Numbers 2
PATstandard comprehends ensigns; for there was but one standard for this camp, as there were no more for the other three: therefore the meaning is, they shall march hindermost under their several colours, as we now speak; which was ordered for the greater security of the sanctuary, by the two strongest bodies marching before and behind, where there was the greatest danger.
Numbers 2:1
JjlND the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying. The just number of days that were spent in taking the forenamed account of the people is uncertain, (see chap. i. 19.) but that being’finished, now order’is given for their encamping under their several standards. And it is directed to Aaron as well as jf oscs; though the order for numbering them was directed to Moses only, (chap, i^l.) Aaron having by that first order been joined with him in taking the account of them.
Numbers 2:2
Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard. By tho banner of that tribe, to which he was joined by the following order. With the ensign of their father’s house.] Every family and household had their particular ensigns, beside that great banner under which they encamped and marched • it being pitched and carried (as will appear) in the midst of them. How these banners and ensigns were distinguished one from another, we have no certain knowledge. The later Jews say (particularly Aben Ezra upon this place), that Judah carried in his standard the figure of a lion, and Reuben the figure of a man; Ephraim of an ox, and Dan of an eagle, for which I can see no ground. For though Judah be compared to a lion, yet “the reasons he gives for the other are “very absurd; with which I shall not troublethe reader, but only observe, that there is not one word of any such thing in their ancient writers; no, not in the whole body of the Talmud, as tbe famous Bochartus assures us. And it is not likely that they, who so lately smarted for making the golden calf/would adventure to make any other images, and expose them to the eyes of all the people; Nor is it impertinent to observe, that when Vitcllius in after-ages was to march against the Arabians through Judea,’ the great men of the nation met him, and beseeched him to march another way: the law of their country not allowing images (such as were in the Roman ensigns) to be brought into it. So Josephus relates, lib. xviii. Antiq. cap. 7. for which one can see no reason, if their ancestors in the wilderness had, by the command or allowance of Moses, carried an eagle in any of their standards: (sec Bochart in his Hieroz. par. i. lib. iii. cap. 5.) It is more probable, if there be room for conjecture in this matter, that the name of Judah might be embroidered in great letters in his standard, and of Reuben in his, and so of the rest: or they were distinguished by their colours only, as how our regiments are. Far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch.] At such a distance as might shew their reverence to the tabernacle; and that there might be another camp of the Levites within them, who made a nearer inclosure about it, in the same form with the camp of Israel, which was quadrangular. This distance of the camp of Israel from the tabernacle, is reasonably judged (by Josh. iii. 4.) to have been two thousand cubits; that is, a mile.
Numbers 2:3
And on the east side toward the rising ofthemn. These are two expressions (after the manner of the Hebrews) for the same thing. Or kedma, which we here translate ow the east, maybe translated on the fore-part, viz. of the tabernacle: which was towards the sun’s rising. Shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch.’] These had the most honourable post (as we now speak) of all others; pitching before the most holy place, where Moses and Aaron had their station in the camp of the Levites, (chap. iii. 38.) And therefore the LXX. translate the first words of this verse thus, ol 7rapEfif$aX\ovrEs ttq&toi, &c. they that encamp first towards the east shall be, &c. Throughout their armies.] They being, as we read before (and as the next verse tells us again), threescore and (5)?«AIJ.;II.) fourteen thousand and six hundred men, were divided into several bodies (such as we now call companies, and regiments, and brigades), under their several officers: for which the Hebrews have no name but that of army or host. And Nahshon the son of Amminadab.] He who was em-, ployed as the principal person in that tribe to help to take the number of them, (chap. i. 7.) Shall be the captain of the children of Judah.] Their commander-in-chief, or general, as we now speak, v
Numbers 2:4
And hi§ host, and those that were numbered of them, ivere threescore and fourteen thousand, &c. Hitherto Moses had’set down the words that God spake to him: but these are his own words, which he intermixes all along with those of God’s.. ■ .,.,.*,.
Numbers 2:5
And those that do pitch, next unto him. These now are the words of God; ordering what tribes should pitch under the standard of Judah,. Shall be the tribe of Issachar] He and Zebulun were two of the sons of Leah, as well as Judah: and therefore (heir tribes are fitly placed under the? standard of the tribe of Judah, as likely to agree well together., AndNethaneel, the son of Zuar, shall be captain of the children of Issachar.] It may be noted, once for all, that the commanders-in-chief of the several trjibes, were those very persons who were chosen tp take the number of them: >vhich shews they were men of eminence among them;, as I observed, chap. i. 4.., t f
Numbers 2:6
And his host, andthqse that were numbered thereof, were, &c. These arc the words of Hoses, yvhich tp the end of the chapter (as I noted before) are interspersed with the orders that God gave for the, forming of their camp.,;
Numbers 2:9
And all that wer? numbered in the camp of Judah were a hundred thousand, &c. This was the greatest body of all other; which had the honour tp be placed just before the oracle, as the strongest guard to it; the tribe of Judah lying in the midst, and the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun on each side of. his standard; unto which all their ensigns were in some sort of subjection. -, Throughout their armies.’] This. great body was divided into several smaller companies; for which they had no other name (as I observed before), but that of armies.; These shall first set forth.] When they removed from one station to another, this camp marched first. Forthey commonly went eastward; in which quarter this camp was pitched, (ver. 3.).,
Numbers 2:10
And on the south side shall be the standard of the camp. of Reuben, according to their armies, &c. Ther9 is nothing to be observed concerning this camp, but that the tribe of Reuben had the honour to pitch in the midst of it; and the tribes of Simeon and Gad Jay on either side of -him under his standard or banner: just as Issachar and Zebulun did on either side of- Judah. And there was an Evident congruity in it; Simeon being his next brother, and Gad the eldest son of Zilpah, the handmaid of their mother Leah, (Gen. xxx. 10, 11.) And they shall set forth in the second rank.] That is, when they removed, the three tribes that were pitched on the cast marched first under the banner of Judah, (as was said before, ver. 9.) and then followed these three that lay on the south under the banner of Reuben, WON NUMBERS^
Numbers 2:14
Eliasaph the son ofReueL. Sec note upon chap, i. 14.
Numbers 2:17
Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the camp of the Levites. After the forenamed camps the tabernacle was to follow, between those two that went before, and the camp of Ephraim arid the camp of Dan that came after. So they did not march as they pitched; for then, there was a camp on each side of the. tabernacle: whereas when they marched there was none on the sides, but two camps went before it, and two followed it ^ In the midst of the camp. 2 Not entirely in the midst: for. it appears by the tenth chapter of this book, ver 17. tha^ after the first camp under the standard of Judah was gone forward, the tabernacle was taken down and carried by the sons of Gerstion and Merari between the camp of Judah and that of Reuben, which next followed: and then the sanctuary set forward, borne by the Kohathites, (ver. 21.) whomarched exactly in the midst, between the standards of Judah and Reuben and the standards of Ephraim and Dan. lK, 4;’ As they encamp so shall they set forward.’] This may refer either to the Levites, the sons of Kohath; that, as they lay encamped on the same side of the tabernacle that thp standard of Reuben did, so they should immediately march after ^them. Compare ver. 10. of this chapter with chap. iii. 29. Or to the two camps forenamed; that” they should march in the same order wherein they lay encamped: Ju r dan, for instance, intthe midst of Issachar and Zebulun’ before and behind him, or on each side of him. Every man in his place by their standards.] Every man keeping his place, which was assigned him, under the standard to which he belonged; that there might be nodisorder among them.:
Numbers 2:18
^Aiid.on the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim. &c. There is little to be noted here, but that Ephraim is plainly preferred before his brother, as he was in Jacob’s blessing, (Gen. xlviii. 19, 20.) and that the two tribes which encamped under his standard, viz. Manasseh (ver. 20.) and Benjamin,’(ver. 22.) are fitly joined with him; they being all descended from Rachel.
Numbers 2:24
All that were numbered of the camp of Ephraim were a hundred and eight thousand, &c. This was the smallest body of all the four. -. T v r And they shall go forward in the third rank.] And therefore, though they lay on the west side in their encampment, yet when they marched they did not go in the rear of all, but immediately behind the tabernacle.
Numbers 2:25
The standard of the camp of Dan shall be on the north side, &c. This tribe, we may reasonably think, was advanced to this dignity, of bearing one of the four standards, though they descended from a handmaid; because Dan was the eldest of Jacob’s sons of that sort, (Gen. xxx..G.) and this tribe. was the most numerous of all others, except Judah; as the foregoing chapter shews, (ver. 39.) with whom the tribes of Asher and Naphtali are fitly joined, being descended from handmaids also.
Numbers 2:31
All that were numbered in the camp of Dan tvere a hundred and fifty-seven thousand, &c. This was the greatest body of men, except that under the standard of Judah, who inarched in the front; and is the reason, perhaps, why these are ordered here, in the next words, to bring up the rear…. They shall go hindmost with their standards.] Here the
Numbers 2:32
These are those which were numbered of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers, &c. That is, thus were all these persons disposed under their several standards; whose number was taken by Moses and Aaron, with their associates, (chap. i. 44, 45.)
Numbers 2:33
But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses. And consequently did not belong to any of these standards, being to make another camp by themselves, (chap. i. 47, &c.)
Numbers 2:34
And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses. As they gave in their names when they were to be numbered, (chap. i. 54.) so they now joined together under such standards as God appointed.. So they pitched by their standards, and so they set forward, &c.] Each tribe encamped under the standard that r was assigned to them; and they also marched, when they set forward, in such order as is here directed. Some order, no doubt, had been observed before, both when they rested aud when they marched, (see Exod. xii. 18.) but it was not so exact and regular as this form, into which they were now cast by* God himself, nor can we think it was so strictly observed. The Jews saythat this camp made a square of twelve miles in compass about the tabernacle; as Dr. Lightfoot hath observed, in his Cent. Chorogr* cxlviii. and J. Wagenseil more lately, in his annotations upon the Gemara of Sota, cap. 1. sect. 51. where several of them say, that the camp was three parasots iu compass: and a parasot was four miles.