectful distance; not so near, as
to disturb the solemn service; nor so distant, as to make their attendance
inconvenient. Note; Our wilderness-state is short: yet a little while, and we shall
encamp around the throne of God in glory; and Jesus, the captain of our salvation,
will spread over us the banner of his everlasting love.
BENSON, "Numbers 2:2. His own standard — It is manifest there were four great
standards or ensigns, which here follow, distinguished by their colours or figures;
also there were other particular ensigns belonging to each of their fathers’ houses or
families. Far off — Partly out of reverence to God and his worship, and the portion
allotted to it, and partly for caution, lest their vicinity to it might tempt them to
make too near approaches to it. It is supposed they were at two thousand cubits
distance from it, which was the space between the people and the ark; and it is not
improbable, because the Levites encamped round about it, between them and the
tabernacle. It is observable, those tribes were placed together, that were nearest of
kin to each other. Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun were the three youngest sons of
Leah, and Issachar and Zebulun would not grudge to be under Judah, their elder
brother. Reuben and Simeon would not be content with their place. Therefore
Reuben, Jacob’s eldest son, is chief of the next squadron.
Simeon doubtless is willing to be under him. And Gad, the son of Leah’s handmaid,
is fitly added to him, in Levi’s room. Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin, are all the
posterity of Rachel. Dan, the eldest son of Bilhah, leads the rest; to them are added
the two younger sons of the handmaids. So much of the wisdom of God appears
even in these smaller circumstances!
WHEDON, " 2. Every man… standard — See Numbers 1:52, note.
41

42. Ensign — There were banners for the subdivisions of the tribes as well as for the tribe. It
would be difficult for every man to see the tribal ensign, hence smaller groups were
marked by their own banners. How the ensign (Hebrews, oth) differs from the standard
(Hebrews, degel) we know not. It was probably smaller. “As the Israelites were
commanded to encamp, ‘each by his own standard, with the ensign of their father’s
house,’ the direction has been considered as implying that they possessed three
varieties — 1,) the great tribal standards; 2,) the ensigns of the subdivisions; 3,) those of
families or houses.” — JAMIESON.
Far off — Rather, opposite to the tabernacle on all sides, thus making a hollow square,
with the sacred tent in the centre.
ELLICOTT, (2) With the ensign.—Better the signs or ensigns. Probably each father’s house
had its own smaller ensign or flag.
Far off about the tabernacle of the congregation . . . —Better, over against the tent of
meeting shall they pitch round about it. The word minneged (over against) generally
implies the idea of distance as well as that of opposition. At the same time it is more
correctly rendered over against than far off. The meaning seems to be that the four camps
which encircled the tent of meeting were pitched opposite to, but at some distance from it;
and this is implied in the directions given in the following chapter for the encamping of the
Levites immediately round the tent of meeting. It has been supposed that the nearest tents
were above 2,000 cubits, which was probably a Sabbath day’s journey, from the tabernacle
(cf. Joshua 3:4); and on this supposition the area of the camp has been computed at about
three square miles. The form of encampment was probably circular.
(9) These shall first set forth.—It is quite possible that there may be a primary reference in
Genesis 49:10 to the position which the camp of Judah should occupy in the marches of
the Israelites.
(14) Reuel.—There is good authority for reading Deuel here, as in Numbers 1:14; Numbers
7:42; Numbers 10:20.
(16) Throughout their armies.—Better, according to their hosts. So in Numbers 2:3;
Numbers 2:24. In Numbers 2:31 the words “with their standards” seem to be used in the
same manner. Each tribe had probably the common standard (degel) of its leading tribe as
well as its own smaller ensigns.
(17) In the midst of the camp.—Or. host. The word mahaneh (camp) here denotes evidently
the whole of the four united camps or hosts. As the tent of meeting was compassed about
by the four camps when stationary, so it was placed in the centre when they were in
motion, having the camps of Judah and Reuben before it, and those of Ephraim and Dan
behind it. As the sanctuary of God was in the midst of the camp of the Israelites, and set
forward in the midst of their hosts as they marched, so God is represented by the Psalmist
as being in the midst of His Church (Psalms 46:5). The collocation of the tribes was
evidently determined in accordance with their mutual relationship. Thus, the eastern camp
was composed exclusively of the descendants of the sons of Leah; the southern of those
of the two remaining sons of Leah (the tribe of Levi being encamped around the
Tabernacle) and a son of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid; the western of those of one of the sons
and of the two grandsons of Rachel; and the northern of those of the two sons of Bilhah
and of the remaining son of Zilpah. If this arrangement is examined, it will be found that, if
allowance be made for the separation of the tribe of Levi, none could have been made in
which the relationship by birth would be more closely adhered to. We may learn from this
arrangement that the ties of nature should strengthen those of Christian communion. The
42

43. grouping of the tribes in Ezekiel 48:30-34 is different, but the family relationship is still
more closely preserved. In Revelation 7:5-8, where the reference is to a state in which they
neither marry nor are given in marriage, the twelve tribes are enumerated without any
regard to family relationship. It is deserving of notice that when the lots of the several
tribes were finally determined, we find that the temporary association established during
their encampments in the wilderness was to a great extent preserved. Thus we see, in
regard to the three tribes which formed the eastern camp, that Issachar and Zebulun had
adjoining territories; that of those which formed the southern camp, Reuben and Gad had
adjoining territories on the east of the Jordan; that this was also the case with the three
tribes which formed the western camp, viz., Benjamin, Manasseh, and Ephraim; and that of
those which formed the northern camp, Asher and Naphtali had adjoining territories.
(32) These are those which were numbered.—The number of the Israelites was very large,
considering in how short a time, and under what adverse circumstances, the small
company which went down into Egypt had multiplied into 600,000 men capable of bearing
arms, independently of the tribe of Levi. But the spiritual Israel of Revelation 7:9 is
represented as a great multitude which no man could number.”
The subjoined plan will suffice to convey a general idea of the position of the twelve tribes
with respect to the tent of meeting during their encampments in the wilderness. It does not
clearly appear what was the position of the leading or standard tribe in regard to the two
other tribes which constituted together with it one camp.
PARKER, "For All Gleaners
"Every man... shall pitch by his own standard!"— Numbers 2:2
Order is necessary to success.—Men cannot be allowed to run from standard to
standard.—Obedience to this precept would reconstruct the Christian army.—There is a
natural fondness in the human heart in the matter of changing standards.—Such changing
represents action without progress.—It is to be especially noticed that there is a standard
for every man.—Individuality is the gift of God.—Individuality does not destroy the social
bond; while contributing to its strength it adds much to its variety.—Denominationalism in
the Church has its uses.—As no one standard is the army, so no one denomination is the
Church.
There is a psychology of denominationalism.—Moral or intellectual constitution renders it
impossible that all men should be content with the same ecclesiastical conditions.—Every
temperament has its own standard.—No man should say that another is not in the army
because he does not belong to some particular standard.—Loose-mindedness which
supposes that it is a matter of indifference as to whether any special standard should be
chosen is strongly discouraged by the spirit of this text.—Observe, every man is not called
upon to direct the army.—Some men have simply to pitch by their standard, and wait for
orders.—"Blessed is that servant who, when his Lord cometh, shall be found
watching."—"Choose ye this day whom ye will serve."—Enemies of Christ are sometimes
bolder in the avowal of their standard, than his friends.—Boldness in the faith when
regulated by intelligence and chastened by patience is a sign of progress in the highest
life.
PULPIT, "Shall pitch by his own standard. We are not told how they had pitched hitherto;
the tribal and family order now enforced was the natural order, but in the absence of
precise directions would sometimes be departed from. With the ensign. Rather, "ensigns"
43

44. (othoth in the plural). Each tribe, it would seem (see Numbers 2:31), had its standard
(degel), and each family in the tribe its ensign (oth). Far off. Rather, "over against," i.e;
facing the tabernacle, with a certain space between.
3 On the east, toward the sunrise, the divisions of
the camp of Judah are to encamp under their
standard. The leader of the people of Judah is
Nahshon son of Amminadab.
GILL, "And on the east side, towards the rising of the sun,.... Which rises in the
east; or of all; for, as Jarchi observes, that which is "before" is called "Kedem", the east,
as the west is called "behind":
shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch, throughout their
armies; the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, formed one camp, which had its
name from the principal tribe Judah; and this was divided into various regiments and
companies, called armies, who severally pitched under one and the same standard. It is
said (g) Judah's stone was the "nophech" (which we render an emerald), and his flag was
coloured in the likeness of the colour of the heavens, and there was formed upon it a
lion. Issachar's was the sapphire, and his flag was coloured black, like to black lead, and
there were framed upon it the sun and moon, on account of what is said, 1Ch_12:32.
Zebulun's was a diamond, and his flag was coloured white, and there was formed upon it
a ship, because of what is said, Gen_49:13,
and Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, shall be captain of the children of
Judah; who had been assisting in numbering the people, and who afterwards offered to
the dedication of the altar, Num_1:2.
HENRY 3-34, "We have here the particular distribution of the twelve tribes into four
squadrons, three tribes in a squadron, one of which was to lead the other two. Observe,
1. God himself appointed them their place, to prevent strife and envy among them. Had
they been left to determine precedency among themselves, they would have been in
danger of quarrelling with one another (as the disciples who strove which should be
greatest); each would have had a pretence to be first, or at least not to be last. Had it
been left to Moses to determine, they would have quarrelled with him, and charged him
44

45. with partiality; therefore God does it, who is himself the fountain and judge of honour,
and in his appointment all must acquiesce. If God in his providence advance others
above us, and abase us, we ought to be as well satisfied in his doing it in that way as if he
did it, as this was done here, by a voice out of the tabernacle; and this consideration, that
it appears to be the will of God it should be so, should effectually silence all envies and
discontents. And as far as our place comes to be our choice our Saviour has given us a
rule in Luk_14:8, Sit not down in the highest room; and another in Mat_20:27, He that
will be chief, let him be your servant. Those that are most humble and most serviceable
are really most honourable. 2. Every tribe had a captain, a prince, or commander-in-
chief, whom God himself nominated, the same that had been appointed to number
them, Num_1:5. Our being all the children of one Adam is so far from justifying the
levellers, and taking away the distinction of place and honour, that even among the
children of the same Abraham, the same Jacob, the same Judah, God himself appointed
that one should be captain of all the rest. There are powers ordained of God, and those
to whom honour and fear are due and must be paid. Some observe the significancy of the
names of these princes, at least, in general, how much God was in the thoughts of those
that gave them their names, for most of them have El, God, at one end or other of their
names. Nethaneel, the gift of God; Eliab, my God a Father; Elizur, my God a rock;
Shelumiel, God my peace; Eliasaph, God has added; Elishama, my God has heard:
Gamaliel, God my reward; Pagiel, God has met me. By this it appears that the Israelites
in Egypt did not quite forget the name of their God, but, when they wanted other
memorials, preserved the remembrance of it in the names of their children, and
therewith comforted themselves in their affliction. 3. Those tribes were placed together
under the same standard that were nearest of kin to each other; Judah, Issachar, and
Zebulun, were the three younger sons of Leah, and they were put together; and Issachar
and Zebulun would not grudge to be under Judah, since they were his younger brethren.
Reuben and Simeon would not have been content in their place. Therefore Reuben,
Jacob's eldest son, is made chief of the next squadron; Simeon, no doubt, is willing to be
under him, and Gad, the son of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, is fitly added to them in Levi's
room: Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin, are all the posterity of Rachel. Dan, the eldest
son of Bilhah, is made a leading tribe, though the son of a concubine, that more
abundant honour might be bestowed on that which lacked; and it was said, Dan should
judge his people, and to him were added two younger sons of the handmaids. Thus
unexceptionable was the order in which they were placed. 4. The tribe of Judah was in
the first post of honour, encamped towards the rising sun, and in their marches led the
van, not only because it was the most numerous tribe, but chiefly because from that tribe
Christ was to come, who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and was to descend from the
loins of him who was now nominated chief captain of that tribe. Nahshon is reckoned
among the ancestors of Christ, Mat_1:4. So that, when he went before them, Christ
himself went before them in effect, as their leader. Judah was the first of the twelve sons
of Jacob that was blessed. Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, were censured by their dying
father; he therefore being first in blessing, though not in birth, is put first, to teach
children how to value the smiles of their godly parents and dread their frowns. 5. The
tribes of Levi pitched closely about the tabernacle, within the rest of their tribes, Num_
2:17. They must defend the sanctuary, and then the rest of the tribes must defend them.
Thus, in the vision which John saw of the glory of heaven, between the elders and the
throne were four living creatures full of eyes, Rev_4:6, Rev_4:8. Civil powers should
protect the religious interests of a nation, and be a defence upon that glory. 6. The camp
of Dan (and so that tribe is called long after their settlement in Canaan (Jdg_13:25),
45

46. because celebrated for their military prowess), though posted in the left wing when they
encamped, was ordered in their march to bring up the rear, Num_2:31. They were the
most numerous, next to Judah, and therefore were ordered into a post which, next to the
front, required the most strength, for as the strength is so shall the day be. Lastly, The
children of Israel observed the orders given them, and did as the Lord commanded
Moses, Num_2:34. They put themselves in the posts assigned them, without murmuring
or disputing, and, as it was their safety, so it was their beauty; Balaam was charmed with
the sight of it: How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob! Num_24:5. Thus the gospel church,
called the camp of saints, ought to be compact according to the scripture model, every
one knowing and keeping his place, and then all that wish well to the church rejoice,
beholding their order, Col_2:5.
JAMISON, "on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall they of the
standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies — Judah, placed
at the head of a camp composed of three tribes rallying under its standard, was said to
have combined the united colors in the high priest’s breastplate, but called by the name
of Judah. They were appointed to occupy the east side and to take the lead in the march,
which, for the most part, was in an easterly direction.
Nahshon — or Naasson (Mat_1:4; Luk_3:32, Luk_3:33).
shall be captain — It appears that the twelve men who were called to superintend
the census were also appointed to be the captains of their respective tribes - a dignity
which they owed probably to the circumstances, formerly noticed, of their holding the
hereditary office of head or “prince.”
K&D, "Order of the tribes in the camp and on the march. - Num_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 (Num_2:9), so that Judah led the way
as the champion of his brethren (Gen_49:10).
BENSON, "Numbers 2:3. Judah — This tribe was in the first post, and in their
marches led the van, not only because it was the most numerous, but chiefly because
Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, was to descend from it: yea, from the loins of
Nahshon, who is here appointed the chief captain of it.
WHEDON, " 3. On the east — Or, in front of the door of the tabernacle. Nearest to
the tents of Moses and Aaron and the priests, and situated toward the sunrise, was
Judah’s standard, planted with the first grand army corps of 186,600 soldiers, to
constitute the van of the ponderous column. Issachar and Zebulun and Judah are all
sons of Leah, hence there is the strongest motive for harmony. By birthright,
46

47. Reuben’s was the right of precedence, or the hegemony, as the Greeks called it; but
he had forfeited it by a very flagrant crime against the peace and order of his father
Jacob’s house, and especially insulting to him. See Genesis 35:22; and Genesis 49:4.
His sin dis-crowned him, as sin will dis-crown every impenitent soul. Nahshon, the
phylarch or captain of the tribe, with the captains of the other tribes, were those
whom Jehovah chose to assist Moses and Aaron in the census.
Numbers 1:5. It is probable that Nahshon outranked not only the two captains of his
division, but all the others also, being next to Moses and his vicegerent Joshua.
These are doubtless the same men who were assembled by Moses and Aaron in
Exodus 4:29, as “all the elders.”
PETT, "Numbers 2:3-4
‘And those who encamp on the east side toward the sunrising shall be they of the
standard of the camp of Judah, according to their hosts: and the prince of the
children of Judah shall be Nahshon the son of Amminadab. And his host, and those
who were numbered of them, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six
hundred.’
Those who were to camp on the east side, towards the sunrising, were Judah,
Issachar and Zebulun. Their chieftains’ names are again mentioned, and the
numbering of their tribe. This was made up in the case of Judah of 74 families or
military officers/mighty men and contained in all 6 ‘hundreds’ or military/social
units.
The east was probably seen as the side from which most danger could come while
they were encamped. This would come from the roving tribes of the people of the
east. But when it came to journeying they would lead the way because of their
strength.
We note here that while Reuben as the firstborn headed the list in chapter 1, here
Judah takes the lead, as they will also in the final invasion (Judges 1:2). This may
partly explain the disenchantment of the Reubenites revealed in the behaviour of
Dathan and Abiram.
“Towards the sunrising” probably indicates the favour with which God looked on
them, the priests would also be encamped on this side. They were the blessed of
Yahweh. There may also be a reminder in this of Jacob’s blessing where the tribe of
Judah were depicted as having a bright future, with Shiloh, the Coming One,
coming from among them (Genesis 49:10 compare Numbers 24:17-19).
PULPIT, "Numbers 2:3
47

48. On the east. The van, the post of honour. The general direction indeed of their
march was northwards, not eastwards; but nothing can obliterate the natural pre-
eminence given to the east by the sunrise, the scattering of light upon the earth, the
daily symbol of the day-spring from on high. The standard of the camp of Judah.
Judah led the way not because he was the greatest in number, for the order of the
tribes was not determined by this consideration, but because of his place in
prophecy, and as the ancestor of the Messiah (Genesis 49:10). According to Aben
Ezra and other Jewish expositors, the device upon the standard of Judah was a
young lion, and this agrees with Revelation 5:5. The same authorities assign to
Reuben a man, to Ephraim an ox (cf. Deuteronomy 33:17), to Dan an eagle. If it
were so, we should find in these banners the origin of the forms of the living
creatures in the visions of Ezekiel and St. John (Ezekiel 1:26; Ezekiel 10:1;
Revelation 4:4-6), unless, indeed, the devices on the standards were themselves
taken from the symbolic forms of the cherubim in the tabernacle, and these in their
turn borrowed from the religious art of Egypt. But the tradition of the Jews is too
fluctuating to carry any weight. The Targum of Palestine assigns to Judea the lion,
but to Reuben a stag, to Ephraim a young man, and to Dan a basilisk serpent.
BI 3-4, "The camp of Judah.
The encampment of Judah
I. The tribe. “Judah” signifies praise. “Now will I praise the Lord,” said his mother Leah
at his birth (Gen_29:35). Thus is the spiritual Judah established and made a praise in
the earth (Isa_62:7), to the glory of God of whom it is born and made. This whole family
in heaven and earth is named and appointed to be a continual praise to the glory of the
omnipotent grace of Jehovah. Kings and priests as they all are, is not each “a brand
plucked out of the fire”? (Zec_3:2).
II. Their encampment. “Judah shall encamp.” But in what form and order? Upon this
we have only to say, with respect to the spiritual Judah, that the mystical Cross of their
great High Priest embodies itself in all their stations and movements, gives shape to all
their hopes and expectations, directs and regulates their prayers, praises, and exertions.
Whatever they attempt or whatever they enjoy is conformed to the Cross.
III. The direction in which the camp is situated. Judah shall encamp toward the sun-
rising. Such too is the cheerful situation of the beloved people; they have the evening
behind them, and the morning in their eye. All are looking towards the rising day,
towards the Day-star from on high.
IV. Judah’s encampment toward the sun-rising was to be with his banner. Banners gave
the signal for the people to march; they were painted upon hills and eminences, that they
might be seen at a distance, and straightway the hosts marched towards and gathered
round them. So it is with our banner of the Cross. It is a magnet of irresistible attraction.
Wherever it is lifted up, there is a movement, an excitement, a stir, and the elect of God
gather around it with exultation or with weeping.
V. Judah’s host. How astonished should we be, what mingled terror and great joy would
surprise us, if suddenly those covering angel-hosts, which encompass the spiritual Israel,
were to burst the veil which renders them invisible to mortal eyes, and come forth at
48

49. once into full view! Some in this world have been favoured to behold a portion of those
invisible squadrons which always attend the children of God. Judah’s host is the
heavenly band of “watchers,” who are sent forth to minister to the safety and welfare of
those who shall be heirs of salvation.
VI. The name of Judah’s captain is Nahshon, son of Amminadab. This name truly
belongs to the Prince of the host, the Captain of our salvation. Nahshon signifies
experience; and who is so experienced in conflict as He who was made perfect in
sufferings, and having spoiled principalities and powers, overcame death, and opened to
us the gate of everlasting life! Who is so experienced a captain as He, whose
unslumbering pastoral care has been exercised for ages in behalf of His people! Who is
so experienced in the tumult and alarm of war as He, against whom the infatuated and
cold-hearted world have been bearing arms day and night for so many centuries I And
who is so accustomed to triumph as He, who is making all such enemies His footstool
and everywhere abides last upon the field! Appropriate therefore to Him is the name of
Nahshon. He is also as truly in character “the son of Amminadab.” For this name, which
signifies “My people are a willing gift,” directs our thoughts first to God the Father, as
freely giving to Christ all who will ever come unto Him, and as making them also willing
in the day of His power. (F. W. Krummacher, D. D.)
Aspects of honour
I. Honour wisely conferred.
II. Honour in relation with duty and responsibility.
III. Honour as connected with parental influence,
IV. Honour as related to future greatness.
Jacob had predicted that Judah should be the ruling tribe; he promised to Judah a
kingdom and sovereignty. Ages more were to pass away before the prediction was
fulfilled; but the honour now conferred on the tribe would encourage faith in its
predicted destiny. Its natural tendency would be to stimulate them to—
1. Believe in their destiny.
2. Work for their destiny.
3. Wait for their destiny.
Let every privilege conferred upon us increase our assurance of the splendid honours
which await us hereafter. (W. Jones).
4 His division numbers 74,600.
49

50. GILL, "And his host, and those that were numbered of them,.... As they had
been before; and, supposing these words to be the words of God, there is no necessity of
rendering them in the future, as some have observed; though they seem rather to be the
words of Moses, who under every tribe repeats the number, which is exactly the same as
when taken; and though it was not till twenty days after that they set forward according
to their order of encampment, not one of them died, which Aben Ezra observes as a very
wonderful thing:
were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred; the number of the
tribe of Judah were 74,600; see Num_1:27.
K&D, "Num_2:4-9
“His host, and those that were numbered of them” (cf. Num_2:6, Num_2:8, Num_
2:11, etc.), i.e., the army according to its numbered men.
COKE, "Numbers 2:4. His host, and those that were numbered of them, were,
&c.— Our translation is awkward here, as well as in the subsequent verses, where
the same thing is spoken of. Houbigant renders it, with his army, and with those
who were numbered, threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred. It might
be with his army, even those who were numbered, being, &c.
WHEDON, "4. Those that were numbered — These words are simply explanatory
of his host. The better translation would be his host, even those of them who were
mustered. Good generalship always puts the strongest battalion in the van, to
receive without faltering any sudden attack from the front, and also places a strong
rear-guard for the same reason. This accounts for the position of Dan’s grand
division, next in strength to Judah’s.
5 The tribe of Issachar will camp next to them.
The leader of the people of Issachar is Nethanel
son of Zuar.
50

51. GILL, "And those that do pitch next unto him shall be the tribe of
Issachar,.... Who with Zebulun, after mentioned, as placed with him under the same
standard, were the brethren of Judah, by the same mother Leah, and so fitly put
together, as most likely to continue in harmony and love; and being the youngest sons of
Leah, and brethren of Judah, would, without any reluctance or murmuring, pitch under
their elder brother's standard:
and Nethaneel, the son of Zuar, shall be captain of the children of Issachar;
see Num_1:8.
JAMISON, "those that pitch next unto him — that is, on the one side.
WHEDON, "Verse 5
5. Issachar was encamped next to Judah on one side, and Zebulun was probably on
the other. By arranging them thus the standard of Judah would be in the centre of
the line, and opposite to the door of the tabernacle, and very near to the marquee of
Moses, the commander inchief under Jehovah. An inspection of the annexed
diagram will show the post of honour for Judah.
PETT, "Numbers 2:5-6
‘And those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, and the prince of
the children of Issachar shall be Nethanel the son of Zuar. And his host, and those
who were numbered of it, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred. And the
tribe of Zebulun, and the prince of the children of Zebulun shall be Eliab the son of
Helon. And his host, and those who were numbered of it, were fifty and seven
thousand and four hundred.’
Issachar and Zebulun, both Leah tribes, were to be joined with Judah in protecting
the east, each numbered in the same way as before. And with Judah they would
march ahead of the column behind the Ark (10:33-36) when journeying.
6 His division numbers 54,400.
51

52. GILL, "And his host,.... The host of Issachar:
and those that were numbered thereof, were fifty and four thousand and
four hundred. 54,400 men. Which had been numbered, for it does not appear that
there was a fresh account taken; see Num_1:29.
7 The tribe of Zebulun will be next. The leader of
the people of Zebulun is Eliab son of Helon.
GILL, "Then the tribe of Zebulun,.... He pitched next; though the order of their
encampment was not, as it may seem, first Judah, after him Issachar, and below him
Zebulun; for Judah lay between these two, the one before him, and the other behind
him; and it was Issachar that was behind, and Zebulun before, as Aben Ezra observes;
they were pitched on each side of the standard of Judah, one on one side, and the other
on the other side:
and Eliab, the son of Helon, shall be, captain of the children of Zebulun; see
Num_1:9; each tribe had its own captain; nor does it appear that there was a general
over those captains, that had the command of the camp, consisting of three tribes, but
Moses was the generalissimo of all the camps.
JAMISON, "Then the tribe of Zebulun — on the other side. While Judah’s tribe
was the most numerous, those of Issachar and Zebulun were also very numerous; so that
the association of those three tribes formed a strong and imposing van.
8 His division numbers 57,400.
GILL, "And his host,.... That is, the host of Zebulun:
and those that were numbered thereof, were fifty and seven thousand and
52

53. four hundred. 57,400 men; see Num_1:31.
9 All the men assigned to the camp of Judah,
according to their divisions, number 186,400.
They will set out first.
GILL, "All that were numbered in the camp of Judah were an hundred
thousand and fourscore thousand and six thousand and four hundred,
throughout their armies,.... 186,400 men. The sum total of the three tribes, which
formed that camp: this was the largest camp of them all, being near 30,000 more than
Dan's, Num_2:31, which was the next in number unto it, and therefore placed foremost,
and as the vanguard to the tabernacle:
these shall first set forth; in a march, when about to journey; when they saw the
cloud remove, the priests blew with the trumpets, and then the camp of Judah moved
first, as Jarchi observes, and when they went out to fight, Judah went up first, Jdg_1:1.
WHEDON, "9. These shall first set forth — Literally, pull up (stakes) first: the first
to break up camp and march was to be Judah’s grand division. Mr. Bush, following
Rosenmuller, inclines to the opinion that these are the words of Moses, and cites
grammatical authority for the use of the future for repeated or customary action —
“These uniformly set forth first.” But the future is more frequently used as a mild
imperative. Moreover, if it was worthy of God to say any thing about the order, it
was of the first importance that he should establish the question of precedence in the
march, a point on which victory or defeat might turn.
PETT, "Numbers 2:9
‘All who were numbered of the camp of Judah were a hundred thousand and
fourscore thousand and six thousand and four hundred, according to their hosts.
They shall set forth first.’
Thus the total number of guards to the east in ‘the camp of Judah’ were 185 ’lph
(families/military leaders) and 14 military units. (185 ’lph and one ’lph of troops
plus a portion making 186 ’lph and a portion). They were the first to set forth when
53

54. the march began, and would lead the way.
We might in our day cavil at adding together a number of military leaders with a
regiment in the same sum, but regularly in ancient days battles were fought between
‘champions’ with the remainder watching. The result would often be accepted by
both parties for it indicated to all whose side the gods were on. Thus a champion
could actually represent a regiment on his own. Consider Goliath in 1 Samuel 17.
10 On the south will be the divisions of the camp
of Reuben under their standard. The leader of the
people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur.
GILL, "On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben,
according to their armies,.... This camp consisted of the tribes of Reuben, Simeon,
and Gad, which was divided into lesser bodies, regiments, or companies, called armies;
and this was placed to the south of the tabernacle, or to the right hand, as Aben Ezra
interprets it; this was the right wing of the whole army. Reuben's stone, according to the
Jewish writers (h), was the "sardius", and his flag was coloured red, and there were
figured upon it mandrakes. Simeon's stone was the topaz, and his flag was coloured
green, and on it was figured "shechem". Gad's stone was the agate, and his flag was
coloured neither black nor white, but mixed, and there was figured upon it a camp or
host, on account of what is said, Gen_49:19,
and the captain of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur;
see Num_1:5.
JAMISON 10-31, "On the south side the standard of the camp of Reuben —
The description given of the position of Reuben and his attendant tribes on the south, of
Ephraim and his associates on the west, of Dan and his confederates on the north, with
that of Judah on the east, suggests the idea of a square or quadrangle, which, allowing
one square cubit to each soldier while remaining close in the ranks, has been computed
to extend over an area of somewhat more than twelve square miles. But into our
calculations of the occupied space must be taken not only the fighting men, whose
numbers are here given, but also the families, tents, and baggage. The tabernacle or
sacred tent of their Divine King, with the camp of the Levites around it (see on Num_
3:38), formed the center, as does the chief’s in the encampment of all nomad people. In
marching, this order was adhered to, with some necessary variations. Judah led the way,
54

55. followed, it is most probable, by Issachar and Zebulun [Num_10:14-16]. Reuben,
Simeon, and Gad formed the second great division [Num_10:18-20]. They were followed
by the central company, composed of the Levites, bearing the tabernacle [Num_10:21].
Then the third and posterior squadron consisted of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin
[Num_10:22-24], while the hindmost place was assigned to Dan, Asher, and Naphtali
[Num_10:25-27]. Thus Judah’s, which was the most numerous, formed the van: and
Dan’s, which was the next in force, brought up the rear; while Reuben’s and Ephraim’s,
with the tribes associated with them respectively, being the smallest and weakest, were
placed in the center. (See on Num_10:13).
K&D 10-16, "Num_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 Num_2:14, Reuel is a mistake for Reuel (Num_1:14; Num_7:42; Num_
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.
WHEDON, " 10. Camp of Reuben — Or, host of Reuben. This tribe was the head of
the second army corps, situated on the south of the tabernacle. Simeon, his own
brother, son of Leah, and Gad, son of Zilpah, her handmaid, are members of this
division. Reference to relationship was had in the entire arrangement of the camp,
and finally, in some degree, in the allotment of the Promised Land.
PETT, "Numbers 2:10-15
‘On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their
hosts, and the prince of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur.
And his host, and those who were numbered of it, were forty and six thousand and
five hundred. And those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, and
the prince of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. And
his host, and those who were numbered of them, were fifty and nine thousand and
three hundred. And the tribe of Gad: and the prince of the children of Gad shall be
Eliasaph the son of Reuel. And his host, and those who were numbered of them,
were forty and five thousand and six hundred and fifty.’
To the south of the Dwellingplace were to encamp the tribe of Reuben, assisted by
Simeon and Gad. Again the numbers are given, and the names of their chieftains, as
per chapter 1. Here Eliasaph’s father is named Reuel (‘friend of God’), contrast
Deuel (‘one who knows God’) in Numbers 1. This may be an alternative spelling of
his name (compare Paul and Saul). While it is true that in ancient Hebrew ‘d’ and
‘r’ were very similar, we must beware of too glibly just assuming a copyist’s error.
55

56. We must remember that the copyist would have heard it read out a hundred times
and more prior to becoming a copyist. He would know which it would be. The lesson
for us from this name is that it is necessary for us to know God truly if we would be
His friend.
11 His division numbers 46,500.
GILL, "And his host,.... That is, the host of Reuben, as distinct from his camp, of
which it was only a part, and of which Elizur was captain:
and those that were numbered thereof, were forty and six thousand and five
hundred. 46,500 men; see Num_1:21.
12 The tribe of Simeon will camp next to them.
The leader of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel
son of Zurishaddai.
GILL, "And those which pitch by him shall be the tribe of Simeon,.... Under
his standard, and on one side of it; Reuben and Simeon being brothers by the mother as
well as the father's side, might well be thought to agree together; and Reuben being the
eldest brother, and the eldest of all Jacob's sons, Simeon would not grudge to pitch
under him:
and the captain of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of
Zurishaddai; of whom see Num_1:6.
56

57. 13 His division numbers 59,300.
GILL, "And his host,.... That is, the host of Simeon:
and those that were numbered of them, were fifty and nine thousand and
three hundred. 59,300 men; the same as in Num_1:23.
14 The tribe of Gad will be next. The leader of the
people of Gad is Eliasaph son of Deuel.[a]
GILL, "Then the tribe of Gad,.... Who was placed on the other side of Reuben's
standard, and according to the former direction he must be before, and Simeon behind;
and Gad being the eldest son of Leah's handmaid Zilpah, is fitly placed under Leah's
firstborn, and being the son of an handmaid, could not object to his situation:
and the captain of the sons of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel: who is
called Deuel, Num_1:14. The letters ‫,ר‬ "resh", and ‫,ד‬ "daleth", being similar, are
sometimes put one for the other, of which there are other instances, as in Gen_10:3,
compared with 1Ch_1:6.
PULPIT, "Numbers 2:14
Reuel. Probably an error of transcription for Deuel, which actually appears here in
many MSS. The Septuagint, however, has Raguel (see Numbers 1:14; Numbers 7:42,
etc.). The error is utterly unimportant, except as proving the possibility of errors in
the sacred text.
15 His division numbers 45,650.
57

58. GILL, "And his host,.... That is, the host of Gad, as distinct from those of Reuben and
Simeon, which together formed the camp:
and those that were numbered of them, were forty and five thousand and
six hundred and fifty. 45,650 men; see Num_1:25
16 All the men assigned to the camp of Reuben,
according to their divisions, number 151,450.
They will set out second.
GILL, "And all that were numbered in the camp of Reuben were an hundred
thousand and fifty and one thousand and four hundred and fifty,
throughout their armies,.... 151,450 men. Putting Reuben's host, and the hosts of
Simeon and Gad together, Num_2:13, which was much lesser than the preceding camp,
being 34,500 fewer in number:
and they shall set forth in the second rank: they in journeying moving next to the
camp of Judah, and before the tabernacle; for though, while encamped, the camp of
Reuben lay on the south, or right side of it, yet, when marching, went before it.
PETT, "Verse 16
‘All who were numbered of the camp of Reuben were a hundred thousand and fifty
and one thousand and four hundred and fifty, according to their hosts. And they
shall set forth second.’
The total force in the camp of Reuben was 150 ’lph (families/military leaders) with
14 ‘hundreds’ or military units and a special force of ‘fifty’. The special mention of
the latter only the once may suggest that they were seen as especially valuable, or
alternately that they represented the friendly aliens. They could possibly have been
expert ‘slingers’. But it may simply be that the ‘fifty’ was added as signifying 5x10,
58

59. the covenant number intensified, added to the tribe of Gad in the camp of the
firstborn, thus indicating that all were within the covenant (a fifty was required if
the number of 603,550 was to be obtained). Compare how a ‘thirty’ is added in the
second numbering, in that case only to Reuben, while both a ‘fifty’ and a ‘thirty’ are
added to the Levites (Numbers 4:36; Numbers 4:40). This is surely not merely
coincidental.
These were to be the next to march after the camp of Judah, moving from their
protective position on the south side of the Dwellingplace.
17 Then the tent of meeting and the camp of the
Levites will set out in the middle of the camps.
They will set out in the same order as they
encamp, each in their own place under their
standard.
GILL, "Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the
camp of the Levites,.... Which reached four miles, according to the Targum of
Jonathan, as did Judah's. Levi's stone, as the Jews say (i), was the carbuncle, and his flag
was coloured, a third part white, and a third part black, and a third part red, and on it
were formed Urim and Thummim:
in the midst of the camp; or "camps" (k); between the camps of Judah and Reuben,
before mentioned, and those of Ephraim and Dan, which are after spoken of: the order
in which they moved was this, as Aben Ezra observes; the Gershonites and Merarites
marched between the standard of Judah and the standard of Reuben; and the Kohathites
marched, and with them Aaron and his sons, between the standard of Reuben and the
standard of Ephraim:
as they encamp, so shall they set forward; this is to be understood, according to
Aben Ezra, not of the camp of Levi, since the standard of Judah was to the east, and the
Gershonites, which were to the west of the sanctuary, and the Merarites in the north, set
forward together; but of the camps of Israel, which set forward, not as they were
encamped about the tabernacle, for those that were encamped on the side of it, in
marching went before and behind, but as they were encamped with respect to
themselves; first marched the standard of Judah, then that of Reuben, which went
59

60. before, and then those of Ephraim and Dan, which followed; and besides, as each camp
was pitched, so it moved; as the camp of Judah, his host marched between those of
Issachar and Zebulun, and the same order the rest observed:
every man in his place by their standards, as every individual person in the
several tribes were ranked under their respective banners, so they marched.
K&D, "Num_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.”
‫ָד‬‫י‬, place, as in Deu_23:13; Isa_57:8.
BENSON, "Numbers 2:17. In the midst — This is not to be understood strictly, but
largely; for in their march they were divided, and part of that tribe marched next
after Judah, (Numbers 10:17,) and the other part exactly in the midst of the camp.
WHEDON, " 17. The camp of the Levites is fully described in Numbers 3:14-39.
The tabernacle itself, transported by the Gershonites and Merarites, had not its
position in the column behind Reuben, but immediately in the rear of Judah, so as
to be set up early for the reception of the sacred vessels and furniture, carried by the
Kohathites in this central position in the rear of Reuben, for their better protection.
See Numbers 10:17.
PETT, "Verse 17
‘Then the tent of meeting shall set forward, with the camp of the Levites in the
midst of the camps. As they encamp, so shall they set forward, every man in his
place, by their standards (or ‘in their ranks’).’
Once the two powerful groups had gone forward the Levites would go forward after
them, carrying the Tent of Meeting and its furniture. The Ark, however, would have
gone forward with the leading group (10:33-36), once the cloud had indicated that it
was time to move (Numbers 9:15-23). The Ark was the symbol of the God of battle,
God active on their behalf, the guarantee against dangers ahead. The Tent of
Meeting was Yahweh’s earthly Dwellingplace while at rest, but would be folded up
while on the march. Concentration would then be on the Ark in its blue (heavenly)
covering.
PULPIT, "Numbers 2:17
Then the tabernacle … shall set forward. Thus it was provided that, whether at rest
or on the march, the Divine habitation should be exactly in the midst of Israel.
60

61. 18 On the west will be the divisions of the camp of
Ephraim under their standard. The leader of the
people of Ephraim is Elishama son of Ammihud.
GILL, "On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim,
according to their armies,.... It was in the rear or behind, consisting of his tribe, and
of the tribes of Manasseh and Benjamin, divided into several companies, and extended
four miles, as the above Targum. The Jewish writers say (l), that Joseph's stone is the
onyx or sardonyx, and his flag was coloured very black, and on it were figured for the two
princes, Ephraim and Manasseh, Egypt, because they were born in Egypt; and upon the
flag of Ephraim was figured an ox, because of what is said in Deu_33:17; and on the flag
of the tribe of Manasseh was figured an unicorn, because of what is said in the same
place. Benjamin's stone was the jasper, and his flag was coloured like to twelve colours,
and on it was figured a wolf, because of what is said Gen_49:27,
and the captain of the sons of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of
Ammihud; of whom see Num_1:10.
K&D, "Num_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.
BENSON, "Numbers 2:18. Ephraim — Who is here preferred before his brother,
according to the prophecy, Genesis 48:19-20
WHEDON, " 18. The camp of Ephraim came next, on the west side of the
tabernacle. Here the descendants of Rachel, the tribes of Joseph’s two sons and the
tribe of Benjamin, his favourite younger brother, reared their standard. They were
near neighbours in Canaan, though the Jordan divided Manasseh. In the days of the
monarchy they were intimately associated. “Before Ephraim and Benjamin and
61

62. Manasseh, stir up thy strength.” Psalms 80:2.
PETT, "Verses 18-23
‘On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their
hosts, and the prince of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of
Ammihud. And his host, and those who were numbered of them, were forty
thousand and five hundred. And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh, and the
prince of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. And his
host, and those who were numbered of them, were thirty and two thousand and two
hundred. And the tribe of Benjamin, and the prince of the children of Benjamin
shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni. And his host, and those who were numbered of
them, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred.’
When encamped the Rachel tribes, with their weaker numbers, would protect the
west. This was probably seen as the least dangerous side. On the march they would
follow the Dwellingplace. Once again full details are given of them.
19 His division numbers 40,500.
GILL, "And his host,.... That is, the host of Ephraim:
and those that were numbered of them, were forty thousand and five
hundred. 40,500 men. Not his camp, but his host, or the army, which consisted only of
his own tribe see Num_1:33.
20 The tribe of Manasseh will be next to them.
The leader of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel
son of Pedahzur.
62

63. GILL, "And by him shall be the tribe of Manasseh,.... Who though the elder
brother to Ephraim, yet Ephraim was preferred to him, and had a standard given him,
and his elder brother was directed to pitch by it; and this being agreeably to the
prophecy of Jacob, could not well be objected to; and Benjamin, the younger brother of
Joseph, being placed under the standard of a son of his, that stood in his father's room,
could not be offended; and these all being the descendants of Rachel, might well be
thought to agree together, and be very well pleased with their situation:
and the captain of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of
Pedahzur; the same as in Num_1:10.
21 His division numbers 32,200.
GILL, "And his host,.... That is, the host of Manasseh:
and those that were numbered of them, were thirty and two thousand and
two hundred. 32,200 men; see Num_1:35.
22 The tribe of Benjamin will be next. The leader
of the people of Benjamin is Abidan son of
Gideoni.
GILL, "Then the tribe of Benjamin,.... He was to pitch under the same standard of
Ephraim, and the other side of it from that of Manasseh; the one being before, and the
other behind, and the standard in the middle; See Gill on Num_2:7,
63

64. and the captains of the sons of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni;
of whom see Num_1:11.
23 His division numbers 35,400.
GILL, "And his host, &c. That is, the host of Benjamin:
and those that were numbered of them, were thirty and five thousand and
four hundred. 35,400 men. The least number of all the tribes, excepting the tribe of
Manasseh, Num_2:21; see Num_1:37.
24 All the men assigned to the camp of Ephraim,
according to their divisions, number 108,100.
They will set out third.
GILL, "All that were numbered of the camp of Ephraim were an hundred
thousand and eight thousand and an hundred, throughout their armies,....
108,100 men. Which was the smallest of all the camps, and near eighty thousand fewer
than the camp of Judah, Num_2:9,
and they shall go forward in the third rank; and which was the first following the
tabernacle.
PETT, "Verse 24
‘All who were numbered of the camp of Ephraim were a hundred thousand and
eight thousand and a hundred, according to their hosts. And they shall set forth
third.’
64

65. They consisted of 107 ’lph (families/military leaders) and 11 ‘hundreds’ or military
units. On the march they followed behind the Levites who were bearing the Tent of
Meeting and its furniture.
PULPIT, "Numbers 2:24
All that were numbered of the camp of Ephraim. All the descendants of Rachel,
forming at this time the smallest of the four divisions, although destined to become
very numerous. Their association in the camp was continued in the promised land,
for the greater part of their territory was coterminous. Subsequently, however, the
great division of the kingdom separated Benjamin for ever from his brethren. In the
third rank. Immediately behind the tabernacle. This position is clearly alluded to in
Psalms 80:1, Psalms 80:2.
25 On the north will be the divisions of the camp
of Dan under their standard. The leader of the
people of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
GILL, "The standard of the camp of Dan shall be on the north side by their
armies,.... To the left of the tabernacle as encamped, and so was the left wing of the
grand army; it consisted of the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali, in which were several
divisions and companies, whose camp also the Targum of Jonathan says reached four
miles. According to the Jewish writers (m), Dan's stone was the "ligure", and his flag was
coloured like to a sapphire, and there was figured upon it a serpent, on account of what
is said Gen_49:17; Asher's stone was the "tarshish" or beryl, and his flag was coloured
like to a precious stone, with which women adorn themselves, and on it was figured an
olive tree, on account of what is said Gen_49:20. Naphtali's stone was the amethyst, and
his flag was coloured like to clear wine, whose redness is not strong, and on it was
figured an hind, on account of what is said of him Gen_49:21,
and the captain of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of
Ammishaddai; who made mention of in Num_1:10.
K&D, "Num_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.
65

66. Num_2:31
WHEDON, "25. The camp of Dan… on the north completes the square. It is
composed of the tribes of Asher the son of Zilpah, and of Dan and Naphtali, sons of
Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid. Dan, second in strength to Judah, guards the rear of the
column. The van and the rear, the posts of danger, are strongly guarded, while the
weaker tribes and the non-combatant Levites are wisely placed in the middle of the
column when on the march, and the Levites in the center of the square when
encamped.
PETT, "Verse 25-26
‘On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan according to their hosts,
and the prince of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. And
his host, and those who were numbered of them, were threescore and two thousand
and seven hundred. And those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher,
and the prince of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ochran. And his
host, and those who were numbered of them, were forty and one thousand and five
hundred. And the tribe of Naphtali, and the prince of the children of Naphtali shall
be Ahira the son of Enan. And his host, and those who were numbered of them,
were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.’
When encamped Dan, Asher and Naphtali protected the way from the north. They
remained in position until the march had begun, joining on to the rear, thus
guaranteeing against attack from that direction while the preparations for marching
were taking place.
PULPIT, "Numbers 2:25
The standard of … Dan. In the light of its subsequent history, it is remarkable that
this tribe should at this time have been so prominent and so honoured. Dan is, so to
speak; the Judas among the twelve. In history he ends by melting away into the
heathen among whom he intruded himself. In the sacred writings he ends by being
omitted altogether; he has no part in the new Jerusalem—perhaps on account of the
idolatry connected with his name (see 18:1-31; Revelation 7:1-17).
26 His division numbers 62,700.
66

67. GILL, "And his host,.... That is, the host of Dan:
and those that were numbered of them, were threescore and two thousand
and seven hundred. 62,700 men, which agrees with the account of this tribe in Num_
1:39.
27 The tribe of Asher will camp next to them. The
leader of the people of Asher is Pagiel son of
Okran.
GILL, "And those that encamp by him shall be the tribe of Asher,.... Dan had a
standard given him, though the son of an handmaid, being the firstborn of the sons of
the handmaids, and his tribe being a warlike tribe, and very numerous; and Asher and
Naphtali are placed by him, being the sons of handmaids also, and could not but
contentedly pitch by him, who was the eldest of the sons of the handmaids Naphtali
being his younger brother by mother's as well as father's side, and Asher the second son
of Zilpah, Leah's maid:
and the captain of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ocran; the
same as in Num_1:13.
28 His division numbers 41,500.
GILL, "And his host,.... That is, the host of Asher:
and those that were numbered of them, were forty and one thousand and
67

68. five hundred. 41,500 men; as they were numbered Num_1:41.
29 The tribe of Naphtali will be next. The leader
of the people of Naphtali is Ahira son of Enan.
GILL, "Then the tribe of Naphtali,.... That was to pitch by the same standard of
Dan, on the other side of it:
and the captain of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan;
who is mentioned Num_1:15.
30 His division numbers 53,400.
GILL, "And his host,.... That is, the host of Naphtali:
and those that were numbered of them; not that some part of the tribe of Naphtali
was numbered, which made up the host Ahira was captain of, but the whole of it, who
were all numbered that were of twenty years of age and upwards; and the same is to be
observed in all the above places, where this phrase is used:
were fifty and three thousand and four hundred. 53,400 men; see Num_1:43.
31 All the men assigned to the camp of Dan
number 157,600. They will set out last, under
their standards.
68

69. GILL, "All they that were numbered in the camp of Dan were an hundred
thousand and fifty and seven thousand and six hundred,.... 157,600 men.
Consisting of his own tribe, and those of Asher and Naphtali, which make the largest
camp next to Judah:
they shall go hindmost with their standards; for though, while encamped, they
lay to the north, or the left side of the tabernacle, yet, when marching, they brought up
the rear, and were the rear guard to the tabernacle; so that it had in its van and rear the
two largest camps, which were wisely ordered for its safety: "standards" is put for
"standard", the plural for the singular; for there was but one standard to a camp, unless
this takes in their ensigns, of which they had many.
K&D, "Num_2:31
‫ם‬ ֶ‫יה‬ֵ‫ל‬ְ‫ג‬ ִ‫ד‬ ְ‫ל‬ (according to their standards) is equivalent to ‫ם‬ ָ‫ת‬ֹ‫א‬ ְ‫ב‬ ִ‫צ‬ ְ‫ל‬ (according to
their hosts) in Num_2:9, Num_2:16, and Num_2:24, i.e., according to the hosts of
which they consisted.
BENSON, "Numbers 2:31. The camp of Dan — The strongest camp next after
Judah, and therefore he comes in the rear, as Judah marched in the front, that the
tabernacle might be best guarded where there was most danger. The Jews say this
camp made a square of twelve miles in compass about the tabernacle, three miles on
each side.
PETT, "Verse 31
‘All who were numbered of the camp of Dan were a hundred thousand and fifty and
seven thousand and six hundred. They shall set forth hindmost by their standards.’
So, on the march they were at the rear of the advance, in order to protect the rear.
The powerful tribe of Dan together with Asher and Naphtali consisted of 156 ’lph
(families/military leaders) and 16 ‘hundreds’ (or military units).
32 These are the Israelites, counted according to
their families. All the men in the camps, by their
divisions, number 603,550.
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70. GILL, "These are those that were numbered of the children of Israel by the
house of their fathers,.... As the number was taken by Moses and Aaron, assisted by
twelve princes of the tribe, who were now constituted captains over them, as so many
hosts or armies:
all those that were numbered of the camp throughout their hosts: of the four
camps, of Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan, throughout the respective tribes or hosts
that belonged to each of them:
were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty;
603,550 men, which is exactly the sum total of them, as taken Num_1:46. It is a large
number, considering in how short a time, and that great part of it a state of bondage,
from seventy persons, they rose unto it; but the spiritual Israel of God, consisting of his
people of all nations, is a number which no man can number, Rev_7:9; besides, the
number of the sealed ones, of every tribe, Num_2:4; Now this encampment of the people
of Israel was an emblem of the form and order of the spiritual Israel or church of God,
under the Gospel dispensation. Christ in human nature is the tabernacle, who is in the
midst of his people by his gracious presence; as the heart and life of the congregation of
his saints, in whom they all centre and terminate, and where he sits enthroned as King of
saints; and as the Levites encamped in four squadrons next unto the tabernacle, all
around it, to these answer the living creatures in Eze_1:5; which design the ministers of
the word, who are in the highest place in the church, between Christ and the
congregation, and are near to him, to be supplied by him; then encamped the whole
body of the people of Israel by their standards, with their ensigns, to whom answer the
wheels in Eze_1:15; and the twenty four elders in Rev_4:4; all which show the church to
be militant, and that there is an order in Gospel churches, which makes them both
comely and terrible, Son_6:4; and may teach every member to abide by his standard,
and follow his ensign and ensign bearer, Isa_11:10.
K&D 32-34, "In Num_2:32 we have the whole number given, 603,550 men, not
including the Levites (Num_2:33, see at Num_1:49); and in Num_2:34 the concluding
remark as to the subsequent execution of the divine command-an anticipatory notice, as
in Exo_12:50; Exo_40:16, etc.
PETT, "Verse 32
‘These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers’
houses. All who were numbered of the camps according to their hosts were six
hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.’
Once again we have repeated the result of the numbering, six hundred ’lph, three
70

71. ’lph five ‘hundreds’ and fifty. This might then translate into 598 ’lph
(families/military leaders) and five ’eleph (military units) and five ‘hundreds’
(smaller military units), and a fifty. This would tie in with the above figures given
for the tribes, and would seem to be designed to agree with the amount of the silver
in the Sanctuary (Exodus 38:25-26).
BI 32-34, "They pitched by their standards.
Contentment and obedience
I. Contentment with the divine appointment.
1. We are incompetent to determine our own place and duty.
(1) Our ignorance.
(a) Of ourselves;
(b) of the future.
(2) Our proneness to self-indulgence.
2. We have ample grounds for confidence in the determinations of God for us.
(1) His knowledge.
(2) His wisdom.
(3) His kindness.
II. Obedience to the divine commands.
1. All God’s commands are binding, because they are all right.
2. All God’s commands are benevolent. Obedience is blessed as well as binding. (W.
Jones.)
The two banners:
We can easily guess how in days of ancient warfare the standard was of much practical
use. When it moved forward, then the warriors took up sword and shield and also
advanced. When it halted, then they prepared to encamp around the station of their own
particular standard. The devices of these old flags suggested a kind of primitive heraldry,
and they knew where at once to find their loaders, or to rally for the last desperate
defence! As in thought we float along the stream of history, we recall the brazen eagles of
Rome, clasping which the legionaries took that solemn oath of fidelity which taught to
the soldiers of Jesus that word “Sacrament,” which to us means so much! Then we may
remember how the cloak of St. Martin became the standard of the Frankish host, or how
the sacred banner of mediaeval France was the renowned “Oriflamme.” In England’s
history, too, we have the story of the great car which, surmounted by three flags, was the
central point of the bloody “Battle of the Standard”; or we may sorrowfully think of that
sad day when our country was torn asunder by internal strife, and the unfortunate
Charles, king and martyr, raised his royal standard on a stormy day on the Castle Hill at
Nottingham, and which was that very day blown down by the furious blasts—a sad and
71

72. ominous beginning, which proved too truly prophetic. Lastly, there flashes across our
memory that familiar story of Nelson ordering the flag of old England to be nailed to the
mast, which has become a proverbial expression for pluck and resolution! But these
legends of old times have for the Christian a lesson. There is a great conflict going on
around us, a spiritual warfare of most real and eternal significance. Between the Church,
which is the army of Christ, and the dark hosts of hell, the struggle seems daily to wax
hotter and become more intense. The leaders on either side display their banners. “That
of Satan,” says an old writer, “is set up in the market-place of Babylon. It is inscribed
with the alluring words, ‘riches,’ ‘pleasures,’ ‘honours’; but these inscriptions are not to
be trusted. Were they rightly inscribed they would assuredly bear instead, ‘impiety,’
‘idolatory,’ ‘impurity,’ ‘injustice,’ and ‘hatred against God.’ But these true names he
conceals with a dazzling magic, so that men are caught unawares by his false promises!”
Under the standard of the Evil One are gathered together and assembled by him both
evil spirits and bad men. These he sends forth throughout the whole world, that they
should deceive and ruin the souls of men. To each of his adherents he gives a banner, a
net, arid chains. The flag that they may allure, the net that they may capture, the fetters
that they may bind fast their captives. But see on yonder side. From that dark valley, up
those steep slopes, there comes a mighty host. Many drop off, many fall back, but still
they pour on upwards. The sunlight of heaven rests on their helms, and before them
comes borne aloft a mighty banner. It is the Standard of Jesus. Eighteen hundred years
ago it was set up in the valley of humiliation at Jerusalem. Now He, the King of
Humility, the Prince of Peace, is in the midst of His people, whose ranks He gazes on
with loving eye. On His banner there is written, in letters of light and truth, the words,
“repentance,” “a Christian life,” “paradise,” “heaven!” Our Lord Jesus also sends His
ministering servants throughout the world—angels, apostles, priests, and all who seek
the saving of men’s souls and the welfare of their bodies; bidding them teach the
emptiness of earthly treasures, the true riches of penitence and faith; and that they
should instruct all to persevere with patience till the golden gates are in view. The
soldiers of Jesus advance, holding on high His banner, knocking at the door of all hearts,
and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is nigh”; “Take My yoke upon you, and ye
shall find rest.” These invitations are given in various ways, and by different methods;
sometimes by good thoughts infused by the Divine Spirit into the soul, sometimes by
useful words and pious writings, sometimes by good examples. Through all these ways
and channels the Saviour speaks to us. They who listen, they who obey, follow His
standard. Thus, with many alternations, the great battle goes forward, with its separate
host on either side and its two standards. Under which will you fight? (J. W. Hardman,
LL. D.).
33 The Levites, however, were not counted along
with the other Israelites, as the Lord commanded
Moses.
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73. BARNES 33-34, "Such was the ideal form of the encampment in the wilderness: a
form reproduced in the square court with which the temple was eventually surrounded,
and in the vision of the heavenly city as seen by Ezekiel Eze_48:20, and by John (Rev_
21:16; compare Rev_20:9). Thus the camp of God’s earthly people was divinely ordered
so as to set forth the completeness of His Church; and to illustrate by its whole
arrangement, which was determined by the tabernacle in the center, both the
dependance of all on God, and the access which all enjoyed to God.
GILL, "But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel,....
At this time, not among the Israelites, but by themselves, they being a camp of
themselves:
as the Lord commanded Moses; Num_1:48.
PETT, "Verse 33
‘But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel, as Yahweh
commanded Moses.’
But the Levites were not included in this mobilisation. They were exempt from
general military service. This has been stressed previously (Numbers 1:47-49). Here
the fact is doubly emphasised. Their responsibility was to guard and serve
Yahweh’s Dwellingplace at all times.
34 So the Israelites did everything the Lord
commanded Moses; that is the way they
encamped under their standards, and that is the
way they set out, each of them with their clan and
family.
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74. GILL, "And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord
commanded Moses,.... Formed themselves into camps, so many tribes to a camp, and
over each tribe or host appointed a captain, and erected a standard to each camp, by
which they pitched as directed, which is next particularly observed:
so they pitched by their standards; every tribe, and every person in the tribe, as
they were ranked, pitched by the standard to which they belonged:
and so they set forward, after their families according to the house of their
fathers; the camps, and the tribes in them the families in those tribes, and the houses
or lesser families under them, when they marched, proceeded in this regular order, as
they did on the twentieth of this month; see Num_10:11.
COKE, "Numbers 2:34. So they pitched— The order here enjoined was so regular,
that the camp of Israel, seen at a distance, must necessarily have appeared very
beautiful; and accordingly we find Balaam speaking of it as such. How goodly are
thy tents, O Jacob! and thy tabernacles, O Israel! &c. Numbers 24:5; Numbers
24:25.
REFLECTIONS.—When God himself settles the precedence; there is no room left
for dispute among themselves. Those whom God honours, we may not envy. Judah
leads the van, with Issachar and Zebulun, each under captains of their own tribes.
Subordination in rank and station is God's appointment, and must be observed.
Judah was the tribe whence Shiloh was expected, and therefore justly preferred to
lead the way to Canaan; as Christ his offspring was to be the captain of eternal
salvation to his people. Reuben, who encamped on the south, followed next with
Simeon and Gad. Levi encamped within, between the rest of the tribes and the
tabernacle, and marched in the midst of them, defended before and behind. Of all
things dear to us, the church of God should be the first, and best guarded; and her
ministers especially respected. Ephraim, with Manasseh and Benjamin, encamped
westward, and followed the tabernacle; whilst Dan, with Asher and Naphtali,
encamped on the north, and in the march closed the rear; he, next to Judah, was
most numerous, and therefore fittest for the post assigned. God's dispositions are
always wise, and just, and good. Obedience really and cheerful was paid to all these
orders. God's word must thus regulate our march, as God's providence does our
station; and when the one is cheerfully submitted to, and the other carefully
followed, then we are sure of the divine blessing, and may go forth boldly,
conquering and to conquer all our spiritual enemies.
BENSON, "Numbers 2:34. So they pitched by their standards — Their order was so
beautiful, that when Balaam beheld the camp of Israel from an eminence, he
exclaimed with admiration, How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob! thy tabernacles, O
Israel! As valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side? Numbers
74

75. 24:5-6.
KRETZMANN, "v. 34. And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord
commanded Moses; so they pitched by their standards, and so they set forward,
every one after their families, according to the house of their fathers. To get a
complete picture of the encampment of the Israelites, one must imagine a small
rectangle representing the Tabernacle. On the right, that is, on the east, of this was
the place of Moses, Aaron, and the priests, and beyond them that of the armies
under the leadership of Judah; below, on the south, were the 8,000 Kohathites, and
beyond them the divisions under the leadership of Reuben; to the left, on the west,
were the 7,500 Gershonites, and beyond them the divisions under the leadership of
Ephraim; and above, on the north, were the 6,200 Merarites, and beyond them the
divisions under the leadership of Dan. As this entire great host moved forward
under the guidance of the Angel of the Lord in the cloud, so the army of believers in
the New Testament moves forward under the leadership of Christ.
PETT, "Verse 34
‘Thus did the children of Israel. According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses,
so they encamped by their standards, and so they set forward, every one by their
families, according to their fathers’ houses.’
Again it is stressed that Israel did exactly as Yahweh had commanded Moses
(compare for the phrase Exodus 12:50; Exodus 16:34; Exodus 39:1; Exodus 39:5;
Exodus 39:7; Exodus 39:21 and often; Leviticus 8:9; Leviticus 8:13 and often;
Leviticus 16:34; Leviticus 24:23). At this stage they were fully obedient. They
encamped by their standards (or in their ranks), and that is how they set forward,
every one by their ‘families’, and according to their clans/tribes.
This emphasis reminds us that above all what God requires of us is obedience. As
Jesus reminded us, it is no good saying ‘Lord’ Lord’, if we do not do the things that
He says (Matthew 7:21).
PULPIT, "Numbers 2:34
So they pitched. The Targum of Palestine (which embodies the traditional learning
of the Palestinian Jews of the 17th century) says that the camp covered a space of
twelve square miles. Modern writers, starting from some measurements of the
Roman camps given by Polybius, compute the necessary space at three or three and
a half miles square. This would require the strictest discipline and economy of
space, and makes no provision for cattle; but supposing that the women and
children were closely packed, it might suffice. It is, however, evident that there
would be very few places in the wilderness, if any, where more than three square
75

76. miles of fairly level ground could be found. In the plains of Moab the desired room
might perhaps have been found, but scarcely anywhere in the wilderness of Paran.
We must conclude, therefore, that this order of encampment was an ideal order,
beautiful indeed by reason of its faultless regularity and equality, but only to be
attained in practice as circumstances should permit, more or less. Indeed, that the
foursquare symmetry of the camp had an ideal meaning and significance more
really, because more permanently, important than its actual realization at the time,
is evident from its recurrence again and again in the Apocalyptic writings (see
Ezekiel 48:20, and especially Revelation 21:16). It is impossible to help seeing that
the description of the heavenly Zion is that of a city, but of a city modeled upon the
pattern of the camp in the wilderness. Here is one of those cases in which the
spiritual significance of an order is of such importance that it matters comparatively
little whether it could be literally carried out or not.
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