UBF Daily Bread

READY TO MARCH

Passage: Numbers 2:1~34

Key verse: 17

The Arrangement of the Tribal Camps

2 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: ²“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.”

³On 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) ⁴His division numbers 74,600.

⁵The tribe of Issachar^(C) will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Issachar is Nethanel son of Zuar.^(D) ⁶His division numbers 54,400.

⁷The tribe of Zebulun will be next. The leader of the people of Zebulun is Eliab son of Helon.^(E) ⁸His division numbers 57,400.

⁹All the men assigned to the camp of Judah, according to their divisions, number 186,400. They will set out first.^(F)

¹⁰On 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) ¹¹His division numbers 46,500.

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

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

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

¹⁷Then 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.

¹⁸On 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) ¹⁹His division numbers 40,500.

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

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

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

²⁵On 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) ²⁶His division numbers 62,700.

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

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

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

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

³⁴So 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.

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Footnotes

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

1. Camp around the tent of meeting (1-8)

God dwelt in the midst of his people. When they camped or when they marched, his sanctuary was in the center. In the heart of the sanctuary was the Bible. God established order in this undisciplined bunch of slaves. Each tribe was assigned a definite place to camp. The sanctuary was in the center, and the Levites were stationed around it. Four tribes were designated as leading tribes and were assigned positions: Judah on the east, Reuben on the south, Ephraim on the west and Dan on the north. The other tribes were arranged under these. When God dwells in our midst, there is spiritual order in our human relations.

2. Marching orders (9-34)

When they set out, Judah's division broke camp and set out first, their banner unfurled above them; then, Reuben and his divisions. The Levites carrying the tent of meeting marched in the middle. After them followed the remaining six tribes.

Prayer: Lord, help us to keep you in the center of our lives when we camp and when we march.

One Word: God dwells with his people