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Tribechapter 1
First Census
chapter 26
Second Census
change after
38 Years
Reuben46,50043,730-2,770
Simeon59,30022,200-37,100
Gad45,65040,500-5,150
Judah74,60076,5001,900
Issachar54,40064,3009,900
Zebulun57,40060,5003,100
Ephraim40,50032,500-8,000
Manasseh32,20052,70020,500
Benjamin35,40045,60010,200
Dan62,70064,4001,700
Asher41,50053,40011,900
Naphtali53,40045,400-8,000
Total603,550601,730-1,820

The Eternal One spoke to Moses and Aaron.

Eternal One: Here’s how the Israelite camp should be arranged, each man with his own banner under his extended family’s ensign, all around the congregation tent, but facing the tent at a distance. 3-4 Group the twelve families according to the following four divisions: The Judah division shall camp under their banner nearest sunrise, on the east. It will comprise the 74,600 troops of the Judah extended family with its head, Nahshon (Amminidab’s son); 5-6 next to them, the 54,400 troops from the Issachar tribe, headed by Nethanel (Zuar’s son); 7-8 and the 57,400 from the Zebulun tribe, headed by Eliab (Helon’s son). These three extended families constitute the Judah division (186,400 total troops). They shall march first.

10-11 On the south side, the Reuben division shall camp under their banner. It will comprise the 46,500 troops from the Reuben extended family with its head Elizur (Shedeur’s son); 12-13 and next to them the 59,300 troops from the Simeon tribe headed by Shelumiel (Zurishaddai’s son); 14-15 and 45,650 from the Gad tribe, with its head Eliasaph (Deuel’s son).[a] 16 Total troop numbers for the Reuben division are 151,450. They shall march second.

17 The congregation tent, with its attendant Levites, shall always camp and move at the center of these divisions. Their camping order shall be the same as their order when they travel—well organized, each identified by its own banner.

18-19 The Ephraim division will camp under their banner on the west. It includes the 40,500 troops from the Ephraim extended family, whose head is Elishama (Ammihud’s son); 20-21 and next to them, the 32,200 troops of the Manasseh tribe, headed by Gamaliel (Pedahzur’s son); 22-23 and finally 35,400 troops from the Benjamin tribe, headed by Abidan (Gideoni’s son). 24 The Ephraim division’s total numbers are 108,100. They shall march third.

25-26 Finally, the Dan division shall camp under their banner on the north side. It is composed of the 62,700 troops from the Dan extended family headed by Ahiezer (Ammishaddai’s son); 27-28 camping next to them, the Asher tribe, headed by Pagiel (Ochran’s son) with its 41,500 troops; 29-30 and the Naphtali tribe’s 53,400 troops, headed by Ahira (Enan’s son). 31 The total numbers for the Dan division are 157,600, and they shall march out last under their banners.

32 This is the organization of Israelites according to the twelve extended families—603,550 total arms-bearing troops. 33 Of course, this does not include the Levite organization because the Eternal commanded Moses not to count them.

34 And things went according to plan. Just as the Eternal had commanded Moses, the Israelites organized and camped and traveled by the twelve clans and their extended families, each with its own banner. Then they left.

Footnotes

  1. 2:15 Most Hebrew manuscripts read, “Reuel’s son.”

The Arrangement of Israel’s Camp

Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, “The Israelites will put up their tents with each family under the flag that symbolizes its household. They will put their tents around the tent of meeting, facing it.

“On the east side, facing the rising sun, the armies led by Judah will camp under their flag. The leader for the people of Judah is Nahshon, son of Amminadab. The total number of men in his army is 74,600.

“Next to them will be the tribe of Issachar. The leader for the people of Issachar is Nethanel, son of Zuar. The total number of men in his army is 54,400.

“Then will be the tribe of Zebulun. The leader for the people of Zebulun is Eliab, son of Helon. The total number of men in his army is 57,400.

“The grand total of all the troops in Judah’s camp is 186,400. They will be the first group to move out.

10 “On the south side the armies led by Reuben will camp under their flag. The leader for the people of Reuben is Elizur, son of Shedeur. 11 The total number of men in his army is 46,500.

12 “Next to them will be the tribe of Simeon. The leader for the people of Simeon is Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai. 13 The total number of men in his army is 59,300.

14 “Then will be the tribe of Gad. The leader for the people of Gad is Eliasaph, son of Deuel. 15 The total number of men in his army is 45,650.

16 “The grand total of all the troops in Reuben’s camp is 151,450. They will be the second group to move out.

17 “When the tent of meeting is moved, the Levites will stay in the middle of the groups. The tribes will move out in the same order as they are in the camp, everyone in place under his own flag.

18 “On the west side the armies led by Ephraim will camp under their flag. The leader for the people of Ephraim is Elishama, son of Ammihud. 19 The total number of men in his army is 40,500.

20 “Next to them will be the tribe of Manasseh. The leader for the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur. 21 The total number of men in his army is 32,200.

22 “Then will be the tribe of Benjamin. The leader for the people of Benjamin is Abidan, son of Gideoni. 23 The total number of men in his army is 35,400.

24 “The grand total of all the troops in Ephraim’s camp is 108,100. They will be the third group to move out.

25 “On the north side the armies led by Dan will camp under their flag. The leader for the people of Dan is Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai. 26 The total number of men in his army is 62,700.

27 “Next to them will be the tribe of Asher. The leader for the people of Asher is Pagiel, son of Ochran. 28 The total number of men in his army is 41,500.

29 “Then will be the tribe of Naphtali. The leader for the people of Naphtali is Ahira, son of Enan. 30 The total number of men in his army is 53,400.

31 “The grand total of all the men in Dan’s camp is 157,600. They will be the last group to move out. They will travel under their own flag.”

32 This is the total number of Israelites, counted by households. The grand total of all the troops in the camps was 603,550. 33 As Yahweh had commanded Moses, the Levites were not registered along with the other Israelites.

34 So the Israelites did everything as Yahweh had commanded Moses. They set up camp under their flags, and each person traveled with his own family and household.

The Order of Encampment and Marching

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: The Israelites shall camp each in their respective regiments, under ensigns by their ancestral houses; they shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side. Those to camp on the east side towards the sunrise shall be of the regimental encampment of Judah by companies. The leader of the people of Judah shall be Nahshon son of Amminadab, with a company as enrolled of seventy-four thousand six hundred. Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar. The leader of the Issacharites shall be Nethanel son of Zuar, with a company as enrolled of fifty-four thousand four hundred. Then the tribe of Zebulun: The leader of the Zebulunites shall be Eliab son of Helon, with a company as enrolled of fifty-seven thousand four hundred. The total enrolment of the camp of Judah, by companies, is one hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred. They shall set out first on the march.

10 On the south side shall be the regimental encampment of Reuben by companies. The leader of the Reubenites shall be Elizur son of Shedeur, 11 with a company as enrolled of forty-six thousand five hundred. 12 And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon. The leader of the Simeonites shall be Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, 13 with a company as enrolled of fifty-nine thousand three hundred. 14 Then the tribe of Gad: The leader of the Gadites shall be Eliasaph son of Reuel, 15 with a company as enrolled of forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty. 16 The total enrolment of the camp of Reuben, by companies, is one hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty. They shall set out second.

17 The tent of meeting, with the camp of the Levites, shall set out in the centre of the camps; they shall set out just as they camp, each in position, by their regiments.

18 On the west side shall be the regimental encampment of Ephraim by companies. The leader of the people of Ephraim shall be Elishama son of Ammihud, 19 with a company as enrolled of forty thousand five hundred. 20 Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh. The leader of the people of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, 21 with a company as enrolled of thirty-two thousand two hundred. 22 Then the tribe of Benjamin: The leader of the Benjaminites shall be Abidan son of Gideoni, 23 with a company as enrolled of thirty-five thousand four hundred. 24 The total enrolment of the camp of Ephraim, by companies, is one hundred and eight thousand one hundred. They shall set out third on the march.

25 On the north side shall be the regimental encampment of Dan by companies. The leader of the Danites shall be Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, 26 with a company as enrolled of sixty-two thousand seven hundred. 27 Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher. The leader of the Asherites shall be Pagiel son of Ochran, 28 with a company as enrolled of forty-one thousand five hundred. 29 Then the tribe of Naphtali: The leader of the Naphtalites shall be Ahira son of Enan, 30 with a company as enrolled of fifty-three thousand four hundred. 31 The total enrolment of the camp of Dan is one hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They shall set out last, by companies.[a]

32 This was the enrolment of the Israelites by their ancestral houses; the total enrolment in the camps by their companies was six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. 33 Just as the Lord had commanded Moses, the Levites were not enrolled among the other Israelites.

34 The Israelites did just as the Lord had commanded Moses: They camped by regiments, and they set out the same way, everyone by clans, according to ancestral houses.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 2:31 Compare verses 9, 16, 24: Heb by their regiments

The Arrangement of the Tribal Camps

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: “The Israelites are to camp around the tent of meeting some distance from it, each of them under their standard(A) and holding the banners of their family.”

On the east, toward the sunrise, the divisions of the camp of Judah are to encamp under their standard. The leader of the people of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab.(B) His division numbers 74,600.

The tribe of Issachar(C) will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Issachar is Nethanel son of Zuar.(D) His division numbers 54,400.

The tribe of Zebulun will be next. The leader of the people of Zebulun is Eliab son of Helon.(E) His division numbers 57,400.

All the men assigned to the camp of Judah, according to their divisions, number 186,400. They will set out first.(F)

10 On the south(G) will be the divisions of the camp of Reuben under their standard. The leader of the people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur.(H) 11 His division numbers 46,500.

12 The tribe of Simeon(I) will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.(J) 13 His division numbers 59,300.

14 The tribe of Gad(K) will be next. The leader of the people of Gad is Eliasaph son of Deuel.[a](L) 15 His division numbers 45,650.

16 All the men assigned to the camp of Reuben,(M) according to their divisions, number 151,450. They will set out second.

17 Then the tent of meeting and the camp of the Levites(N) will set out in the middle of the camps. They will set out in the same order as they encamp, each in their own place under their standard.

18 On the west(O) will be the divisions of the camp of Ephraim(P) under their standard. The leader of the people of Ephraim is Elishama son of Ammihud.(Q) 19 His division numbers 40,500.

20 The tribe of Manasseh(R) will be next to them. The leader of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.(S) 21 His division numbers 32,200.

22 The tribe of Benjamin(T) will be next. The leader of the people of Benjamin is Abidan son of Gideoni.(U) 23 His division numbers 35,400.

24 All the men assigned to the camp of Ephraim,(V) according to their divisions, number 108,100. They will set out third.(W)

25 On the north(X) will be the divisions of the camp of Dan under their standard.(Y) The leader of the people of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.(Z) 26 His division numbers 62,700.

27 The tribe of Asher will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Asher is Pagiel son of Okran.(AA) 28 His division numbers 41,500.

29 The tribe of Naphtali(AB) will be next. The leader of the people of Naphtali is Ahira son of Enan.(AC) 30 His division numbers 53,400.

31 All the men assigned to the camp of Dan number 157,600. They will set out last,(AD) under their standards.

32 These are the Israelites, counted according to their families.(AE) All the men in the camps, by their divisions, number 603,550.(AF) 33 The Levites, however, were not counted(AG) along with the other Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.

34 So the Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each of them with their clan and family.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 2:14 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch and Vulgate (see also 1:14); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text Reuel