Numbers 2: The order of the camp around the Tent
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What happens?
Yahweh tells Moses and Aaron how the tribes are to camp around the Tent of Meeting, each tribe under its own flag, three tribes on each side: Judah's camp on the east, Reuben's on the south, Ephraim's on the west, and Dan's on the north. The text gives the leader and the number of each tribe, and the number of each camp of three tribes. When they travel, Judah's camp sets out first, then Reuben's, then the Tent with the Levites, then Ephraim's, and Dan's camp last.
Who is speaking?
Yahweh speaks to Moses and Aaron. God's own words are in 30 of the 34 verses: verses 2 to 31. Verses 32 to 34 are the narrator, who gives the total and says that the Israelites did as Yahweh commanded. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
In plain English: Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
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2“The children of Israel shall encamp every man by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall encamp around the Tent of Meeting at a distance from it.God speaks
In plain English: "The Israelites are to camp each man by his own flag (this Bible: standard), with the signs (this Bible: banners) of their fathers' houses. They are to camp around the Tent of Meeting, at a distance from it (or: facing it).
The Hebrew words: "Standard" is degel, which the dictionary gives as "a flag". "Banners" is ot, which the dictionary gives as "a signal", such as "a flag, beacon, monument".
How it is translated: This Bible says "standard" or "standards" in 13 of the 14 verses that use degel. For ot it usually says "sign" or "signs" (in 67 of its 77 verses), and "banners" only here.
Good to know: The text does not describe what the flags or signs looked like.
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3“Those who encamp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah, according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Judah shall be Nahshon the son of Amminadab.God speaks
In plain English: "On the east side, toward the sunrise, the camp of Judah is to camp under its flag, division by division. The leader of the people of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab.
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4His division, and those who were counted of them, were seventy-four thousand six hundred.God speaks
In plain English: His division, as counted, numbered 74,600.
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5“Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar. The prince of the children of Issachar shall be Nethanel the son of Zuar.God speaks
In plain English: "Next to him the tribe of Issachar is to camp. The leader of the people of Issachar is Nethanel son of Zuar.
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6His division, and those who were counted of it, were fifty-four thousand four hundred.God speaks
In plain English: His division, as counted, numbered 54,400.
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7“The tribe of Zebulun: the prince of the children of Zebulun shall be Eliab the son of Helon.God speaks
In plain English: "Then the tribe of Zebulun. The leader of the people of Zebulun is Eliab son of Helon.
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8His division, and those who were counted of it, were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.God speaks
In plain English: His division, as counted, numbered 57,400.
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9“All who were counted of the camp of Judah were one hundred eighty-six thousand four hundred, according to their divisions. They shall set out first.God speaks
In plain English: "All those counted in the camp of Judah, division by division, numbered 186,400. They are to set out first.
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10“On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur.God speaks
In plain English: "On the south side is to be the flag of the camp of Reuben, division by division. The leader of the people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur.
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11His division, and those who were counted of it, were forty-six thousand five hundred.God speaks
In plain English: His division, as counted, numbered 46,500.
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12“Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon. The prince of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.God speaks
In plain English: "Next to him the tribe of Simeon is to camp. The leader of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
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13His division, and those who were counted of them, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.God speaks
In plain English: His division, as counted, numbered 59,300.
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14“The tribe of Gad: the prince of the children of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel.God speaks
In plain English: "Then the tribe of Gad. The leader of the people of Gad is Eliasaph son of Reuel.
Good to know: In , , and the father of Eliasaph is called Deuel. Here the Hebrew has Reuel. In Hebrew writing the letters for d and r look very much alike. The text does not explain the difference.
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15His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.God speaks
In plain English: His division, as counted, numbered 45,650.
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16“All who were counted of the camp of Reuben were one hundred fifty-one thousand four hundred fifty, according to their armies. They shall set out second.God speaks
In plain English: "All those counted in the camp of Reuben, division by division, numbered 151,450. They are to set out second.
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17“Then the Tent of Meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps. As they encamp, so shall they set out, every man in his place, by their standards.God speaks
In plain English: "Then the Tent of Meeting is to set out, with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps. They are to set out in the same order as they camp, each man in his place, under their flags.
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18“On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud.God speaks
In plain English: "On the west side is to be the flag of the camp of Ephraim, division by division. The leader of the people of Ephraim is Elishama son of Ammihud.
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19His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty thousand five hundred.God speaks
In plain English: His division, as counted, numbered 40,500.
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20“Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh. The prince of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.God speaks
In plain English: "Next to him is to be the tribe of Manasseh. The leader of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
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21His division, and those who were counted of them, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.God speaks
In plain English: His division, as counted, numbered 32,200.
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22“The tribe of Benjamin: the prince of the children of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni.God speaks
In plain English: "Then the tribe of Benjamin. The leader of the people of Benjamin is Abidan son of Gideoni.
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23His army, and those who were counted of them, were thirty-five thousand four hundred.God speaks
In plain English: His army division, as counted, numbered 35,400.
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24“All who were counted of the camp of Ephraim were one hundred eight thousand one hundred, according to their divisions. They shall set out third.God speaks
In plain English: "All those counted in the camp of Ephraim, division by division, numbered 108,100. They are to set out third.
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25“On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.God speaks
In plain English: "On the north side is to be the flag of the camp of Dan, division by division. The leader of the people of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
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26His division, and those who were counted of them, were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.God speaks
In plain English: His division, as counted, numbered 62,700.
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27“Those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher. The prince of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ochran.God speaks
In plain English: "Next to him the tribe of Asher is to camp. The leader of the people of Asher is Pagiel son of Ochran.
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28His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty-one thousand five hundred.God speaks
In plain English: His division, as counted, numbered 41,500.
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29“The tribe of Naphtali: the prince of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan.God speaks
In plain English: "Then the tribe of Naphtali. The leader of the people of Naphtali is Ahira son of Enan.
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30His division, and those who were counted of them, were fifty-three thousand four hundred.God speaks
In plain English: His division, as counted, numbered 53,400.
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31“All who were counted of the camp of Dan were one hundred fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They shall set out last by their standards.”God speaks
In plain English: "All those counted in the camp of Dan numbered 157,600. They are to set out last, under their flags."
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32These are those who were counted of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses. All who were counted of the camps according to their armies were six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty.
In plain English: These are the Israelites counted by their fathers' houses. All those counted in the camps, division by division, numbered 603,550.
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33But the Levites were not counted among the children of Israel, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
In plain English: But the Levites were not counted among the Israelites, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
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34Thus the children of Israel did. According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses, so they encamped by their standards, and so they set out, everyone by their families, according to their fathers’ houses.
In plain English: The Israelites did everything Yahweh had commanded Moses. That is how they camped under their flags, and that is how they set out, each man by his clan and his fathers' house.
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