Numbers 2:17

The Tribe in the Center

2:17 “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 ¹  under his standard.

Numbers 5:3

5:3 You must expel both men and women; you must put them outside the camp, so that ²  they will not defile their camps, among which I live.”

Numbers 10:25

10:25 The standard of the camp of the Danites set out, which was the rear guard ³  of all the camps by their companies; over his company was Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

[2:17]  ¹ tn The Hebrew expression is עַל־יָדוֹ (’al-yado, “upon his hand”). This clearly refers to a specifically designated place for each man.

[5:3]  ² tn The imperfect tense functions here as a final imperfect, expressing the purpose of putting such folks outside the camp. The two preceding imperfects (repeated for emphasis) are taken here as instruction or legislation.

[10:25]  ³ tn The MT uses a word that actually means “assembler,” so these three tribes made up a strong rear force recognized as the assembler of all the tribes.