Numbers 2:1-9

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

2 Let the children of Israel encamp fronting , every man keeping his own rank, according to standards, according to the houses of their families; the children of Israel shall encamp round about the tabernacle of witness.

3 And they that encamp first toward the east the order of the camp of Juda with their host, and the prince of the sons of Juda, Naasson the son of Aminadab.

4 His forces that were numbered, were seventy-four thousand and six hundred.

5 And they that encamp next of the tribe of Issachar, and the prince of the sons of Issachar Nathanael the son of Sogar.

6 His forces that were numbered, were fifty-four thousand and four hundred.

7 And they that encamp next of the tribe of Zabulon, and the prince of the sons of Zabulon Eliab the son of Chaelon.

8 His forces that were numbered, were fifty-seven thousand and four hundred.

9 All that were numbered of the camp of Juda were a hundred and eighty thousand and six thousand and four hundred: they shall move first with their forces.

Numbers 2:1-9 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.