Bible History
Bible History

Numbers 2 - New English Translation (NET)

You are here: Home New English Translation (NET) Numbers 2

The Arrangement of the Tribes

2 [a] The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron: 2 “Every one[b] of the Israelites must camp[c] under his standard with the emblems of his family;[d] they must camp at some distance[e] around the tent of meeting.[f]

The Tribes on the East

3 “Now those who will be camping[g] on the east, toward the sunrise,[h] are the divisions[i] of the camp of Judah under their standard. The leader of the people of Judah is[j] Nahshon son of Amminadab. 4 Those numbered in his division[k] are 74,600. 5 Those who will be camping next to them[l] are the tribe of Issachar. The leader of the people of Issachar is Nethanel son of Zuar. 6 Those numbered in his division are 54,400. 7 Next will be[m] the tribe of Zebulun. The leader of the people of Zebulun is Eliab son of Helon. 8 Those numbered in his division are 57,400. 9 All those numbered of the camp of Judah, according to their divisions, are 186,400. They will travel[n] at the front.

The Tribes on the South

10 “On the south will be the divisions of the camp of Reuben under their standard.[o] The leader of the people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur. 11 Those numbered in his division are 46,500. 12 Those who will be camping next to them are the tribe of Simeon. The leader of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 13 Those numbered in his division are 59,300. 14 Next will be[p] the tribe of Gad. The leader of the people of Gad is Eliasaph son of Deuel.[q] 15 Those numbered in his division are 45,650. 16 All those numbered of the camp of Reuben, according to their divisions, are 151,450. They will travel second.

The Tribe in the Center

17 “Then the tent of meeting with the camp of the Levites will travel in the middle of the camps. They will travel in the same order as they camped, each in his own place[r] under his standard.

The Tribes on the West

18 “On the west will be the divisions of the camp of Ephraim under their standard. The leader of the people of Ephraim is Elishama son of Ammihud. 19 Those numbered in his division are 40,500. 20 Next to them will be the tribe of Manasseh. The leader of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 21 Those numbered in his division are 32,200. 22 Next will be[s] the tribe of Benjamin. The leader of the people of Benjamin is Abidan son of Gideoni. 23 Those numbered in his division are 35,400. 24 All those numbered of the camp of Ephraim, according to their divisions, are 108,100. They will travel third.

The Tribes on the North

25 “On the north will be the divisions of the camp of Dan, under their standards. The leader of the people of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 26 Those numbered in his division are 62,700. 27 Those who will be camping next to them are the tribe of Asher. The leader of the people of Asher is Pagiel son of Ocran. 28 Those numbered in his division are 41,500. 29 Next will be[t] the tribe of Naphtali. The leader of the people of Naphtali is Ahira son of Enan. 30 Those numbered in his division are 53,400. 31 All those numbered of the camp of Dan are 157,600. They will travel last, under their standards.”

Summary

32 These are the Israelites, numbered according to their families.[u] All those numbered in the camps, by their divisions, are 603,550. 33 But the Levites were not numbered among the other Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.

34 So the Israelites did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses; that is the way[v] they camped under their standards, and that is the way they traveled, each with his clan and family.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 2:1 sn For this chapter, see C. E. Douglas, “The Twelve Houses of Israel,” JTS 37 (1936): 49-56; C. C. Roach, “The Camp in the Wilderness: A Sermon on Numbers 2:2, ” Int 13 (1959): 49-54; and G. St. Clair, “Israel in Camp: A Study,” JTS 8 (1907): 185-217.
  2. Numbers 2:2 tn Heb “a man by his own standard.”
  3. Numbers 2:2 tn The imperfect tense is to be taken in the nuance of instruction.
  4. Numbers 2:2 tn Heb “of/for the house of their fathers.”
  5. Numbers 2:2 tn The Hebrew expression מִנֶּגֶד (minneged) means “from before” or “opposite; facing” and “at some distance” or “away from the front of” (see BDB 617 s.v. נֶגֶד 2.c.a; DCH 5:603-4 s.v. 3.b).
  6. Numbers 2:2 sn The Israelites were camping as a military camp, each tribe with the standards and emblems of the family. The standard was the symbol fastened to the end of a pole and carried to battle. It served to rally the tribe to the battle. The Bible nowhere describes these, although the serpent emblem of Numbers 21:8-9 may give a clue. But they probably did not have shapes of animals in view of the prohibition in the Decalogue. The standards may have been smaller for the families than the ones for the tribes. See further K. A. Kitchen, “Some Egyptian Background to the Old Testament,” TynBul 5 (1960): 11; and T. W. Mann, Divine Presence and Guidance in Israelite Tradition, 169-73.
  7. Numbers 2:3 tn The sentence begins with a vav (ו) on a word that is not a finite verb, indicating a new section begins here. The verbal form is a participle with the article used substantivally, with the meaning “and/now those camping.” Many English versions employ a finite verb; cf. KJV “on the east side…shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch.”
  8. Numbers 2:3 tc The two synonyms might seem to be tautological, but this is fairly common and therefore acceptable in Hebrew prose (cf. Exod 26:18; 38:13; etc.).
  9. Numbers 2:3 tn The sentence actually has “[those camping…are] the standard of the camp of Judah according to their divisions.”
  10. Numbers 2:3 tn Or “will be.”
  11. Numbers 2:4 tc The expression “and his divisions and those numbered of them” is somewhat tautological. The words are synonyms used for statistical purposes, and so neither should be simply deleted.
  12. Numbers 2:5 tn Heb “by him” [i.e., Judah].
  13. Numbers 2:7 tn This part has been supplied; the text simply has “the tribe of Zebulun.”
  14. Numbers 2:9 tn The verb is נָסָע (nasaʿ): “to journey, travel, set out,” and here, “to move camp.” Judah will go first, or, literally, at the head of the nation, when they begin to travel.
  15. Numbers 2:10 tn Here and throughout the line is literally “[under] the standard of the camp of Reuben…according to their divisions.”
  16. Numbers 2:14 tn The Hebrew text simply has “and the tribe of Gad.”
  17. Numbers 2:14 tc The Leningrad codex, upon which BHS is based, has “Reuel” here. In reading “Deuel” the translation presented above follows many medieval Hebrew manuscripts, Smr, and the Latin Vulgate. Cf. Num 1:14.
  18. Numbers 2:17 tn The Hebrew expression is עַל־יָדוֹ (ʿal yado, “upon his hand”). This clearly refers to a specifically designated place for each man.
  19. Numbers 2:22 tn Here too the Hebrew text simply has “and the tribe of Benjamin.”
  20. Numbers 2:29 tn The Hebrew text has “and the tribe of Naphtali.”
  21. Numbers 2:32 tn Heb “the house of their fathers.” So also in v. 34.
  22. Numbers 2:34 tn The Hebrew word is כֵּן (ken, “thus, so”).

You Might Also Like:

Numbers 2 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

2 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, and unto Aaron, saying, 2 `Each by his standard, with ensigns of the house of their fathers, do the sons of Israel encamp; over-against round about the tent of meeting they encamp.' 3 And those encamping eastward towards the sun-rising, [are of] the standard of the...
Read More

Numbers 2 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

2 And the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron, and said, 2 All men of the sons of Israel shall set tents by the companies, signs, and banners, and houses of their kindreds, by compass of the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace. (All the men of the Israelites shall pitch their tents by the companies, sign...
Read More

Numbers 2 - World English Bible (WEB)

2 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “The children of Israel shall encamp every man by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall encamp around the Tent of Meeting at a distance from it.” 3 Those who encamp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the ...
Read More

Numbers 2 - The Voice (VOICE)

Tribechapter 1First Censuschapter 26Second Censuschange after38 YearsReuben46,50043,730-2,770Simeon59,30022,200-37,100Gad45,65040,500-5,150Judah74,60076,5001,900Issachar54,40064,3009,900Zebulun57,40060,5003,100Ephraim40,50032,500-8,000Manasseh32,20052,70020,500Benjamin35,40045,60010,200Dan62,70064,4...
Read More

Numbers 2 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Order of Ancestral Households2 Adonai said to Moses and Aaron saying, “ 2 Let each man encamp under his own standard among the banners of their ancestral house at an appropriate distance around the Tent of Meeting. 3 Those camping on the east—toward the sunrise—will be of the standard of Judah, acc...
Read More

Numbers 2 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Order of Encampment and Marching2 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “The people of Israel shall encamp each by his own standard, with the ensigns of their fathers’ houses; they shall encamp facing the tent of meeting on every side. 3 Those to encamp on the east side toward the sunrise shall ...
Read More

Numbers 2 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Order of Encampment and Marching2 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “The people of Israel shall encamp each by his own standard, with the ensigns of their fathers’ houses; they shall encamp facing the tent of meeting on every side. 3 Those to encamp on the east side toward the sunrise shall ...
Read More

Numbers 2 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Order of Encampment and Marching2 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 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. 3 Those to camp on the east side towards the sunrise s...
Read More

Numbers 2 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Order of Encampment and Marching2 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “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.(A)3 Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise s...
Read More

Numbers 2 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Organization for Israel’s Camp2 Then the Lord gave these instructions to Moses and Aaron: 2 “When the Israelites set up camp, each tribe will be assigned its own area. The tribal divisions will camp beneath their family banners on all four sides of the Tabernacle,[a] but at some distance from it. 3-...
Read More

Numbers 2 - New Life Version (NLV)

The Family Groups in Camp2 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “The people of Israel will set up their tents, each by his own flag and beside that of their fathers’. They will set up their tents to face the meeting tent on every side. 3 Those who stay in their tents on the east side toward the sun...
Read More

Numbers 2 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Tribes and Leaders by Armies2 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 (A)“Everyone of the children of Israel shall camp by his own [a]standard, beside the emblems of his father’s house; they shall camp (B)some distance from the tabernacle of meeting. 3 On the (C)east side, toward the ...
Read More

Numbers 2 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

The arrangement of the tribal camps2 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 2 ‘The Israelites are to camp round the tent of meeting some distance from it, each of them under their standard and holding the banners of their family.’ 3 On the east, towards the sunrise, the divisions of the camp of Judah ar...
Read More

Numbers 2 - New International Version (NIV)

The Arrangement of the Tribal Camps2 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.” 3 On the east, toward the sunrise, the divisions of the camp of Judah ...
Read More

Numbers 2 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

The Tribes Camp Around the Tent of Meeting2 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, 2 “The Israelites must camp around the tent of meeting. But they must not camp too close to it. All of them must camp under their flags and under the banners of their families.” 3 The groups of the camp of Judah...
Read More

Numbers 2 - New Century Version (NCV)

The Camp Arrangement2 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 2 “The Israelites should make their camps around the Meeting Tent, but they should not camp too close to it. They should camp under their family flag and banners.” 3 The camp of Judah will be on the east side, where the sun rises, and they wil...
Read More

61 Bible Translations

Popular Articles

Explore the Bible Like Never Before!

Bible History Online

Bible Study Tools

Top Tags