Numbers 2:7-17

7 The tribe of Zevulun: and the prince of the children of Zevulun shall be Eli'av the son of Helon.

8 His division, and those who were numbered of it, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

9 All who were numbered of the camp of Yehudah were one hundred eighty-six thousand four hundred, according to their divisions. They shall set out first.

10 "On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Re'uven according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Re'uven shall be Elitzur the son of Shede'ur.

11 His division, and those who were numbered of it, were forty-six thousand five hundred.

12 "Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Shim`on. The prince of the children of Shim`on shall be Shelumi'el the son of Tzurishaddai.

13 His division, and those who were numbered of them, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

14 "The tribe of Gad: and the prince of the children of Gad shall be Elyasaf the son of Re`u'el.

15 His division, and those who were numbered of them, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.

16 "All who were numbered of the camp of Re'uven were one hundred fifty-one thousand four hundred fifty, according to their hosts. They shall set out second.

17 "Then the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps. As they encamp, so shall they set out, every man in his place, by their standards.

Numbers 2:7-17 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.