Numbers 2 Study Notes

2:1-2 The members of each tribe were given a designated area to pitch their tents around the tabernacle. The Hebrew terms degel (“standard”) and ‘ototh (“banners, signs”) refer to a flag or placard with an insignia or color scheme to represent the given tribe. At a distance describes the safety zone around the tabernacle. The Levites served as guardians to prevent defilement of the sacred space and to keep anyone from experiencing God’s punishment for coming too close to the tabernacle.

2:3-31 Judah’s military divisions were given a positional priority, leading the camps of Issachar and Zebulun on the east side of the camp. The eastern tribes would lead Israel when they marched. Reuben would lead the tribes camping south of the tabernacle who would follow the tribes on the east when they marched. Next would come the Levites and the tabernacle itself, followed by the tribes camped on the west, led by Ephraim. Last would be Dan and the tribes on the north.

2:32-33 The total of 603,550 equals that of 1:46, and the exclusion of the Levites is likewise repeated. Repetition is a common practice in Hebrew narrative, showing consistency and development in the broader narrative.