Numbers 2:17-27

17 Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall move forward with the camp of the Levites, in the midst of the camp: as they encamp, so shall they move forward, every man in his place by their standards.

18 On the west side [shall be] the standard of the camp of Ephraim, according to their armies: and the captain of the sons of Ephraim [shall be] Elishama the son of Ammihud.

19 And his host, and those that were numbered of them, [were] forty thousand and five hundred.

20 And by him [shall be] the tribe of Manasseh: and the captain of the children of Manasseh [shall be] Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

21 And his host, and those that were numbered of them, [were] thirty and two thousand and two hundred.

22 Then the tribe of Benjamin: and the captain of the sons of Benjamin [shall be] Abidan the son of Gideoni.

23 And his host, and those that were numbered of them, [were] thirty and five thousand and four hundred.

24 All that were numbered of the camp of Ephraim, [were] a hundred thousand and eight thousand and a hundred, throughout their armies: and they shall go forward in the third rank.

25 The standard of the camp of Dan [shall be] on the north side by their armies: and the captain of the children of Dan [shall be] Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

26 And his host, and those that were numbered of them, [were] sixty and two thousand and seven hundred.

27 And those that encamp by him [shall be] the tribe of Asher: and the captain of the children of Asher [shall be] Pagiel the son of Ocran.

Numbers 2:17-27 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.