Numbers

CHAPTER 2

Arrangement of the Tribes. 1The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: 2The Israelites shall camp, each in their own divisions, under the ensigns of their ancestral houses.^a They shall camp at some distance all around the tent of meeting.

3^* Encamped on the east side, toward the sunrise, shall be the divisional camp of Judah, arranged in companies. The leader of the Judahites is Nahshon, son of Amminadab, 4and the enrollment of his company is seventy-four thousand six hundred. 5Encamped beside it is the tribe of Issachar. The leader of the Issacharites is Nethanel, son of Zuar, 6and the enrollment of his company is fifty-four thousand four hundred. 7Also the tribe of Zebulun. The leader of the Zebulunites is Eliab, son of Helon, 8and the enrollment of his company is fifty-seven thousand four hundred. 9The total enrollment of the camp of Judah by companies is one hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred. They shall be first on the march.

10The divisional camp of Reuben shall be on the south side, by companies. The leader of the Reubenites is Elizur, son of Shedeur, 11and the enrollment of his company is forty-six thousand five hundred. 12Encamped beside it is the tribe of Simeon. The leader of the Simeonites is Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai, 13and the enrollment of his company is fifty-nine thousand three hundred. 14Next is the tribe of Gad. The leader of the Gadites is Eliasaph, son of Reuel, 15and the enrollment of his company is forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty. 16The total enrollment of the camp of Reuben by companies is one hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty. They shall be second on the march.

17Then the tent of meeting and the camp of the Levites shall set out in the midst of the divisions. As they camp, so also they will march, each in place, by their divisions.

18The divisional camp of Ephraim shall be on the west side, by companies. The leader of the Ephraimites is Elishama, son of Ammihud, 19and the enrollment of his company is forty thousand five hundred. 20Beside it shall be the tribe of Manasseh. The leader of the Manassites is Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, 21and the enrollment of his company is thirty-two thousand two hundred. 22Also the tribe of Benjamin. The leader of the Benjaminites is Abidan, son of Gideoni, 23and the enrollment of his company is thirty-five thousand four hundred. 24The total enrollment of the camp of Ephraim by companies is one hundred and eight thousand one hundred. They shall be third on the march.

25The divisional camp of Dan shall be on the north side, by companies. The leader of the Danites is Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai, 26and the enrollment of his company is sixty-two thousand seven hundred. 27Encamped beside it shall be the tribe of Asher. The leader of the Asherites is Pagiel, son of Ochran, 28and the enrollment of his company is forty-one thousand five hundred. 29Also the tribe of Naphtali. The leader of the Naphtalites is Ahira, son of Enan, 30and the enrollment of his company is fifty-three thousand four hundred. 31The total enrollment of the camp of Dan is one hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They shall be the last on the march, by divisions.

32^b These are the enrollments of the Israelites according to their ancestral houses. The total enrollment of the camps by companies is six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. 33The Levites, however, were not enrolled with the other Israelites, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 34The Israelites did just as the LORD had commanded Moses; both in camp and on the march they were in their own divisions, everyone by clan and according to ancestral house.

* [2:3–31] A similar arrangement of the tribes around the central sanctuary in the ideal Israel is given in Ez 48.

a. [2:2] Nm 1:52.

b. [2:32–33] Nm 1:44–49.