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(iii) Adonai said to Moshe and Aharon, “The people of Isra’el are to set up camp by clans, each man with his own banner and under his clan’s symbol; they are to camp around the tent of meeting, but at a distance.

3-9 “Those camping on the east side toward the sunrise are to be under the banner of the camp of Y’hudah; they are to camp according to companies; by tribe and leader they are as follows:

TribeChiefNumber
Y’hudahNachshon the son of ‘Amminadav74,600
YissakharN’tan’el the son of Tzu‘ar54,400
Z’vulunEli’av the son of Helon57,400
Total186,400

“This group is to set out first.

10-16 “Those camping on the south are to be under the banner of the camp of Re’uven; they are to camp according to companies; by tribe and leader they are as follows:

TribeChiefNumber
Re’uvenElitzur the son of Sh’de’ur46,500
Shim‘onShlumi’el the son of Tzurishaddai59,300
GadElyasaf the son of Re‘u’el45,650
Total151,450

“This group is to set out second.

17 “Then the tent of meeting, with the camp of the L’vi’im, will set out, with the other camps in front and behind. They will go in the same order as their camps are set up — each man will go forward in his position, under his banner.

18-24 “Those camping on the west are to be under the banner of the camp of Efrayim; they are to camp according to companies; by tribe and leader they are as follows:

TribeChiefNumber
EfrayimElishama the son of ‘Ammihud40,500
M’nashehGamli’el the son of P’dahtzur32,200
BinyaminAvidan the son of Gid‘oni35,400
Total108,100

“This group is to set out third.

25-31 “Those camping on the north are to be under the banner of the camp of Dan; they are to camp according to companies; by tribe and leader they are as follows:

TribeChiefNumber
DanAchi‘ezer the son of ‘Ammishaddai62,700
AsherPag‘i’el the son of ‘Okhran41,500
NaftaliAchira the son of ‘Enan53,400
Total157,600

“This group is to set out last with their banners.”

32 These are the ones counted from the people of Isra’el by clans; the total number recorded in the camps, company by company, was 603,550. 33 But, as Adonai ordered Moshe, the L’vi’im were not counted with the rest of Isra’el.

34 The people of Isra’el did everything Adonai had ordered Moshe: they set up camp under their banners, and they set out, each according to his family and clan.

Organization of the Camps

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: “The Israelites are to camp under their respective banners beside the flags of their ancestral houses. They are to camp around the tent of meeting at a distance from it:

Judah’s military divisions will camp on the east side toward the sunrise under their banner. The leader of the descendants of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab. His military division numbers 74,600. The tribe of Issachar will camp next to it. The leader of the Issacharites is Nethanel son of Zuar. His military division numbers 54,400. The tribe of Zebulun will be next. The leader of the Zebulunites is Eliab son of Helon. His military division numbers 57,400. The total number in their military divisions who belong to Judah’s encampment is 186,400; they will move out first.

10 Reuben’s military divisions will camp on the south side under their banner. The leader of the Reubenites is Elizur son of Shedeur. 11 His military division numbers 46,500. 12 The tribe of Simeon will camp next to it. The leader of the Simeonites is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 13 His military division numbers 59,300. 14 The tribe of Gad will be next. The leader of the Gadites is Eliasaph son of Deuel.[a] 15 His military division numbers 45,650. 16 The total number in their military divisions who belong to Reuben’s encampment is 151,450; they will move out second.

17 The tent of meeting is to move out with the Levites’ camp, which is in the middle of the camps. They are to move out just as they camp, each in his place,[b] with their banners.

18 Ephraim’s military divisions will camp on the west side under their banner. The leader of the Ephraimites is Elishama son of Ammihud. 19 His military division numbers 40,500. 20 The tribe of Manasseh will be next to it. The leader of the Manassites is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 21 His military division numbers 32,200. 22 The tribe of Benjamin will be next. The leader of the Benjaminites is Abidan son of Gideoni. 23 His military division numbers 35,400. 24 The total in their military divisions who belong to Ephraim’s encampment number 108,100; they will move out third.

25 Dan’s military divisions will camp on the north side under their banner. The leader of the Danites is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 26 His military division numbers 62,700. 27 The tribe of Asher will camp next to it. The leader of the Asherites is Pagiel son of Ochran. 28 His military division numbers 41,500. 29 The tribe of Naphtali will be next. The leader of the Naphtalites is Ahira son of Enan. 30 His military division numbers 53,400. 31 The total number who belong to Dan’s encampment is 157,600; they are to move out last, with their banners.”

32 These are the Israelites registered by their ancestral houses. The total number in the camps by their military divisions is 603,550. 33 But the Levites were not registered among the Israelites, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.(A)

34 The Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses; they camped by their banners in this way and moved out the same way, each man by his clan and by his ancestral house.(B)

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 2:14 Some Hb mss, Sam, Vg; other Hb mss read Reuel
  2. Numbers 2:17 Lit each on his hand