Numbers 2:1-6

1 And the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron, and said,

2 All men of the sons of Israel shall set tents by the companies, signs, and banners, and houses of their kindreds, by compass of the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace. (All the men of the Israelites shall pitch their tents by the companies, signs, and banners, and houses of their kindreds, around the Tabernacle of the Covenant, that is, the Tabernacle of the Witnessing.)

3 At the east Judah shall set tents, by the companies of his host; and Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, shall be prince of the sons of Judah; (On the east side, the sons of Judah shall pitch their tents, by the companies of its army; and Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, shall be the leader of the sons of Judah;)

4 and all the number of fighters of his kindred, four and seventy thousand and six hundred. (and the number of all the fighters in his army, was seventy-four thousand and six hundred.)

5 Men of the lineage of Issachar setted tents beside him, of which the prince was Nethaneel, the son of Zuar;

6 and all the number of his fighters, four and fifty thousand and four hundred. (and the number of all the fighters in his army, was fifty-four thousand and four hundred.)

Numbers 2:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 2

This chapter contains the order of the encampment and march of the tribes of Israel in their proper places about the tabernacle; the general direction for the same is in Nu 1:1,2; the particulars follow; on the cast of the tabernacle the camp of Judah was to pitch, and under his standard the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun, Nu 1:3-9; on the south side of it the camp of Reuben, and under his standard the tribes of Simeon and Gad, Nu 1:10-16; then the tabernacle, with the camp of the Levites round it, were next, to stand or set forward, Nu 1:17; and on the west side the camp of Ephraim, and under his standard the tribes of Manasseh and Benjamin, Nu 1:18-24; and on the north side the camp of Dan, and under his standard the tribes of Asher and Naphtali, Nu 1:25-31; the sum total of the numbers of which camps are given, exclusive of the camp of Levi, Nu 1:32,33; and the chapter is concluded with observing, that all was done according to the commandment of God, Nu 1:34.