[And so the census begins, according to tribe. The head count of each tribal group runs into not a few thousands but huge numbers which is mindboggling when you think that this is only a segment of the population that left Egypt. If one man or one family ventured out into the wilderness and tried to survive without food and water, it is formidable enough but think about the odds of a million or more slaves who left in a hurry with simple necessities (if they even owned anything) . . . how fortunate indeed that their “exodus” was at the instigation of the Creator of the universe Who would also be their Provider as well as their Protector . . . not to forget, their new Master. Could a people be more fortunate?
image by ubdavid.org
A note about the images from Images for israel encampment around tabernacle– Report images — there is a wide assortment from this source; including the Christian insistence on showing how the formation around the Tabernacle resembles a cross, typical of Christian agenda to keep using “Old Testament” to prefigure the Christian concept of God. Obviously, we opted for depictions with no doctrinal bent because while it is true that pictures speak a thousand words, they are also affected by the point of view of the portayer/cameraman, if careful thought and not just random spur-or-the-moment snapshot went into the picture/photo. It’s difficult enough to shed Christian baggage when reading Christian “OT” so we need to quit seeing Jesus or the cross in the Hebrew Scriptures. He was not there except in Christian forced thinking and interpretation. Let’s listen to the Sinai Revelator and not a religion that developed for political reasons so many millinnia later.
So here again, the commentary from Pentateuch and Haftarahs, ed. Dr. J.H. Hertz; the spelling of words is British and sometimes Christian terminology is applied — sample, “lay” in referring to tribes not belonging to the tribe of Levi. As in all previous posts, you will notice a discrepancy in the ‘wording’ because the translation used by P&H is from JPS (Jewish Publication Society) while the translation we prefer for this website is EF/Everett Fox, The Five Books of Moses.—Admin1]
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ARRANGEMENT OF THE CAMP, AND ORDER OF THE MARCH
Bamidbar/Numbers 2
1 YHVH spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying:2 Each-one by its contingent, under the insignias of their Fathers’ House, shall the Children of Israel encamp, at-a-distance, around the Tent of Appointment, shall they encamp.
Image from: rastafarirenaiisance.wordpess.com
with his own standard. Or, with his own division. The Heb. degel may mean the larger field-sign of every division of three tribes, or the army corps itself. The latter is the meaning attached to the word in the recently discovered Jewish papyri at Elephantine.
ensigns. The smaller banners carried at the head of the different tribes.
According to the Talmud, a pictorial emblem was engraven on the ensign of each tribe. Thus, on that of Judah was depicted a young lion, as a mark of Judah’s prowess and in accordance with Jacob’s blessing (Gen. XLIX,9).
round about the tent of meeting. The tribes differed as regards standards and ensigns, but they constituted one people,, whose common centre was the Tent of meeting.
The whole encampment was in the form of a quadilateral, lying four-square with the Tabernacle in the centre. the central portion was called in the Talmud, the Camp of the Shechinah. Nearest to it, and surrounding it on all four sides as a protecting cordon, were the camps of the Levitical families. Beyond these and enclosing them was the camp of the Israelites—the tents of the twelve lay tribes, divided into four sections, each of which bore the name of its leading tribe.
Image from docstoc.com
5 Those encamping alongside them, the tribe of Yissakhar. The leader of Yissakhar: Netan’el son of Tzu’ar;
6 his force and their count: four and fifty thousand, and four hundred.
7 The tribe of Zevulun- the leader of the Sons of Zevulun: Eliav son of Heilon;
8 his force and their count: seven and fifty thousand, and four hundred.
9 All the accountings of the Camp of Yehuda: a hundred thousand and eighty thousand and six thousand, and four hundred, by their forces; first are they to march.
- Image from ids.or
11 his force and their count: six and forty thousand, and five hundred.
12 And those encamping beside them: the tribe of Shim’on- the leader of the Sons of Shim’on: Shelumi’el son of Tzurishaddai;
13 his force and their count: nine and fifty thousand, and three hundred.
14 And the tribe of Gad- the leader of the Sons of Gad: Elyasaf son of Re’uel;
15 his force and their count: five and forty thousand and six hundred and fifty.
16 All the accountings of the camp of Re’uven: a hundred thousand and one and fifty thousand, and four hundred and fifty, according to their forces; second are they to march.
17 Then shall march the Tent of Appointment, (in) the camp of the Levites, in the midst of the camps; as they encamp, so are they to march, each-one by his position, by their contingents.
with the camp of the Levites. The Levites bearing the Tabernacle with all its parts and accessories are to have their position in the centre of the line of march. The Tabernacle, symbolizing the Divine Presence, should always be ‘in the midst of the children of Israel.’
as they encamp, so shall they set forward. The repeated emphasis on discipline is noteworthy. Israel—God’s army—however great in numbers, is nothing, unless order and discipline reign in the midst thereof. ‘Order is heaven’s first law.’
Image by ids.org.
20 And beside them, the tribe of Menashe- the leader of the Sons of Menashe: Gamliel son of Pedahtzur;
21 his force and their count: two and thirty thousand, and two hundred.
22 And the tribe of Binyamin- the leader of the Sons of Binyamin: Avidan son of Gid’oni;
23 his force and their count: five and thirty thousand, and four hundred.
24 All the accountings of the Camp of Efrayim: a hundred thousand and eight thousand and a hundred, according to their forces; third are they to march.
25 The contingent of the Camp of Dan, northward, according to their forces- Now the leader of the Sons of Dan: Ahi’ezer son of Ammishaddai;
26 his force and their count: two and sixty thousand, and seven hundred.
27 And those encamping beside them, the tribe of Asher- the leader of Asher: Pag’iel son of Okhran;
28 his force and their count: one and forty thousand, and five hundred.
29 And the tribe of Naftali- the leader of the Sons of Naftali: Ahira’ son of Einan;
30 his force and their count: three and fifty thousand, and four hundred.
31 All the accountings of the Camp of Dan: a hundred thousand, and seven and fifty thousand, and six hundred; as the last are they to march, by their contingents.
32 These (are) the accountings of the Children of Israel by their Fathers’ Houses, all the accountings of the camps, by their forces: six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.
33 But the Levites were not counted (for battle) in the midst of the Children of Israel, as YHVH had commanded Moshe.
34 And the Children of Israel did according to all that YHVH had commanded Moshe: thus they encamped, by their contingents, thus they marched, each-man by his clans, alongside his Fathers’ House.