Chapter Two
Camp Assignments
2:1 The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side.
The word that is translated as ‘standard’ is the Hebrew word ‘diḡl’,[1] which refers to a flag or some form of banner. These ‘standards’ were used to identify the various tribes of Israel. The Hebrew word that is translated here as ‘banners’ is ‘ō·ṯōṯ’,[2] the word refers to a sign or mark, often used to indicate how a miracle or other divine act should be considered a sign from God (see Exodus 4:8; Numbers 14:22; Deuteronomy 7:19; Jeremiah 32:20-21), but the word can also be used to refer to signs from false prophets (see Deuteronomy 13:1-3; Isaiah 44:25). However, in this context the word refers to some form of physical emblem. The Tabernacle will be placed in the center of the camp. The tribes are to camp facing the Tabernacle on every side as they are assigned near their standard and family banner.
2:3 Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the chief of the people of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab, 4 his company as listed being 74,600. 5 Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, the chief of the people of Issachar being Nethanel the son of Zuar, 6 his company as listed being 54,400. 7 Then the tribe of Zebulun, the chief of the people of Zebulun being Eliab the son of Helon, 8 his company as listed being 57,400. 9 All those listed of the camp of Judah, by their companies, were 186,400. They shall set out first on the march.
The east side is also considered the front, the opening to both the Tabernacle’s courtyard and structure are always to be assembled facing east. The tribes that are to camp on the east side under the standard or flag of Judah, are the people of Judah, the tribe of Issachar, and the tribe of Zebulun. The total number of men from the ages of twenty years old and older and able to go into battle, were 186,400. These three tribes were to set out first when leaving camp.
2:10 “On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben by their companies, the chief of the people of Reuben being Elizur the son of Shedeur, 11 his company as listed being 46,500. 12 And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, the chief of the people of Simeon being Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, 13 his company as listed being 59,300. 14 Then the tribe of Gad, the chief of the people of Gad being Eliasaph the son of Reuel, 15 his company as listed being 45,650. 16 All those listed of the camp of Reuben, by their companies, were 151,450. They shall set out second.
Rotating clockwise, the tribes that were to camp on the south side of the Tabernacle were Reuben, Simeon, and Gad, each under the standard of the camp of Reuben. The combined number of twenty-plus year-old warriors was 151,450, they would follow behind the camp of Judah when leaving the camp.
2:17 “Then the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; as they camp, so shall they set out, each in position, standard by standard.
Following behind the tribes from the south side was the camp of Levites that were carrying the Tabernacle when they head out from camp effectively surrounded by the other tribes. “Then the Tabernacle, carried by the Levites, will set out from the middle of the camp. All the tribes are to travel in the same order that they camp, each in position under the appropriate family banner.” (NLT)
2:18 “On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim by their companies, the chief of the people of Ephraim being Elishama the son of Ammihud, 19 his company as listed being 40,500. 20 And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh, the chief of the people of Manasseh being Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, 21 his company as listed being 32,200. 22 Then the tribe of Benjamin, the chief of the people of Benjamin being Abidan the son of Gideoni, 23 his company as listed being 35,400. 24 All those listed of the camp of Ephraim, by their companies, were 108,100. They shall set out third on the march.
Continuing clockwise, now at the rear of the Tabernacle, the standard for the camp of Ephraim is to camp. This group consisted of the tribe of Ephraim, the tribe of Manasseh, and the tribe of Benjamin, with a total of 108,100 able men on the west side. They were the third group of standard-bearing companies to leave camp following behind the Levites and the Tabernacle.
2:25 “On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan by their companies, the chief of the people of Dan being Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, 26 his company as listed being 62,700. 27 And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, the chief of the people of Asher being Pagiel the son of Ochran, 28 his company as listed being 41,500. 29 Then the tribe of Naphtali, the chief of the people of Naphtali being Ahira the son of Enan, 30 his company as listed being 53,400. 31 All those listed of the camp of Dan were 157,600. They shall set out last, standard by standard.”
Then finally on the north side, under the standard of the camp of Dan, were the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali who set out of camp last. The total number of warriors counted was 157,600.
2:32 These are the people of Israel as listed by their fathers’ houses. All those listed in the camps by their companies were 603,550. 33 But the Levites were not listed among the people of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses.
The basic camp layout assignments were done. The text reminds the readers of the total number of men between the ages of twenty and older that were able to go into battle was 603,550 (see Numbers 1:46), with an additional reminder that the tribe of Levi was not included in this total (see Numbers 1:47).
2:34 Thus did the people of Israel. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, each one in his clan, according to his fathers’ house.
The people of Israel were organized just as YHWH commanded, each camping according to tribe and each tribe was organized under four primary flags or standards.
Considerations
The Hebrew word ‘sā·ḇîḇ’[3] (translated in verse two as “every side”), means all around, literally on every side. The tribes were to camp all around the Tabernacle, each facing towards it. But the text does not specify the layout. If they were to camp on the east side, as those camping under the standard of Judah were to do, does that mean that they had to be true “cardinal east,” or would a northeast position be allowed? This has been a subject of debate for many years. The question comes down to the layout being random or organized, and if organized, the tribes would need to camp under their own flag while still be under one of the banners of the four primary standards, so how did they lay out the camp? There are three main theories.
The first idea consists of five squares (forming a cross), one in the center divided diagonally (think of four right triangles with the Tabernacle in the center ‘X’, each triangle containing a Levite camp) and the four other squares around on each side of the center square. These four squares would have three sections each divided perpendicular to the center square, one for each tribe.
The second idea is similar to the first, except instead of the tribes being placed perpendicular, they would extend from the center in marching order. The east side would have 186,400 warriors, the south 151,450, the west 108,100, and 157,600 to the north. The dimensions would be based on the dimensions of the Levite camps around the Tabernacle.
The third possibility is favored due to its precision, however, it is also controversial, for reasons that will be made clear. The idea embraces the concept of true cardinal orientation, requiring the dimension of the Tabernacle’s courtyard to be the maximum width of any of the camps. Since the Tabernacle’s courtyard was approximately 75 feet wide in the front and back and 150 feet on either side (see Exodus 27:9-13), the camps to the east and west could only be 75 feet wide and the camps to the north or south could only be 150 feet wide. Using the same number of able men that were twenty-year old and older as a way to also get an idea of distance, that would create a long line in front of the Tabernacle, two lesser lines on the south and north, with a shorter line extending out the west side. Why the controversy? That creates a cross that closely resembles the cross of Christianity. It is interesting to think that while in the wilderness the Israelites were camping in the shape of a cross (different than the first theory), it is even more interesting to note that this concept was not conceived by a Christian. How the Israelites camped is not a theological issue, but it does support how, that even the insignificant details of the Old Testament point to the gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ.
The Bible does not specify or describe what each banner or flag looked like, nor does it describe what the emblems were (if any). While the topic of tribal identification seems to have many opinions and ideas, as there is no “official list,” most of the images used are from the blessings Israel (Jacob) presented to each of his sons as the framework. Perhaps the most comprehensive list is from the Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah. Here is an excerpt from “Tales and Maxims from the Midrash,” a translation and compilation of excerpts from the Midrash, written by Rev. Samuel Rapaport:
The Israelites were the first to introduce national flags. Since Israel was consecrated to the service of God and the Divine Glory was to dwell in the Mishkan which they erected, it was but proper that they should have also their banners. Each tribe had to have colours on its banner corresponding to the colours of the precious stones which were on Aaron's breastplate.
The banner of Reuben was red, and in the centre painted mandrake. That of Simeon was green, and in its centre it had the picture of Shechem. That of Levi had a tricolour, one stripe of white, one of black, and one of red, and in the centre it carried the picture of the Urim and Tumim. Judah's banner had the colour of the sky, and in the centre the picture of a lion. Issachar's banner was blackish, and had in the centre the picture of the sun and the moon. Zebulun had a whitish banner which carried the picture of a ship in the centre. Dan's banner had the colour of sapphire, and an image of a serpent in its centre. Gad's was a mixture of black and white, and carried the picture of a camp. Naphtali's had the peculiar colour of a pale reddish wine, and the picture in its centre was that of a hind. Asher's banner bore the colour of a precious stone, the ornament of a woman, and the picture of an olive-tree in the centre. The colour of Joseph's banner was of a deep black, and had the following pictures: Egypt, then an ox representing Ephraim, and a unicorn to represent Manasseh. Benjamin's banner had some of the colours of each tribe, i.e. twelve different colours, and the picture of a wolf in the centre.[4]
However, not all sources agree, for example: the tribe of Dan is often thought to be represented by an image of an eagle; instead of a mandrake for Reuben, the typical image is of a man (although the silhouette of a mandrake somewhat resembles the shape of a man);[5] the tribe of Manasseh is usually represented by an image of a palm tree; the emblem for the tribe of Simeon is typically a castle; the symbol for the Levities is often depicted by an image of the breast plate of the High Priest; and instead of a moon on Issachar’s banner, it usually has eight stars along with the image of the sun. To clarify Naphtali’s image, a ‘hind’ is a female deer.
The one image that is clearly taught in the Bible, without question, is that of the image of a lion for the tribe of Judah, which is later identified as Jesus (see Genesis 49:9-10; Revelation 5:5).
What does it mean to have 603,550 men from the age of twenty and older, able to go into battle? First, the number verifies the passage of Exodus 12:37, “And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children.” The men that were able to travel on foot for any distance would probably have been those that were 20 years old and older and able to go to war. But the question that is often raised is, how many total people does that number possibly represent? It is often thought that the proportion of men able to go to war in any given society is roughly one in four. Therefore, using that logic, the total population of the people of Israel on their way to the Promised Land can be estimated to have been around 2.4 million people, safely within what most scholars use as estimates (generally between two and three million people).
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[1] Strong’s Hebrew 1714.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 226.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 5439.
[4] Rapaport, S. (1907) Tales and Maxims from the Midrash (pp. 105). London: Routledge.
[5] See commentary under Genesis 30:14-16.