Numbers 7:2

7:2 Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of their clans, ¹  made an offering. They were the leaders of the tribes; they were the ones who had been supervising ²  the numbering.

Numbers 10:14

10:14 The standard ³  of the camp of the Judahites set out first according to their companies, and over his company was Nahshon son of Amminadab.

Numbers 10:22

10:22 And the standard of the camp of the Ephraimites set out according to their companies; over his company was Elishama son of Ammihud.

¹ tn Heb “the house of their fathers.”

² tn The form is the Qal active participle from the verb “to stand” (עָמַד, ’amad). The form describes these leaders as “the ones standing over [the ones numbered].” The expression, along with the clear indication of the first census in chapter 1, shows that this was a supervisory capacity.

³ sn The “standard” (דֶּגֶל, degel) was apparently some kind of a symbol put up on a pole to signify the tribal hosts. R. de Vaux thought it simply referred to a pole or a mast, but that would not distinguish tribes (Ancient Israel, 226-27).