3 Those whose tents are on the east side, looking to the dawn, will be round the flag of the children of Judah, with Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, as their chief.
4 The number of his army was seventy-four thousand, six hundred.
5 And nearest to him will be the tribe of Issachar, with Nethanel, the son of Zuar, as their chief.
6 The number of his army was fifty-four thousand, four hundred.
7 After him, the tribe of Zebulun, with Eliab, the son of Helon, as their chief.
8 The number of his army was fifty-seven thousand, four hundred.
9 The number of all the armies of Judah was a hundred and eighty-six thousand, four hundred. They go forward first.
10 On the south side is the flag of the children of Reuben, in the order of their armies, with Elizur, the son of Shedeur, as their chief.
11 The number of his army was forty-six thousand, five hundred.
12 And nearest to him, the tribe of Simeon, with Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai, as their chief.
13 The number of his army was fifty-nine thousand, three hundred.
14 Then the tribe of Gad, with Eliasaph, son of Reuel, as their chief.
15 The number of his army was forty-five thousand, six hundred and fifty.
16 The number of all the armies of Reuben together came to a hundred and fifty-one thousand, four hundred and fifty. They go forward second.
17 Then the Tent of meeting is to go forward, with the tents of the Levites, in the middle of the armies; in the same order as their tents are placed, they are to go forward, every man under his flag.
18 On the west side will be the flag of the children of Ephraim, with Elishama, the son of Ammihud, as their chief.
19 The number of his army was forty thousand, five hundred.
20 And by him the tribe of Manasseh with Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, as their chief.
21 The number of his army was thirty-two thousand, two hundred.
22 Then the tribe of Benjamin, with Abidan, the son of Gideoni, as their chief.
23 The number of his army was thirty-five thousand, four hundred.
24 The number of all the armies of Ephraim was a hundred and eight thousand, one hundred. They go forward third.
25 On the north side will be the flag of the children of Dan, with Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, as their chief.
26 The number of his army was sixty-two thousand, seven hundred.
27 Nearest to him will be the tribe of Asher, with Pagiel, the son of Ochran, as their chief.
28 The number of his army was forty-one thousand, five hundred;
29 Then the tribe of Naphtali, with Ahira, the son of Enan, as their chief.
30 The number of his army was fifty-three thousand, four hundred.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Numbers 2
Commentary on Numbers 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
The thousands of Israel, having been mustered in the former chapter, in this are marshalled, and a regular disposition is made of their camp, by a divine appointment. Here is,
Num 2:1-2
Here is the general appointment given both for their orderly encampment where they rested and their orderly march when they moved. Some order, it is possible, they had observed hitherto; they came out of Egypt in rank and file (Ex. 13:18), but now they were put into a better model.
Num 2:3-34
We have here the particular distribution of the twelve tribes into four squadrons, three tribes in a squadron, one of which was to lead the other two. Observe,